Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big story line. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

Even though Timofey Mozgov had 28 points and 10 rebounds against the Warriors’ undersized defenders after Steve Kerr swapped Andre Iguodala for Andrew Bogut in the starting lineup in Game 4, the Warriors won by 19 points.

And when Golden State got out to an 8-2 lead in the first five minutes of Game 5 it was enough for Cavaliers coach David Blatt to pull Mozgov. In came J.R. Smith, his temperature gauge set to scalding, as he hit four of his first seven 3-point shots and even handled some of the rim-defending duties normally left to Mozgov.

Mozgov played only sparingly afterward, logging a total of nine minutes. That’s more than the Warriors’ three centers, whose playing time consisted of three minutes by Festus Ezeli. “The reality is this is a small series [now] and it works well for us,” Kerr said. “We’re comfortable with the style.”

It made for some uncomfortable moments in the interview room for Blatt, even though the score was within a point with five minutes remaining after he stayed with the small lineups. He faced repeated questions about why he didn’t use Mozgov more, and was even asked why he didn’t turn to Shawn Marion.

ESPN – NBA Finals: Lineups shrink as stakes rise

As Celtics fans, we can harken back to the 07-08 playoff odyssey and remember how role players and even starters were featured and buried, game-to-game, series-to-series.

But the fundamental lineup changes occurring in this NBA Finals are absolutely fascinating and a bit perplexing. The Warriors have won small most of the year, but they’ve now gone to a new extreme: tossing their defensive specialist, starting center to the end of the bench. Andrew Bogut played 28 minutes in game one, 17 minutes in game three, three minutes in game four and logged a DNP last night.

The Cavs, in turn, have mirrored the Warriors in an attempt to match quick with quick. I don’t understand how you can take a guy who went for 28 and 10 in the previous game, his second double-double of the series, and play him only nine minutes in game five! That’s exactly what David Blatt did with Timofey Mozgov last night.

I’d understand the strategy if the Cavs had plentiful fresh bodies on the bench, but they don’t. Now they sit one game away from losing the NBA Finals.

On a Celtics related note: We’ve all been pining for a rim protector in the draft, or in free agency. My questions is, if/when the Celtics become playoff competitors again, how valuable will that rim protector be in a seven game series? Opposing lineups often dictate the answer to that question. Mozgov and Bogut went from incredibly valuable assets, so the equivalent of Brendan Haywood in a matter of one game. Maybe a rim protector can help get you to the big stage, but this year, they’ve been tossed backstage when it matters most.

On page 2, The Brazilian Blur was a big factor last night

It was Leandro Barbosa (2012-2013 with the Celtics) who was the latest difference-maker off the Warriors bench that helped catapult them to victory.

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But when it comes to winning games on this stage, often it is role players making the most of limited minutes that ultimately prove to be the difference in winning and losing.

And to Barbosa’s credit, he rose to the challenge.

With Curry on the bench getting rest, Barbosa not only kept the offense flowing but got himself involved when the Cavaliers defense seemed to be a step or two slow when it came to defending him.

He finished with 13 points on 4-for-5 shooting.

CSNNE – Former-Celtic Leandro Barbosa pivotal for Warriors in NBA Finals

Leandro Barbosa has been doing it for about a decade now – providing a spark off the bench for title contenders in the NBA playoffs. His one season in Boston was cut short by injuries in a year that ended in a first round playoff loss. I would have LOVED if Barbosa came to the Cs just a year earlier – in the 2011-2012 season when the Celts fell just short of the NBA Finals. The Cs bench was woefully thin, yet gave it everything they had in that series. A player like Barbosa could have tipped the scales.