Cavaliers look to become aggressors in Game 2

Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue and All-Star forward Kevin Love both used the word “aggressive” to describe the state of affairs in the team’s Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against the Pacers.

The Cavs weren’t nearly as aggressive as they needed to be in Game 1, a 96-80 loss to the Pacers on April 15 at Quicken Loans Arena.

If they are going to flip the script in Game 2 on April 17 at The Q, the Cavs are going to have to be the aggressors against a team emboldened by its impressive performance in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series.

Lue and Love were quizzed by reporters after practice April 17 at Cleveland Clinic Courts in Independence.

“The mood is good,” Lue said. “Guys understand what it takes to win, to beat this team. We have to be more aggressive, more physical, own our space offensively. We have to be stronger with the ball. Can’t turn it over 17 times.”

The fifth-seeded Pacers, winners of three of the four regular-season games against the fourth-seeded Cavs, dictated tone and tempo in Game 1. They were efficient on offense, racing to a 33-14 lead after the first quarter, and relentless on defense, never allowing the Cavs to draw closer than seven points in the ensuing three quarters.

By way of sharp contrast, the Cavs shot a sub-standard 38.5 percent overall and an ice-cold 23.5 percent from 3-point range.

“That definitely was not us,” Love said. “We did not shoot the ball well. In the first quarter, we had a number of shots go in and out. We weren’t in the flow of our offense like we usually are.”

Love was part of the problem on offense, scoring only nine points on 3 of 8 shooting.

“I need to be more aggressive and get more post touches,” Love said. “Sometimes, I fall into my own trap of spacing everybody.”

Beyond their mediocre numbers in Game 1, the Cavs also played with little or no fire for long stretches.

“I would say our intensity wasn’t there until we got hit in the mouth in that first quarter,” Love said. “I guess it didn’t feel like the playoffs. That’s a weird thing to say. But it feels like the playoffs, especially now that we’re down 0-1. We better be ready for it.”

Questions were posed to Lue and Love about how they expected LeBron James to assert himself in Game 2.

The four-time NBA Most Valuable Player and face of the franchise posted a triple-double in Game 1 with 24 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. However, he didn’t attempt his first field goal until late in the first quarter and was a so-so 7 of 17 from the field.

“When he sets the tone early for us, we’re usually a really good team,” Lue said of James. “We like to call plays early that feature him and allow him to be aggressive. He is always going to make the right play, the right pass. He gets guys involved.”

Love said he expects James to be a major contributor to a much better effort by the entire team.

“Especially on our home floor, I believe we’ll come out and be a lot more aggressive than we were in Game 1,” Love said. “We know what we have to do (April 18). I fully expect LeBron to set the tone.”

The Cavs also will need to slow down Indiana guard Victor Oladipo, who torched them with 32 points in Game 1.

“It’s easier said than done trying to get the ball out of his hands,” Love said. “We have to find ways to be creative and make other guys beat us.”

The series moves to Indianapolis for Games 3 and 4 on April 20 and 22, respectively.