- Chaos unfolds prior to tipoff
The drama leading up to game time might have trumped the game itself, as a series of unexpected events transpired in a 30-minute span. The Cavs ruled J.R. Smith out with a sore knee. Head coach Tyronn Lue left the team to tend to an illness. Isaiah Thomas warmed up for the first time in a Wine and Gold uniform.
It appeared to be a run-of-the-mill day at the pregame press conference at 5:15, but late changes and adjustments presented themselves in an abrupt fashion. Associate head coach Larry Drew took over, Channing Frye made his first start of the 2017-18 campaign and the first trial run went smoothly for Thomas, who is chomping at the bit to log his first action of the season.
“I found out about 3o minutes before the game actually started,” said Drew. “I knew there was a chance that he may not be available tonight. Right when we met with the team is when I got word that he would not be available tonight.”
Smith was dealing with minor soreness, and is day-to-day moving forward. With three days of rest slated for the weekend, his earliest opportunity to return could be Christmas day against the Warriors.
“Against big fives, we like to play Channing because normally a big five is not used to playing out on the perimeter,” Drew said. “With Channing in the lineup, we knew (Robin) Lopez would have to play the perimeter more than playing on the inside. We got what we wanted out of it.”
Lue “wasn’t feeling 100 percent,” and handed the duties to his staff for the first time since a contest in March when he suffered from vertigo. The Cavaliers did not release any further information, but nothing appears to be serious at this time.
Thomas is still without a timetable for return, but he was able to practice with the Canton Charge earlier in the day without any limitations. He is out for Monday’s game vs. Golden State, but reports have targeted a debut in the coming weeks.
“It felt good,” said Thomas. “For the most part, I’m able to do what I want out there. It’s just that I have no rhythm or feel. I haven’t played a 5-on-5 since the end of May, so that part will come with more repetition. Hopefully, I can get that sooner rather than later.”
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