The Cleveland Cavaliers(11-6) continued their four-game homestand on Monday night against the Atlanta Hawks(10-7).
Behind Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Cedi Osman, the Cavs defeated the Hawks 114-102 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
With the win, Cleveland has now won three straight.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Hawks.
Great:
Cavs, again were led by the backcourt of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. The two combined for 55 points and 18 assists; Mitchell and Garland both had nine assists. Mitchell had 29 points and Garland had 26. We knew this would be a prolific backcourt and two guys that would be tough to stop, and they were tough to stop on Monday night.
Cedi Osman scored a season-high 23 points off the bench on 8-for-10 shooting. Osman has been so good off the bench this season, and that continued against the Hawks. In the fourth, with the Cavs up six with just over four minutes left, Osman hit two free throws after a clear path foul was called on John Collins, and on the same possession, Osman would hit a dagger three to put the Cavs up 11.
Second-Half Defense: The Hawks shot 38 percent from the floor in the second half. Atlanta is in the top 10 in scoring, and the Cavs held them to 102 points. In addition, 10 of the Hawks’ 17 turnovers came in the second half.
Not So Great:
You can point to the turnovers. Cleveland tied a season-high with 20 turnovers on Monday night, and Garland was the biggest culprit with eight.
Bottom Line:
After losing five straight, Cleveland has righted their ship at home, and they are bringing the defensive energy that makes them go. They held the Hawks to 102 points on Monday and the Heat to 87 on Sunday night.
At this point, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is a home-court advantage for the Cavs. They are 7-1 at home but have to be better on the road(4=5), and after this homestand, they will have three straight on the road.
What’s Next:
Cleveland concludes their four-game homestand on Wednesday night against the Blazers.
Best of the Rest:
Evan Mobley had 10 points, nine rebounds, and three assists; Jarrett Allen added eight points and 11 rebounds.
Trae Young led the Hawks with 25 points and 10 assists; Onyeka Okongwu had 18 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.
Cleveland was without Caris LeVert on Monday night, who missed his first game of the season with an ankle injury.
The Cleveland Cavaliers(9-6) got back at it on Friday night, hoping to snap a five-game losing streak as they battled the Charlotte Hornets(4-13).
Cleveland had four players score 20-plus points as they defeated Charlotte 132-122 in double overtime at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Hornets.
Great:
Darius Garland made big shots in both overtimes for the Cavs. In a career-high 48 minutes, Garland(16/28 FG) had a game-high 41 points, six assists, and a career-high five steals. In the first overtime, with the Cavs trailing 117-114 with under a minute to go, Garland hit a three to tie the game, and when the Hornets took a 120-117 with 22.5 seconds to go, Garland would make another three with 13.5 seconds to send the game into double overtime. He had 13 of the team’s 27 points in the two overtime periods.
Donovan Mitchell had 34 points and six assists. The Cavs backcourt combined for 75 points; Mitchell and Garland also combined for 20 of the team’s 27 points in the overtime periods.
Evan Mobley was sensational on Friday night. He had 21 points, a career-high 18 rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and a steal. According to the Cavs, Mobley became the ninth player in team history to have 20-plus points, 15-plus rebounds, five-plus assists, two-plus blocks, and one-plus steal in a game. In fact, Mobley and Jarrett Allen(20 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks) combined for 41 points, 30 rebounds, and six blocks.
Second OT: The Cavs blew the lead at the end of the fourth and almost lost it in the first overtime, but they took control in the second OT. After Kelly Oubre Jr. made a running hook to give the Hornets a 122-120 lead with 4:38 to go, the Cavs closed the show on a 12-0 run. Charlotte did not score the rest of the way and shot 1/10 from the field in that period.
Not So Great
The Final 52.4 seconds in Regulation: After two Mitchell free throws made the score 103-93, things got a little haywire for the Cavs. Charlotte closed the game on a 12-2 run to send it to OT after a Terry Rozier three with 01.1 seconds to go. During that stretch, the Cavs turned the ball over two times.
Turnovers: Cleveland had a season-high 20 turnovers on Friday night, leading to 35 points for the Hornets, which almost cost them in this game. Fortunately, Garland and Mitchell bailed them out in OT.
Bottom Line:
This would have been a terrible loss for the Cavs. The Hornets were without LaMelo Ball, and Cleveland had what seemed like an insurmountable lead late in the game. Hopefully, they will learn from this and figure it out going forward.
What’s Next:
Cavs will battle the Heat on Sunday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Best of the Rest:
Oubre Jr. led the Hornets with 34 points; Rozier and P.j. Washington added 28 points apiece. Washington also added 10 rebounds.
With the win, Cleveland moves to 4-0 in overtime games this season.
The Cavs were hoping to snap their four-game losing streak on Wednesday night in Milwaukee against the Bucks. Fortunately for Cleveland, they got back their leading scorer Donovan Mitchell(ankle), who missed Sunday’s loss against the Timberwolves. However, they were still without Jarrett Allen(illness) and Dean Wade(knee).
Cleveland(8-6) trailed the Bucks(11-3) by as many as 20 points in this one; they cut the lead to nine in the fourth but could not get any closer as they fell to Milwaukee 113-98 at Fiserv Forum.
The Cavs have now lost five straight; Milwaukee snapped a two-game losing streak.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Bucks.
Great:
Evan Mobley had 20 points on an efficient 9/14 from the field, with seven rebounds and two blocks. Mobley started at center for Allen.
Cavs Backcourt: Darius Garland(8/20, 5/9 3FG) and Donovan Mitchell(7/19, 3/9 3FG) scored 23 points apiece for the Cavs, which was nearly half of the team’s points. In addition, the two combined for 11 assists as Garland led the team with eight dimes.
Not So Great:
Third Quarter: Bucks led the Cavs 61-60 at the break but took complete control of the game in the third. They outscored the Bucks 34-18 in the quarter and had the largest lead of the game at 91-71 in the quarter. Brook Lopez(7/9 3FG) was on fire as he scored 11 of his game-high 29 points in the third. The Bucks were sizzling in the third as they shot 60% from the field. On the contrary, Cleveland shot 29% from the floor.
Defense: Cleveland did not get the job done on the defensive end. Milwaukee shot 53% for the first three quarters and easily got into the lane. Just way too many open looks for the Bucks, and they capitalized on it.
Bottom Line:
There is no shame in losing to the Bucks on the road, but Milwaukee was without Jrue Holiday(ankle) and Khris Middleton(wrist), so this was an opportunity for the Cavs to steal a win. However, that’s hard to do when the defensive energy is not where it needs to be. Hopefully, the Cavs can get it right during their upcoming four-game homestand.
What’s Next:
Cleveland starts a four-game homestand at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Friday when they host the Charlotte Hornets.
Best of the Rest:
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 16 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists for the Bucks; Jordan Nwora added 21 points(5/9 3FG) off the bench.
Cavaliers forward Dylan Windler will miss approximately 4-6 weeks after a recent platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection was received to help treat his right ankle, the team announced Wednesday.
Windler, 26, missed 12 of the team’s 13 games with a sprained right ankle injury and has not appeared in a game this season.
According to the team, Windler’s ankle will be stabilized in a walking cast, after which a new therapy plan will be established to determine the next steps in his return to basketball activities. His status will be updated as appropriate.
Windler, the 26th overall pick in the 2019 draft, has battled injuries during his time with the Cavs. He missed his entire rookie season with a left lower leg stress reaction. The following season Windler missed a month with a broken left wrist, and in April 2021, Windler had surgery on his left knee that caused him to miss the rest of the season.
Last season, in 50 games, Windler averaged 2.2 points in 9.2 minutes of action.
The Cavs returned home to battle the Timberwolves(6-8) on Sunday after going 2-3 on their five-game road trip, including three straight losses. Unfortunately, they would be without Donovan Mitchell(ankle), Jarrett Allen(ankle), and Dean Wade(knee).
The Cavs cut a 20-point fourth-quarter lead to two and had an opportunity to tie as they trailed 127-124 with 06.5 seconds left, but Kevin Love’s inbound pass was stolen by Rudy Gobert, and Minnesota held on to defeat the Cavs 129-124 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Cleveland(8-5) has now lost four straight.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to Minnesota
Great:
Darius Garland went crazy in the fourth and almost brought the Cavs all the way back. He scored 27 of his career-high 51 points on 16/31 shooting, including 10 threes to go along with six assists. The 16 field goals and 10 threes made are also career highs. He did everything, and I mean everything in his power to bring the Cavs back.
Garland struggled on the west coast trip, so this was a welcomed sight for the Cavs.
Fourth Quarter: Cleveland trailed by as many as 24 points in this contest and was down by 20 entering the fourth. We know what Garland did, but this team played with an energy that was missing in the first 36 minutes of the game. They scored 40 points in the quarter on 52% shooting, including eight threes, six of them by Garland. Conversely, they held Minnesota to 33% shooting. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late.
Not So Great:
Defense for the first three quarters: After three quarters, they allowed Minnesota to score 104 points on 64% shooting. In addition, the Timberwolves shot 52% from deep after three. Minnesota finished the game scoring 54 points in the paint and shooting 56% from the floor, including 50% from downtown.
First Quarter: Cleveland allowed Minnesota to score 40 points in the first. They trailed 40-20 after one. That first quarter set the tone for the rest of the game.
Bottom Line:
In the first nine games, Cleveland allowed 104 points per game; during the four-game losing streak, the Cavs have allowed 120 points per game. Last season, Cleveland’s defense was one reason the Cavs had success, and they have to regain that defensive identity going forward. Should there be some concern? Maybe, but it’s still very early.
What’s Next:
Cleveland heads back on the road as they battle the Bucks in Milwaukee on Wednesday night.
Best of the Rest:
D’Angelo Russell led the Timberwolves with 30 points and 12 assists; Karl Anthony Towns added 29 points and 13 rebounds. Minnesota had five players in double figures.
Lamar Stevens added 15 points and six rebounds; Kevin Love and Cedi Osman chipped in with 14 points apiece. Like Minnesota, Cleveland had five players in double figures.
The Cleveland Cavaliers(8-4) concluded their five-game road trip in San Francisco against the Warriors(5-7), and behind the heroics of Steph Curry, who had 15 of his 40 points(6/11 3-PT FG) in the fourth, the Cavs fell to Golden State 106-101 at Chase Center.
Cleveland has now lost three straight.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Warriors
Great:
Donovan Mitchell almost had a triple-double with 29 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists, and two steals. Mitchell did his part, but it wasn’t enough.
Evan Mobley had a double-double with 20 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. This is his second double-double of the season. The Cavs used their size effectively against the Warriors, but again, it wasn’t enough.
Points in the Paint: Cleveland had a lot of success in the paint as they scored 54 points.
Not So Great:
Darius Garland: He was off again Friday night. He finished with 15 points and eight assists, but he was 5/19 from the field. Garland is 6/28 from the floor in the last two games, including 2/9 from deep.
Fourth Quarter Defense: Curry is Curry, and for most of the game, the Cavs defended well, but not in the fourth. Cleveland allowed 32 points in the fourth and allowed the Warriors to shoot 63% from the floor.
The final 4:38 of the game: After a Caris LeVert four-point play, which was ruled a flagrant foul, Cleveland had a six-point possession after a Jarrett Allen dunk, which put them up 95-87. However, just like they did against the Clippers, they couldn’t close. They were outscored 19-6 the rest of the way as Curry scored 13 of his 15 fourth-quarter points in the final 4:38 of the game.
Bottom Line:
The Cavs could not close the show in the final three games of this road trip. Cleveland had a 13-point lead late against the Clippers with five minutes left, couldn’t close against the Kings, and lost another lead late against Golden State. Cleveland could have easily gone 5-0 on this trip; instead, they went 2-3. It’s early, but this trip was a disappointment for sure.
What’s Next:
The Cavs return home to face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.
Best of the Rest:
All five of Cleveland’s starters scored in double figures Friday night. Jarrett Allen had 13 points and nine rebounds, and LeVert added 11.
Andrew Wiggins had 20 points; Draymond Green had two points, 13 assists, and nine rebounds, and Jordan Poole added 18 points.
The Cleveland Cavaliers(8-3) continued their five-game road trip in Sacramento(4-6) against the Kings. The Cavs’ eight-game winning streak was snapped against the Clippers on Monday night, and they hoped to return to their winning ways.
However, that wasn’t the case Wednesday night. Sacramento led by as many as 15 points and led for most of the game, but Cleveland would take their largest lead of six with just over eight minutes to go in the fourth. The game with knotted at 117 after two Jarrett Allen free throws with just under three minutes to go, but Kevin Huerter scored five of Sacramento’s next seven points, including a dagger three late, that put the Kings up 124-118, and they would go on to defeat the Cavs 127-120 at Golden 1 Center.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Kings.
Great:
Donovan Mitchell had a game-high 38 points(16/28 FG, 6/14 3-PT FG). He went berserk in the third quarter as he was 7/7 from the field, including 3/3 from deep, to score 17 points in the quarter. Mitchell’s great third quarter helped the Cavs trim the Kings’ 11-point halftime lead to four entering the fourth. Mitchell also added five rebounds and four assists.
Caris LeVert had his first double-double of the season with 21 points, a season-high 10 rebounds, and six assists. He was aggressive throughout the game on Wednesday night.
Jarrett Allen had 20 points, seven rebounds, and a block. Allen has been in double figures in points in five straight games and nine out of the first 11 games of the season.
Points in the Paint: The Cavs had 64 points in the paint against Sacramento. Cleveland finished the night shooting 53% from the floor.
Not So Great:
Defense: The Cavs did not bring it on the defensive end for the second straight game. Sacramento got way too many open looks. As they did in their loss to the Clippers, they allowed the Kings to have three 30-plus point quarters. Sacramento ended the night shooting 53% from the floor. The 127 points are the most Cleveland has given up in a game this season.
Darius Garland was just off Wednesday night, and he scored only six points and shot 1/9 from the field in 34 minutes of action. Nights like this happen, and the All-Star didn’t have it against the Kings; Garland did finish with eight assists.
Turnovers: Cleveland had 18 turnovers, which led to 18 points for Sacramento. LeVert led the way with five, and Garland had four.
Bottom Line:
Cleveland has to be better on the defensive end, which wasn’t much of a problem until the last two games. It’s a long season, but the defense needs to improve. Statistically, the Cavs have been one of the better defensive teams in basketball, so maybe it’s an aberration, or perhaps it’s a start of an issue that a team with a small backcourt might have moving forward. Stay tuned.
What’s Next:
The Cavs conclude their five-game road trip in San Francisco against the world-champion Warriors on Friday night.
Best of the Rest:
The Kings had seven players in double figures. Domantas Sabonis led the way with 21 points, five rebounds, and six assists, and Harrison Barnes added 20 points and nine rebounds.
Evan Mobley added 16 points and six rebounds for the Cavs.
On Wednesday, Mitchell(366 games) became the second-fastest player to reach 1,000 threes in the history of the NBA.
The Cleveland Cavaliers(8-2) appeared to be on their way to its ninth straight victory on Monday night, but the Clippers(6-5) had other ideas.
Cleveland led the Clippers 111-98 with five minutes left in the fourth. However, the Clippers would outscore the Cavs 21-6 the rest of the way as a Paul George layup plus the foul with 37.2 seconds to go gave the Clippers the lead for good, and they would go on and defeat the Cavs 119-117 at Crypto.com Arena.
With the loss, the Cavs’ nine-game winning streak is over.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Clippers’ win over the Cavs.
Great:
Donovan Mitchell continues to score the ball at a high level for the Cavs. Mitchell scored 30 points(10/15 FG), including eight threes(8/11). Mitchell made eight threes in a game for the second time this season.
Jarrett Allen was an absolute monster on Monday night. Allen got his second straight double-double as he had 10 points, a season-high 20 rebounds, and two blocks. It’s clear, the All-Star is playing like one after 10 games.
Darius Garland had a great night of swishing and dishing, with 19 points and a season-high 12 assists. This was Garland’s second double-double this season.
Evan Mobley and Garland connected many times on the alley-oops, and the second-year forward had a season-high 26 points and eight rebounds.
First Quarter: Cleveland came out firing in this one. The Cavs shot 67%(16/24) from the field, including 5/9 from deep. Mitchell made four of his eight threes in the first as he and Mobley combined for 26 of the team’s 37 first-quarter points. In addition, the 37 points tied a season-high for points in the quarter for Cleveland this season.
Not So Great:
Defense: Look, this game was a shootout, and both teams did not defend very well. Cleveland, who is a great defensive team, is third in points allowed and sixth in opponents’ field goal percentage. However, they allowed the Clippers to have three 30-plus point quarters and Los Angeles to shoot 51% from the field. The 119 points are the most the Cavs have given up in regulation this season.
The Final Five Minutes of the Game: Cleveland had their largest lead of the game at 111-98 with five minutes left in the game. At that point, the Clippers exploded, and the Cavs went cold. Los Angeles went on a 17-1 to take the lead for good at 115-112. Cleveland did not have a field goal during the final five minutes until Mobley’s dunk with 29.2 seconds to go.
Bottom Line:
This was a bad loss for the Cavs. They were in complete control, but they could not close the deal. In an 82-game regular season, stuff like this happens, but Cleveland had a terrific opportunity to win against the Clippers, who were missing Kawhi Leonard and John Wall. However, things happen, but if the Cavs want to be the team that many believe they could be, these are the games they have to win.
What’s Next:
Cleveland continues their five-game road trip on Wednesday in Sacramento against the Kings.
Best of the Rest:
Kevin Love had 17 points, eight rebounds, and four assists off the bench.
The Clippers had six players in double figures, including their starting five. Paul George led the way with 26 points, and Marcus Morris Sr. had 20 points.
No Donovan Mitchell(ankle sprain), no Darius Garland(knee sprain), and no problems as the Cavs went into Detroit(2-8) without its two top scorers and got their seventh straight win as they routed the Pistons 112-88.
Cleveland(7-1), who led by as many as 30 points, had all hands on deck as they had six players in double figures.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over Toronto:
Great:
Evan Mobley was a beast on defense! He had a career-high eight blocks as he became the youngest player in Cavs history to record that many blocks in a game. In addition, he had 11 points and eight rebounds. Cleveland was tough on defense as they recorded 13 blocks, held Detroit to 37% shooting, and forced 19 turnovers that led to 28 points.
Kevin Love almost messed around and had a triple-double, as he had 21 points, eight rebounds, and 10 assists off the bench. Love stepped up and handled his business for Cleveland. In addition, Love was a game-high plus-30. The Cavs got 54 points from its bench, including 15 points from Cedi Osman.
Jarrett Allen had 17 of his season-high 23 points in the first half, seven rebounds, and two blocks.
Caris LeVert started at point guard and had 15 points, six rebounds, and six assists.
Second quarter: Cleveland blew the game open in the second quarter. The Cavs led 24-21 after the first quarter. They went on a 23-5 run to take a 21-point lead in the second. Cleveland outscored the Pistons 33-18 in the quarter. They shot 63% in the second and held the Pistons to 32% from the field. The Cavs led 57-39 at the break.
Not So Great:
It’s all great!! Nothing to see here!
Bottom Line:
The Cavs came together as a team, and great things happened. Everyone stepped up their game, and that’s what you need to do when your top players are down. The NBA is weird like that sometimes. When the chips are down, the other guys get it done.
What’s Next:
The Cavs head west as they battle LeBron and the Lakers on Sunday at Crypto.com Arena.
Best of the Rest:
Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 19 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Jaden Ivey and Saddiq Bey had 18 apiece.
According to Elias Sports, Love (21 PTS, 10 AST, 8 REB) became the first Cavs player ever to record 20-plus 10-plus assists and eight-plus rebounds off the bench. Love’s time-on-court (23:26) is the lowest of any player in the shot clock era (1954-55) to hit those minimums.
Junkyard Dog:
Everybody gets the award! J.B. Bickerstaff gave the prize to the whole team.
The Cleveland Cavaliers got some great news on Wednesday before battling the Celtics as All-Star Darius Garland was back in the lineup after missing five games with an eye injury.
Garland and his backcourt mate Donovan Mitchell combined for 54 points on Wednesday night, but the Celtics had a shot at winning it in OT; however, Jaylen Brown’s jump shot at the buzzer was just off, and the Cavs defeated the Celtics again 114-113 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Cleveland has now won six straight.
Like last Friday’s game, where the Cavs beat the Celtics 132-123 in OT in Boston, this was a back-and-forth affair, but as they did in Boston, Cleveland made the plays when it mattered the most.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Celtics.
Great:
Donovan Mitchell did not shoot it well(11-27) but came up big when it mattered most, as he scored 11 of his 25 points in the final two and half minutes of regulation and overtime. In addition, Mitchell added six assists.
Darius Garland is back, and he balled out with 29 points, 12 assists, and three steals. He had 14 first-quarter points, which is the most he’s had in a first quarter in his career. Garland also recorded his 200th career steal on Wednesday night.
Jarrett Allen had his fifth double-double of the season with 14 points, 14 rebounds, and two blocks. Also, Evan Mobley was efficient with 15 points on 7/8 shooting and seven rebounds.
Third Quarter: The Celtics led 56-50 at halftime, but Cleveland turned it on in the third. The Cavs, who trailed 66-54 with just over nine minutes in the third, closed the quarter on a 29-10 run to lead 83-76 going into the final quarter. Cleveland outscored the Celtics 33-20 in the quarter and held them to 29% shooting from the field.
Not so Great:
Second Quarter: After a great start where the Cavs led 35-27 after the first quarter, Cleveland struggled in the second quarter. They shot 25% from the field and were outscored 29-15 in the quarter.
Bottom Line:
This win for the Cavs against the Celtics was more significant than their win in Boston on Friday because it’s hard to beat a team as good as the Celtics twice in less than a week. In addition, they made big plays down the stretch and won both games in a similar fashion. It’s great to have Garland back in the lineup. With Garland and Mitchell, the Cavs have two guys they can count on late in games, which should serve this team well throughout the season.
What’s Next:
Cleveland will begin a five-game road trip on Friday when they battle the Pistons. After Detroit, they battle the Lakers, Clippers, Kings, and Warriors.
Best of the Rest:
Cleveland starting five all scored in double figures.
For the Celtics, Jaylen Brown had 30 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, and Jayson Tatum added 26 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists.
Cleveland is 3-0 in OT this season.
Junkyard Dog:
Garland received the “Junkyard Dog” award after returning from injury and balling out on Wednesday night.
