The Cleveland Cavaliers won their third straight game on Wednesday night as they defeated the Clippers 92-79.
Here is the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Clippers.
The Great for the Cavaliers:
-Collin Sexton was sensational on Wednesday night. He was everywhere! Sexton was 12/20 from the field with 26 points, seven rebounds, and three steals. Also, he had a game-high +17 rating on the night.
The fourth-year guard had some big-time dunks as well, including this one below:
“Buckle up, buttercup.” 😈@betwayusa | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/socya0XOWe
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) October 28, 2021
After five games, Sexton is the team’s leading scorer with 20.4 points per game on 52% shooting from the field.
–Defense: The Cavs held the Clippers to 79 points, which is the third straight game they held a team below 90. In addition, according to Elias Sports, Cleveland held each of their last three opponents to under 410FG%, Atlanta(384 FG%), Denver(407 FG%), and the Clippers(356 FG%). The last time that happened for this team was in 2014.
-Rookie Evan Mobley keeps getting it done. The California native had the second double-double of his career against the Clippers. He had 12 points and snatched 10 rebounds. Also, Mobley was outstanding on defense as he added two blocks. After five games, Mobley is averaging 14 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks a contest on 75% shooting from the floor.
-Darius Garland also was good for Cleveland. He poured in 16 points and six assists.
-Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love continue to be vital for Cleveland off the pine. Rubio, who is fifth in the league in assists(39), had 15 points and three assists in 28 minutes; Love had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes of action.
Rebounding: Cleveland crushed the Clippers on the glass(57-36) and added 19 second-chance points while holding Los Angeles to three second-chance points.
The Not so Great for the Cavaliers:
Turnovers: Cleveland had 20 turnovers on Wednesday night, which would cost you a game on most nights. Fortunately for this team, they were stellar on defense and all areas of the game.
Bottom Line:
Cleveland has won three straight, all against playoff teams last season, including two on the road. Furthermore, two of the teams they’ve beaten(Hawks and Clippers) made it to the conference finals a year ago. The Cavaliers are defending very well right now and getting contributions from everybody who touches the floor.
What’s Next:
Cleveland stays in Los Angeles to battle old friend LeBron James and the Lakers on Friday night. However, James may not play. The four-time MVP has missed the last two games for the Lakers with an ankle injury, so it should be interesting to see if he’ll be back to face the Cavaliers.
Best of the Rest:
Nicolas Batum and Reggie Jackson led the Clippers with 16 points apiece, and Paul George added 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Sexton, Mobley, and Garland talk win over Clippers:
