CLEVELAND: On Sunday, Cavaliers veteran Richard Jefferson said the Atlanta Hawks had two Tristan Thompsons.
For the rest of the Eastern Conference semifinal series, Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer will hope that is the case.
In Game 1 Monday night, Thompson's domination on the offensive boards helped demoralize the Hawks late in the fourth quarter as the Cavs pulled out a 104-93 victory at Quicken Loans Arena.
The Cavs center finished with a game-high 14 rebounds, seven offensive, as the Cavs blew an 18-point third-quarter lead but rallied after the Hawks went ahead by one in the fourth quarter.
“When teams play great defense for 24 seconds and he comes up with those rebounds it’s just demoralizing to a team because now they have to come out and guard us again," Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said. "That’s what he’s done for us the last two years. We know what he does and we know what he brings and he knows who he is.”
Thompson gave the Hawks the same problems a year ago, when the Cavs swept them in the conference finals. While Budenholzer tried running three players at Thompson to keep him off the boards, he totaled 44 rebounds, 17 offensive, in the four games.
Those numbers were better than Thompson managed against the Hawks in the 2014-15 regular season, when he totaled 31 rebounds, nine offensive. This season in four games, Thompson pulled down 40, 13 offensive.
Budenholzer said the key to stopping Thompson on the offensive glass is good defense.
"It's more important that we make them miss first, that's our priority," Budenholzer said. "Then we have to have all five guys in there getting after (the ball). Credit to him, he's a good player. He plays off their penetration and their shots well."
Thompson's most important rebound came with 2:51 remaining. LeBron James came up with a steal of the Hawks' Dennis Schroder, but on the trip downcourt, J.R. Smith missed a pull-up jumper. Thompson rebounded, but James missed. Smith grabbed the rebound and Kyrie Irving found a cutting James for a layup. James was fouled and hit the free throw to put the Cavs ahead 95-88 with 2:09 to play.
"They got two huge offensive rebounds in one possession (that) kind of let the air out of (us) a little bit," Budenholzer said.
"We needed everything tonight. Obviously those rebounds were key," James said of the possession. "We needed all the second-chance baskets that we had."
Thompson (6-foot-10 and 238 pounds) battled Al Horford (6-10, 245) and Paul Millsap (6-8, 246), the players Jefferson compared Thompson to before the series began. But Thompson doesn't know why he plays so well against the Hawks.
"Millsap and Horford, we kind of weigh about the same, the same active bigs, for me it’s just staying with it on the glass," Thompson said. "The first half I only had two offensive rebounds, but I’m just going to keep hitting the glass every possession and as the fourth quarter, third quarter hits that’s when I try to use my technique to be able to create second possessions for my teammates.”
Thompson was obviously flattered by Jefferson's comment on Sunday.
"I guess it’s extra motivation just because you’re playing against guys who are All-Stars and very talented," Thompson said. "Just try to come with my hard hat and make it tough for them.”
Jefferson wasn't the only one putting Thompson in lofty company. A media member asked James if Thompson's contributions for the Cavs are similar to what Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman did for the Chicago Bulls.
"I think what Dennis did for the Bulls, on the floor -- make sure we note that part -- Double T does for our team," James said. "Just giving us extra possessions, defending guys that are sometimes bigger than him, defending guys that are sometimes smaller than him. We know that every night he’s going to give us everything that he's got, and a lot of it sometimes doesn’t show up in the box score. But what he does on the glass is huge for our team."