Ty Lue Offers Absurd Reason for Not Playing Kyle Korver More in Game 5

The Cleveland Cavaliers were a mess in Game 5. They were overwhelmed by rookie Jayson Tatum, four-time All-Star Al Horford and a raucous crowd which has now witnessed the Boston Celtics win 10 consecutive playoff games at TD Garden. The Cavs, pushed to the brink of elimination, left Boston searching for answers after the lopsided defeat.

LeBron James’ apparent fatigue and the lack of production from George Hill and J.R. Smith were topics of discussion, but another question arose: why didn’t Kyle Korver receive more playing time?

Kyle Korver was a non-factor in Cleveland's Game 5 loss. (Ken Blaze/USA Today Sports)

The often-beleaguered Cleveland head coach Tyronn Lue said Korver—who averaged 13 points in the past three contests—saw limited action because Celtics backup rookie forward Semi Ojeleye did not play.

“Well, initially, he's been putting Ojeleye in,” Lue said of Stevens. “So that's been kind of Kyle's matchup when he comes in the game. He didn't play him tonight, so it kind of threw us for a loop.”

Apparently, Ojeleye’s absence (DNP-coach’s decision) was enough for Lue to sit the Cavaliers’ lone effective bench player. Score that another win for Celtics coach Brad Stevens, who also wisely inserted the bruising Aron Baynes into the starting lineup in order to defuse Tristan Thompson’s impact on the glass, particularly on the offensive end.

Playing Korver less because Ojeleye was removed from the Celtics’ rotation is asinine no matter how the matchup-based Lue spins it. Korver has been a spark-plug for Cleveland. But his reduced minutes (19) limited him to just six shot attempts from the floor in Game 5. He knocked down two 3-pointers and hit one free throw, finishing with seven points. Korver came into the contest averaging 10.7 points and 25.1 minutes per game in the postseason.

Lue’s logic for not playing Korver doesn’t add up. Ojeleye only saw nine minutes in Cleveland’s Game 4 victory, yet Korver received ample playing time (25 minutes) that contest and delivered his best performance of the postseason, posting 14 points, four rebounds and three blocks.

Coming into tonight's game, Korver had played 90 minutes in the series - just 31 of them were while Ojeleye was on the court.

What. Is. This. Dude. Talking. About

????? https://t.co/FyZ9XQ41Kx

— Ben Dowsett (@Ben_Dowsett) May 24, 2018

Regardless of whether Ojeleye returns to the Celtics rotation, Lue needs to find minutes for Korver in Game 6 if Cleveland is to keep its season alive.