Resurgent Kevin Love at the center of Cavaliers' stunning Game 2 rout
Kevin Love wasn't thrilled about being named the starting center for Game 2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers' second-round showdown with the Toronto Raptors - but you wouldn't know it by looking at his final stat line.
Love terrorized the Raptors on Thursday, pouring in 31 points, adding 11 rebounds, and generally making life miserable for whoever was tasked with guarding him as the Cavaliers trounced Toronto 128-110 to return to Cleveland with a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven.
It was an incredible turnaround for Love, who has struggled for the majority of the postseason - and validation for head coach Tyronn Lue, who insisted on staying with his smaller lineup, even though Love had argued to move back to the power forward spot.
"I've spent most of my (career) at the power forward position," Love told reporters. "(Lue) saw something out there with me in the five spot, especially on the offensive end … I've always tried to do the best I can in the area of sacrifice for this team. Sometimes I'm going to have a little bit of pushback, and in some cases it's healthy."
Love, who averaged 10.9 points on 31.9 percent shooting through the first eight games of these playoffs heading into Thursday's Game 2, scored just seven points on 3-for-13 shooting in Game 1 against the Raptors and was outmatched in the low post by Toronto center Jonas Valanciunas, who scored 21 points and grabbed 21 rebounds.
But Lue's insistence on sticking with Love at center Thursday night paid off. Love punished C.J. Miles and other smaller defenders in the low post during a key third-quarter stretch; When Valanciunas was on the floor, the Cavaliers exploited him on defense, finding open shots on the perimeter at will.
"When he's running the floor, bigs are taught to run to the paint," Lue said. "If he spreads the floor, he's going to get open threes in transition. He really set a tone for us."
Banging around in the post can take its toll - and LeBron James said following Tuesday's practice that he understands Love's hesitance to do it full time.
"We've been very successful with Kev at the five," James said. "But we have to listen to what Kev needs as well. If there's times throughout the postseason or a game where he's feeling a little worn down because he's battling a lot of bigs, then we've got to make the substitution properly."
But when Love is dialed in offensively, he's virtually unguardable. As a stretch five who can score on the perimeter and in the low post, there's not much the Raptors can do when Love is at center and James is the point forward.
"He demanded the ball and we got it to him," James said. "He was just working in the paint. He wasn't settling. It allowed our team to feature him."
Thursday marked the latest chapter in what has been another up-and-down season in Cleveland for Love. After a strong start to the season, he struggled when Isaiah Thomas returned to the lineup in January, and then suffered a fracture in his hand which kept him out until mid-March.
"It's definitely been a challenging year," Love said after Thursday's morning shootaround. "It feels like it's been a few different seasons in itself."
Love's nightmare season continued In the first round of the playoffs, when he suffered a partially torn ligament in his left thumb. The Cavaliers escaped with a first-round series win over Indiana despite Love being a virtual non-factor.
The Cavaliers made significant roster changes midway through the season, but the four players they acquired at the deadline have been invisible in the postseason. George Hill has struggled through injuries, and is shooting just 20 percent from three in the playoffs. Jordan Clarkson is making 32.7 percent of his field goals, averaging 4.6 points off the bench. Rodney Hood has been a non-factor, averaging 5.1 points in 17.7 minutes, and has shot 2-for-14 from three in the postseason. Larry Nance Jr. has played just three minutes against the Raptors through two games.
But familiar faces have stepped up in the past three games. In a Game 7 win over the Pacers, Tristan Thompson delivered a 15-point, 10-rebound performance. In Game 1 against the Raptors, Kyle Korver made five 3-pointers and scored 19 points. Love's breakout game in Game 2 continues the trend of other Cavaliers besides James stepping up and providing the support he's been looking for all season.
There are only four players left on the roster from Cleveland's 2016 championship team: James, Love, Thompson, and J.R. Smith. As the playoffs have moved along, James seems to be embracing the fact that, if he can rely on the guys who've been there with him, that might be enough to push this team to a fourth consecutive NBA Finals berth - and eighth straight for James.
It seemed improbable entering the playoffs - and as recently as last week - but here come the Cavaliers again, making themselves whole with the pieces they have.
"This is a different team for obvious reasons," James said. "You guys know the narratives and talk about it a lot. At the end of the day, myself, Kev, J.R., and Tristan, we have to be as good we can be. We're the last four standing from our championship run. It starts with us."
The Cavaliers now return home with a commanding 2-0 series lead against the Raptors. They've won eight straight playoffs games against Toronto, who were already talking about playing with pride after losing Game 2. The Cavaliers are trending up, and if Thursday's game helps turn around Love's postseason, they suddenly look like a favorite to reach the Finals once again.
Alex Wong is an NBA freelance writer whose work has appeared in GQ, The New Yorker, Vice Sports, and Complex, among other publications.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)