DENVER (AP) — A change of scenery has certainly served the Cleveland Cavaliers well. Because they made themselves right at home in Indy.
It’s a common theme in Round 2 of the NBA playoffs, where the road squads boast a 7-3 mark so far. Nuggets interim head coach David Adelman has plenty of possible theories to explain why home court doesn’t seem to provide as much of an advantage at the moment.
For Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell, all that really matters is this — their road the Pacers rescued their season. After dropping the first two games at home, the East’s top-seeded Cavaliers now trail the Pacers 2-1 in their best-of-seven series heading into Game 4 in Indianapolis on Sunday night.
“I know he didn’t say that, (this was a must win),” Mitchell said about coach message before Game 3. “I knew it. I kind of kept that to myself, understanding going down 0-3 and playing here is tough. So yeah, this was a must-win.”
The Nuggets hold a 2-1 series lead over the West’s top-seeded Thunder thanks to stealing Game 1 in Oklahoma City. Granted, they were blown out by 43 points in Game 2 but they protected their home court Friday night overtime victory.
“It’s easy to say, ‘Just stay in it, man,’” said Adelman, who’s the son of Hall of Fame coach Rick Adelman. “They’re coming in at 100 miles per hour, they have a great basketball team, well-coached. It just feels good to come out with a win.”
As for homecourt advantage, David Adelman believes the 3-pointer has become the great equalizer for a road team.
“I also think that’s why you see more blowouts in the playoffs, because there are teams that can get hot and make 20, 22 3s,” Adelman explained. “It can get out of control very quickly.”
Even more, Adelman reasoned that today’s players are almost insulated from the loud noise in opposing arenas.
“Maybe it’s the way they grew up, playing AAU and traveling all over the place and playing,” Adelman said. “They’re less likely to feel as much anxiety on the road.”
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault has a more simplistic approach when it comes to road games — or any games for that matter.
“If we can stay focused,” Daigneault said, “in a great environment on what we need to do, we have confidence we can win the game.”
Oklahoma City at Denver Nuggets
When/Where to Watch: Game 4, 3:30 p.m. EDT (ABC)
Series: Nuggets lead, 2-1
BetMGM says: Thunder by 5.5
What to Know: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic, the frontrunners in the NBA MVP race, went a combined 15 of 47 from the floor in Game 3, including 1 of 16 from 3-point range. It would be a big surprise to see that kind of shooting display — Jokic was 8 of 25, Gilgeous-Alexander finished 7 of 22 — out of them again. The Thunder did a masterful job of rolling coverage toward Jokic, the reigning MVP. He had 16 rebounds to go with 20 points and six assists. He’s yet to record a triple-double in the series after posting three in seven games against the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round. Gilgeous-Alexander was 1 of 8 in the fourth quarter and didn’t take a shot in overtime. “A few of the shots felt good, more than a few,” said Gilgeous-Alexander, who had 18 points and 13 rebounds in nearly 45 minutes. “They didn’t go in, obviously.”
Cleveland Cavaliers at Indiana Pacers
When/Where to Watch: Game 3, 8 p.m. EDT (TNT/truTV)
Series: Pacers lead, 2-1.
BetMGM says: Cavaliers by 4.5.
What to Know: Cleveland played its best — and most complete — game of the series to avoid falling into the dreaded 3-0 deficit. But questions remain. All-Star guard Darius Garland was not himself after returning from a toe injury that forced him to miss the Cavs previous four games and Atkinson isn’t sure if, or how much, he’ll play Sunday night. Atkinson was also waiting to see how and key backup De’Andre Hunter felt after also returning from injuries. The Pacers are looking for a much better start and a much better effort than the one coach Rick Carlisle criticized Friday night. They also must figure out a way to slow down Mitchell, who has scored 33, 48 and 43 points in the first three games. On top of that, they must find a way to ignite All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton again. He had little significant presence Friday as he finished with four points and five assists.
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AP Sports Writer Mike Marot contributed to this report.
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