NBA teams
Dave McMenamin, ESPN Staff Writer 7y

Cavaliers want to ramp up physicality but won't 'dirty up' game

NBA, Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Tristan Thompson was blunt in his criticism of his struggles when asked about his personal performance in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

"Trash," Thompson said Saturday of his zero-point, four-rebound night as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost 113-91 to the Golden State Warriors. "Trash. Got to be better, I watched the film [to] see what I could do. Got to be more energy, got to make it tough for them. 

"I know they are watching film, and something for them is to keep me off the glass. So, it's going to be a wrestling match down there, and you got to keep it going, make it tough for them and just try to wear them out, make them run a lot of pick-and-rolls and just take it to another level. This team, playing against the Warriors, you just can't play hard. You have to play hard to a level where it's past the thermostat. It's a different level with this team. So, guys have to be reminded, I got to be reminded against this team, you got to go balls out."

It was an interesting turn of phrase by Thompson. His teammate, JR Smith, was asked how the Cavs could use physicality in their favor and made reference to Warriors forward Draymond Green's past low blows -- one of them a swipe of his hand to LeBron James' groin in last year's Finals that netted him a one-game suspension.

"Dirtying up the game? I don't know about that," Smith said. "They got one guy who keeps kicking people in the [groin]. I don't know about that. But we won't dirty up the game. We just play physical. Some people don't like physicality, and that's what it is. But we just got to play our game and the way we know how to play, and that's what's been successful for us." 

Thursday was the first time since Nov. 8, in a 110-106 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, that Thompson went scoreless while failing to grab at least five rebounds. He vowed to do his part in Game 2.

"I'm all physicality," Thompson said. "I'm not a jump-shooter. I'm not a ball handler. I'm a guy that plays hard, is physical and brings all energy. So that's what it's about. It's the Finals."

In Thursday's opener, Thompson finished well below his playoff average of 8.9 boards per game. As a team, the Cavs were only able to corral 15 offensive rebounds off their 56 missed shots.

"There were opportunities, but they did a good job boxing me out," Thompson said. "They did a good of sending, whether it was Zaza [Pachulia] or [Javale] McGee, with another guard, sending two guys to box me out. That's their game plan, to keep me off the glass and limit us to one shot. The bigs are wrestling down there, and I'm going to keep wrestling down there and get me some offensive rebounds."

Thompson added that even if he cannot secure rebounds in Game 2, he has to focus on at least getting in position to potentially tip the loose ball out to a teammate so he can get the rebound and retain the possession. Without Thompson hoarding extra possessions and the Warriors' defense holding Cleveland to just 34.9 percent shooting with 20 turnovers, the Cavs failed to crack the 100-point mark for the first time all postseason.

Thompson said he will continue to crash the glass before worrying about retreating back on defense, even though Golden State outscored Cleveland 27-9 in fastbreak situations in Game 1.

"I feel that part of our offense is me getting offensive rebounds and creating second opportunities for them," Thompson said. "I'm not going to stop doing that. That's what I bring to the table. But if I hit the glass and don't get it, I have to make sure that I sprint back." 

Simply put, Thompson is putting himself on the line for Game 2.

"Tomorrow I got to be better, play better and just be extra active," he said. "You come out and play well in Game 2, everybody will forget about Game 1. So, that's how I look at it."

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