One of the biggest mysteries surrounding Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday was why Kyle Korver didn’t play more early in the game.
Korver did not play in the first quarter of the game and only saw 19 minutes of action in the 96-83 loss to the Boston Celtics. That’s simply not enough for a guy who was shooting nearly 50 percent on threes for the series entering the game and proved to be effective in 25 minutes in a Game 4 win.
So why didn’t Korver play more? Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Ty Lue said after the game that the reason was Korver usually plays against Boston’s Semi Ojeleye, so when Brad Stevens didn’t play Ojeleye, it threw them for a loop.
Here's the baffling Ty Lue quote where he says Brad Stevens“threw (the Cavs) for a loop” by declining to play Ojeleye. That’s why Korver didn’t play as many minutes because that was his matchup…… pic.twitter.com/tCpTRKghG5
— gifdsports (@gifdsports) May 24, 2018
It’s hard to know what’s worse: Lue’s inability to adjust on the fly, or him publicly acknowledging it after the game.
Stay tuned for Game 6 to see how Brad Stevens will outsmart Lue next! That’s why his players call him a genius.
