CLEVELAnd: A game the Cavaliers could have taken control of much earlier came down to a single possession with a little over four seconds left Saturday at Quicken Loans Arena.
Had the Cavs shot better from the free-throw line, hearts might not have been in throats at that moment. Had they hit their season average of 75 percent, they would have put themselves in a far better situation.
Instead, the Cavs shot 14-of-27 (52 percent) from the line and had to sweat out C.J. Miles’ missed jumper just before the final horn in a 109-108 win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of a first-round playoff series at Quicken Loans Arena.
Cavs coach Tyronn Lue mentioned free-throw shooting amid a laundry list of things his team needs to clean up.
“I address it after the game in that we can play better, we will play better,” Lue said of those misses. “We missed 13 free throws, turned the ball over and they got 19 points in transition.”
Cavs players were not troubled by the free-throw issue, treating it as an anomaly.
“There were a lot of easy missed free throws as well as layups that could have swayed the game and gave us the cushion that we needed,” point guard Kyrie Irving said. “But we just have a resilient group that believes in one another, and it was a good first playoff win of a new journey.”
Center Channing Frye shared that belief.
“We’re good,” he said. “Guys that were missing free throws tonight shoot 90 percent all the time. Maybe not that, but it’s 90 percent to me. They’re good. They’re going to make them the next day. I’m not really worried about that part.”
Frye offered an easy remedy for fixing the problem: “Go shoot some freakin’ free throws tomorrow. That’s it.”
LeBron seeks help
Throughout his career, LeBron James has never been shy about working with other players on parts of his game.
He has had his share of free-throw problems throughout the season, during which he converted a career-low 67 percent. It might be too early to tell what effect it might have, but James appears to have changed his free-throw stance for the playoffs with the help of teammate Kyle Korver.
“We’ve kind of been brainstorming about how I can be more efficient,” James said. “Obviously, Kyle is probably one of the most efficient guys we have from the free-throw line on our team.”
Before the postseason, James said he was aware of his struggles from the line. But he said the problem would be corrected in time for the playoffs and that he saw himself making 80 percent of his foul shots.
He connected on 6-of-9 against the Pacers, roughly equal to his season average. He hit his first four attempts, and said he views it as a good start and plans to stay with the routine.
‘Zero Dark Thirty’
James announced on Twitter at 11:40 p.m. Friday that he’d gone into playoff “Zero Dark Thirty-23” mode, which involves avoiding television, radio and social media.
Asked about the difference he sees in James, Lue said, “I don’t know. I mean I know he cuts off a lot of communication, not a lot of laughing. A lot of seriousness. But when the playoffs start, it’s just his time. He’s always serious, he’s always focused and that’s just who he’s been since I’ve been around him.”
Close call?
The injury bug might have bitten the Cavs once again, only at a more inopportune time than any other. Backup point guard Deron Williams left after jamming his thumb.
Williams was in obvious pain as the team’s trainers looked at it on the Cavs bench, but he returned in the fourth quarter to make a 3-pointer that gave the Cavs a 98-88 lead with 9:06 to play.
Shumpless
Guard Iman Shumpert did not play in the first game of the series. Shumpert, who struggled after J.R. Smith returned to the starting lineup, gave way to Korver.
Korver found it difficult to get his shot, and didn’t attempt his first field goal — which he made — until the 11:44 mark of the fourth quarter. He finished with two points in 15 minutes.
Wings dinner
Lue didn’t go out for a fancy meal at a fine dining restaurant on the night before the playoff opener. He said his cousin drove him to Applebee’s.
“I got 18 wings fried hard with the sauce on the side,” Lue said.