NBA playoffs live: The Cavaliers are in trouble, and LeBron James might not be able to save them - Washington Post

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The first round of the NBA playoffs continues today with four Game 5s, including two possible elimination games. Follow along here for the latest analysis and commentary from The Post's NBA reporter Tim Bontemps, and ask him questions in the comments section. Catch up on yesterday's games here.

Schedule/TV info | Pregame reading | Comments section Q&A

The Cleveland Cavaliers are in trouble.

Even with LeBron James scoring 20 points on 9-for-11 shooting, Cleveland finds itself trailing by nine at halftime to the Indiana Pacers in Game 5.

The reason why? The rest of the Cavaliers are a combined 10 for 30 from the field. Kevin Love is 2 for 7, J.R. Smith is 0 for 4. The Cavaliers as a whole are just 3 for 12 from three.

Indiana, meanwhile, is shooting 55 percent from the floor, has made four of its eight shots from three, has taken more free throws and created 14 points off nine Cavaliers turnovers.

Perhaps the most troubling sign for Cleveland? Victor Oladipo has shot just 2 for 9. If he gets back to his usual percentages in the second half, this could easily be a loss for Cleveland.

The Washington Wizards are losing by a point at halftime of Game 5 in Toronto. Despite that, this game is playing out pretty well from Washington's perspective.

Yes, DeMar DeRozan was great in the first half, scoring 20 points on 7-for-13 shooting. The rest of the Raptors, though, are a combined 11 for 27 – including 2 for 10 from three-point range. Remove Kyle Lowry from those numbers, and they get even worse: 8 for 21, and 1 for 7 from three.

In Game 1, the "others" for Toronto — meaning everyone but DeRozan and Lowry — were a combined 31 for 51 from the field, and 13 for 21 from three. In Game 2, they were 28 for 4 from the field, and 9 for 21 from three. Both of those, not surprisingly, were Raptors wins.

When the series shifted back to Washington, however, the Wizards began to switch more and made a concerted effort to take the depth players out of the game. The results were immediate: 21 for 44 overall and 6 for 17 from three in Game 3, and 17 for 35 overall and 2 for 8 from three in Game 4.

Not only did Toronto's shooting percentage dip among those players, particularly from three, but their shot attempts did, too. In essence, the Wizards have forced the Raptors back into what they've been for so many years: a team overly reliant on DeRozan and Lowry to score for them for 48 minutes in the playoffs.

If that holds to form, it would seem the Wizards have put themselves in a position where DeRozan, in particular, will have to do that in Game 5.

And, if that's the case, Washington should have a golden opportunity to steal homecourt advantage in this series.

Game 5 of Raptors-Wizards is going exactly as Washington would like it to. No one on the Raptors is really clicking besides DeMar DeRozan. The Wizards have turned the ball over a little too much (six so far), but the Raptors only have four points off of them.

One very important thing, however, is not going the Wizards' way: the play of Bradley Beal.

In 12 minutes, Beal is just 1 for 5 for two points, including missing both of his threes. The Wizards as a team are shooting under 37 percent, but it is Beal that they need to get going. If he can start making shots, that will open up easier opportunities for others.

The Cleveland Cavaliers didn't get off to a good start in Game 5, but a strong close to the first quarter at least mitigated some of the damage they inflicted on themselves.

LeBron James, as usual, has showed up to play, scoring 14 of Cleveland's 23 points as the Pacers lead 25-23 after one — a lead that was 10 before the Cavaliers closed the quarter on an 8-0 run that consisted of four baskets by James all within the vicinity of the hoop.

The rest of the Cavaliers, though, haven't show up. While James went 6 for 7 in the first quarter, the rest of the Cavaliers were just 3-for-15.

If the Washington Wizards are going to win on the road, they're going to need their all-star guards to carry them home.

John Wall, at least, is getting the job done so far.

Nine points from Wall — including a bucket to end the quarter — has Washington leading by a point after one quarter. DeMar DeRozan has 13 of Toronto's 22 points, but the rest of the Raptors aren't getting going early.

That has been the formula for success for the Wizards in both of their wins.

The Toronto Raptors needed to get off to a good start in Game 5 against the Washington Wizards.

So far, so good.

Seven quick points from DeMar DeRozan and four more from Kyle Lowry has Toronto out to an early 13-8 lead. And for a team carrying a lot of past playoff baggage into this game, getting out in front — and avoiding its home crowd turning against it — was critical.

Now, the Raptors have to continue playing this way.

The Cleveland Cavaliers need a big game from Kevin Love tonight.

The all-star forward, who is dealing with a thumb injury, scored just five points in Cleveland's Game 4 win Sunday. That snapped a six-game losing streak for the Cavaliers when Love had five or less points this season, per Cavs beat writer Joe Vardon.

As Vardon says, the Cavaliers need more from Love tonight. LeBron James remains the best player in the world, but he needs help to defeat the Pacers. Love is the player best positioned on Cleveland's roster to give him that help.

When the NBA playoff bracket was finally set, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors seemed all but assured of a collision in the second round.

That, though, was before both have looked thoroughly unimpressive at times during the opening four games of their respective first-round series, splitting four games with the Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards, respectively. And now, as both teams enter pivotal Game 5s on their home courts Wednesday night, they'll be without key pieces as they try to move within one victory of advancing.

Cleveland will be missing George Hill, as the starting point guard will miss his second straight game after injuring his back during Game 3. Jose Calderon will once again start for the Cavaliers. Calderon is a very good shooter, doesn't turn the ball over and Cleveland has generally played very well when he has played this season.

But Calderon is also another terrible defender on a team full of them. Hill, on the other hand, is one of the few Cavaliers capable of actually stopping someone.

Fred VanVleet, meanwhile, will miss his third straight game for Toronto with an injured shoulder. VanVleet, who has been the leader of the Raptors' league-leading second unit this season, injured his shoulder in the final minute of regulation of Toronto's regular season finale against the Miami Heat. He didn't play in Game 1, played three minutes in Game 2 and hasn't played since.

Toronto has missed his presence — particularly in Game 4, when Delon Wright got some of the open looks VanVleet normally would knock down and didn't take advantage of them.

Ahead of Cavs-Pacers, both Cleveland Coach Tyronn Lue and Indiana Coach Nate McMillan suggested they could change their rotations in Game 5. McMillan said that Glenn Robinson III, who missed much of this season with an ankle injury, could play, while Lue said Turkish rookie Cedi Osman could see time.

Wednesday's schedule: