CLEVELAND -- Following an 18-point loss in Game 1 of their first-round series against the Indiana Pacers, Cleveland Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue made major changes to his starting lineup for Game 2, going with Kyle Korver and JR Smith in place of Rodney Hood and Jeff Green.
Korver played just four minutes in Game 1, shooting 0-for-3 from the field with a turnover. However, Lue said in the days following the game that he considered Korver to be a part of the "best" lineup the Cavs have.
The change appeared to spark Cleveland, as the Cavs jumped out to a 13-0 lead in the game's first four minutes, all via LeBron James, who started 6-for-7 from the field, including a 3-pointer. After the Pacers ended the Cavs' run on Bojan Bogdanovic's free throw, James added another 3-pointer -- to account for Cleveland's first 16 points.
The Cavs went on to win 100-97, with Korver contributing 12 points on 4-for-8 shooting (all from 3-point range). Smith added five points and a pair of steals.
In a lighthearted moment before the game, Lue said he would be ignoring the training staff's directives on Korver, who also has been dealing with a sore right foot and has been on a minutes restriction.
"I'm not going by it," Lue said, tongue firmly in cheek. "He might, but I'm not listening."
Smith was a rare bright spot for Cleveland in the series opener, scoring 15 points on 6-for-11 shooting in 29 minutes. Lue said the playoff experience of Smith and Tristan Thompson with the Cavs was something he was weighing going into Game 2.
"We've been talking about it as a staff," Lue said Monday. "I just know those guys have been through everything with us the last four years, and we won a championship, went to three [NBA] Finals. Tristan and JR played a big part of that. We understand that and, trust me, we know that."
Green struggled mightily in Game 1, going 0-for-7. In Game 2, James, who finished with 46 points, occupied the 4 spot that Green vacated by going to the bench, giving the Cavs a true small-ball lineup with Kevin Love at the 5 and Smith at the 3.
Hood, who missed shootaround Wednesday to be on hand for the birth of his twins (a boy named Rich and a girl named Riley), was available off the bench. George Hill, who experienced back stiffness stemming from a hard screen by Trevor Booker in Game 1, completed the starting lineup at point guard.