The Cleveland Cavaliers are right back in the fold.
They got right back in the series with a big win in Game 3.
Needless to say, getting Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and De’Andre Hunter back on the court played a big part in their success.
However, perhaps their defense on Tyrese Haliburton was the biggest factor in the win.
At least, that’s how NBA analyst Sam Amico feels.
Talking on the “Full Court Cleveland” podcast, Amico gushed about the team’s defensive work on Haliburton:
“I thought [the Cavs] did a much better job on [Tyrese Haliburton] since that last-second prayer in Game 2. I think that’s a big key—how well you’re defending him, how difficult you’re making his life—because when you do that, we saw that guys like Myles Turner, [Pascal] Siakam, [Aaron] Nesmith, [Andrew] Nembhard, those guys didn’t get off because you contained Haliburton,” Amico said.
They held him to just four points on 2-of-8 shooting, and he wasn’t much of a factor as a playmaker either, as he finished the game with just five assists in 30 minutes.
He only attempted one three-pointer, didn’t go to the line a single time, and they essentially shut him down and forced him to play off the ball.
Haliburton had been the Cavs’ biggest issue in the first two games of the series.
Besides the game-winning three-point shot, he had dominated as a scorer and playmaker, pulling the strings of the offense and establishing the pace of the game.
The Cavs have now held him to five or fewer assists in consecutive games.
That’s notable for someone who averaged a whopping 9.2 assists per game this season and who had 13 in the first game of the series.
Kenny Atkinson’s team will now look to even things up on Sunday, and while it won’t be easy and the Pacers will most definitely make adjustments, smothering Haliburton and messing up his rhythm will be crucial to get the job done.
NEXT: Analyst Names Key Cavs Player For Historic Series Comeback
