Denver – A scenario change has certainly served the Cleveland Cavaliers. Because they made themselves at home in Indy.
It is a common theme in Round 2 of the NBA playoffs, where road squads have a 7-3 mark so far. The interim Nuggets coach, David Adelman, has many possible theories to explain why the local court does not seem to provide so much advantage at this time.
For the star of the Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell, all that really matters is this: its path Win on Friday night The Pacers rescued their season. After dropping the first two games at home, the best planted cavaliers of the east now follow the 2-1 Pacers in their best series of seven in game 4 in Indianapolis on Sunday night.
“I know he didn’t say that, (this was a must),” Mitchell said about the coach Kenny Atkinson’s Message before game 3. “I knew. I kept that for myself, understanding at the 0-3 dinner and playing here is difficult. So, this was a must.”
Nuggets have an advantage of the 2-1 series over the best sown thunder in the West thanks to the theft of game 1 in Oklahoma City. Okay, they were expelled by 43 points in game 2, but they protected their local court on Friday night With 113-104 Extra -time victory.
“It’s easy to say: ‘Just stay in him, man’,” said Adelman, who is the son of the coach of Hall of Fame, Rick Adelman. “They come to 100 miles per hour, they have a great basketball team, well trained. It feels good to go out with a victory.”
As for Homecourt Advantage, David Adelman believes that the triple has become the great equalizer for a road team.
“I also think that is why you see more explosions in the playoffs, because there are teams that can heat up and do 20, 22 3s,” Adelman explained. “You can get out of very fast control.”
Even more, Adelman reasoned that today’s players are almost isolated from the loud noise in opposite sands.
“Maybe it is the way they grew up, playing Aau and traveling all over the place and playing,” said Adelman. “It is less likely that they feel so much anxiety along the way.”
Thunder Mark Daigneault coach has a more simplistic approach when it comes to road games, or any game for the case.
“If we can stay focused,” said Daigneault, “in a big environment about what we should do, we have confidence that we can win the game.”
When/Where to see: Game 4, 3:30 PM EDT (ABC)
Series: Nuggets Lead, 2-1
Betmgm says: Thunder by 5.5
What to know: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic, the favorites in the NBA MVP race, were 15 of 47 floor combined in game 3, including 1 of 16 from the range of 3 points. It would be a big surprise to see that type of shooting exhibition: Jokic had 8 of 25, Gilgeous-Alxander finished 7 of 22, of them again. The Thunder did a masterpiece of rolling coverage to Jokic, the prevailing MVP. He had 16 rebounds to go with 20 points and six assists. He has not yet recorded a double triple in the series after publishing three in seven games against the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round. Gilgous-Alexander was 1 of 8 in the last quarter and did not take a shot in extra time. “Some of the shots felt good, more than a few,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, who had 18 points and 13 rebounds in almost 45 minutes. “They did not enter, obviously.”
When/Where to see: Game 3, 8 PM EDT (TNT/Trutv)
Series: Pacers Lead, 2-1.
Betmgm says: Cavaliers by 4.5.
What to know: Cleveland played his best game and the most complete in the series to avoid falling into the dreaded 3-0 deficit. But questions remain. The All-Star Guard, Darius Garland, was not himself after returning from an injury of his feet that forced him to miss the four previous games of the CAVs and Atkinson is not sure of himself, or how much, he will play on Sunday night. Atkinson was also waiting to see how NBA Mobley NBA Year Defensive Player And Hunter’s key support felt after returning from the injuries. The Pacers are looking for a much better start and an effort much better than the only coach that Rick Carlisle criticized on Friday night. They must also find a way to slow Mitchell, who scored 33, 48 and 43 points in the first three games. In addition to that, they must find a way to turn on the All-Star Tyrese Haliburton guard again. He had little significant presence on Friday when he ended with four points and five assists.
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The sports writer AP Mike Marot contributed to this report.
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