Tyronn Lue took the podium after the Cavaliers emerged victorious from a hard-fought Game 7 against the Indiana Pacers. And before he was asked a single question, Lue had to address the performance Tristan Thompson turned in.
Tristan Thompson came in and saved the Cavs in Game 7
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
His answer hit the nail on the head.
“First off, I just wanna say Tristan Thompson, all series long we just told him to be ready,” Lue said. “Coming into Game 7 and to start and perform the way he did was huge. For him to step up and be in the fire of Game 7 was unbelievable.”
Thompson was outstanding in Game 7
Thompson did not play in Games 2, 3, or 5. He combined for just 23 minutes played in Games 1, 4, and 6. But Lue inserted him into the starting lineup for Game 7, and in 35 minutes on the floor, Thompson gave the Cavs everything he had.
Thompson finished Cleveland’s elimination game with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and a massive block with just over a minute remaining in the fourth quarter; one that earned an uproarious ovation from The Quicken Loans Arena crowd and a huge high-five from LeBron James. Five of his rebounds came on the offensive glass.
His energy gave life to a Cavaliers’ team that needed every bit of a jolt to survive a scrappy, resilient Pacers’ team looking to close them out on the road. It was an energy that had been missing much of the year.
Thompson earned his name in the 2014-15 season when he averaged 10.8 rebounds per game in the playoffs. It was that hustle, heart, and effort (and a co-sign from James, of course) that earned him a then-lucrative five-year, $82 million contract.
But as the NBA evolved and the center position became more and more a pariah, Thompson’s minutes — and subsequently, his production — slashed. Then eight games into this season, he suffered a calf injury that sidelined him for 19 games. He’d miss another two weeks with a right ankle injury in March. All together, Thompson averaged just 5.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 20.2 minutes through 53 games this season.
Game 7 was huge for Thompson and the Cavs
That’s why his Game 7 performance is such a success story. Lue went back to the battle-tested, battle-proven lineup that had delivered for Cleveland last season, and Thompson responded by turning the clock back to the player who had put his body on the line countless times in the past.
Thompson’s 15 and 10, and George Hill’s solid performance off the bench shouldered the load for a Cleveland team that endured a battle with James’ cramps late in the game.
“How do we split the game ball between Tristan and G-Hill?” James asked after the game.
There’s no telling if he can keep that activity up in a series against the Toronto Raptors. But what matters is that the Cavaliers are in the second round at all. Without Thompson, we don’t know if that happens. Thankfully for Cavs fans, we didn’t have to find out.
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