CLEVELAND -- With his team facing an 0-2 series deficit, Tyronn Lue is willing to do "whatever it takes." On Tuesday, the Cleveland Cavaliers head coach revealed that he will insert guard/forward Rodney Hood into his rotation for Game 3 of the 2018 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night.
“We’re gonna give Rodney a chance, see how he does," Lue said at his post-practice press conference. "We’ll see.”
After refusing to play in the closing minutes of Game 4 in the Cavs' Eastern Conference Quarterfinals sweep of the Toronto Raptors, Hood played in 19 minutes of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, but has yet to play in a meaningful minute since. Acquired by Cleveland from the Utah Jazz at the NBA trade deadline in February, Hood's time with the Cavs has been rocky, as he's averaged just 4.4 points on .418 shooting -- including .150 from 3-point range -- throughout the postseason.
Nevertheless, the 6-foot-8 swingman could provide an intriguing option for Lue against the Warriors, who have made a habit of switching everything defensively against the Cavs en route to taking a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Through the first two games of the series, Cleveland is shooting just .297 percent from 3-point range, with sharp-shooting reserve forward Kyle Korver shooting just 1-of-4 from long distance.
Game 3 of the NBA Finals will take place in Cleveland on Wednesday night at 9 p.m. ET, with Game 4 set for Friday.
