On Tuesday night, Donovan Mitchell came back to Utah for the first time since the trade that sent him to Cleveland in the offseason.
In his return, Mitchell, who spent the first five seasons of his career with the Jazz, got a lot of cheers from the fans in Utah.
However, while he was special(46 points), the Cavs(26-16) would fall to the Jazz(20-22) 116-114 at Vivint Arena.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Jazz.
Great:
Donovan Mitchell returned to Utah and balled out. He scored 17 of his 46 points(14/27 FG, 7/18 3-PT FG) in the fourth to go along with five rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Mitchell brought the Cavs all the way back from a 13-point third-quarter deficit, but it wasn’t enough.
In the loss, Mitchell recorded his 500th career steal.
Darius Garland had 21 points, five rebounds, and six assists as the Cavs’ backcourt combined for 67 of the team’s 114 points.
First 10:37 of the Fourth Quarter: At one point in the fourth, Mitchell scored 10 straight for the Cavs and gave them a 101-94 lead with just over six minutes to go, which was their largest lead of the quarter. It appeared, at that point, that Cleveland was in control.
Not So Great:
The last 1:23 of the Fourth Quarter: The last 1:23 belonged to Jordan Clarkson, who scored 15 of his team-high 32 points in the fourth.
With the Cavs leading 107-102, Clarkson took over. He hit a step-back three, plus the foul, which was ruled a flagrant foul on Caris LeVert, and with the free throw, the score was 107-106.
Because of the flagrant foul, Utah would retain possession of the ball. Clarkson was again fouled by LeVert shooting a three, and he made all three free throws to give Utah a 109-107 lead.
With 40 seconds to go, and Utah leading 109-107, Clarkson would hit a floater to seal the deal.
Rebounding: The Jazz outrebounded the Cavs 54-37 in this contest and had 27-second chance points. The Cavs played most of the game without their starting center and leading rebounder Jarrett Allen, who left the game in the first quarter with an illness and did not return.
Bottom Line:
This was an emotional night, and again, it appeared Mitchell was going to have a happy homecoming, but as J.B.Bickertstaff had said about the Cavs in the past, they have to learn how to close out games on the road. This was a perfect example of not closing the deal.
What’s Next:
The Cavs return to action on Thursday night in Portland against the Blazers.
Best of the Rest:
Lauri Markkanen had 25 points and 16 rebounds against his former team. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Malik Beasley, and Mike Conley each had 13 points.
For the Cavs, Evan Mobley had 12 points and seven rebounds; LeVert had 12 points, and Lamar Stevens added 11 off the bench.
Back to Mitchell, according to Elias Sports, his 46 points were the second-most in a player’s first road game versus a former team.
The Cavs(26-15) continued their five-game road trip in Phoenix against the Suns on Sunday night. After resting in the team’s loss to the Nuggets on Friday night, Cleveland got back their leading scorer Donovan Mitchell.
Fortunately for the Cavs, the Suns(20-21) were without their starting backcourt of Chris Paul(hip) and Devin Booker(groin), and ultimately, Cleveland led by as many as 22 points and defeated Phoenix 112-98 at Footprint Center.
With the win, the Cavs, who beat the Suns 90-88 last week at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, swept the season-series.
Cleveland has won four out of their last five, while the Suns have lost six straight.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Suns.
Great:
Starting Backcourt: Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland had 22 points apiece. Garland added seven assists. Mitchell and Garland combined for 44 points, and they were reunited, and it felt so good.
Jarrett Allen had his team-leading 15th double-double on Sunday with 13 points, a game-high 12 rebounds, and a season-high five assists.
Shooting: Cleveland shot 57% from the field against the Suns. Cleveland made 11 threes on Sunday night, but most of their damage came in the paint, as the Cavs had 52 points in the paint.
According to Cavs Notes, this is their highest field goal percentage in any road game since 2015.
Fourth Quarter: The Cavs took an 80-79 lead into the fourth, and they took over from there. Cleveland went on a 23-4 run to take a 103-83 lead with just under four minutes to go. The Cavs shot 66% from the field in the fourth, outscored the Suns 32-19 in the quarter, and a close game became a rout!
Not So Great:
After that fourth quarter for the Cavs, there are no complaints. Turnovers(14) were a little high, but hey, they won.
Bottom Line:
In the NBA, when you have an opportunity to defeat a team that is down, you have to get the job done, and that’s what the Cavs did on Sunday night. They took advantage of a depleted Suns team.
The Cavs have reached the halfway point of their schedule, and after 41 games, here are a few things we know about this team:
-Donovan Mitchell is the real deal
-The Cavs are an outstanding home team(18-4)
-The Cavs are a mediocre road team(8-11)
-Cleveland is a great defensive team(the number one-rated defensive team in NBA)
-They are legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference and could make a deep playoff run
What’s Next:
Cleveland heads to Utah to battle the Jazz on Tuesday night as Mitchell faces off against his former team.
Best of the Rest:
Evan Mobley and Isaac Okoro had 14 points apiece, and Caris LeVert had 13 points off the bench. Cleveland had six players in double figures, including all five starters.
For the Suns, Duane Washington Jr. led the Suns with 25 points off the bench, and Deandre Ayton had a double-double with 14 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists.
The Cavs(25-15) began their five-game road trip in Denver against the Nuggets(26-13) on Friday night. Cleveland would not have the services of their leading scorer Donovan Mitchell(rest). However, they did get Darius Garland back, who missed two games with a sprained thumb, but it wasn’t enough.
Denver had seven players in double figures, including all five starters, as they defeated the Cavs 121-108 at Ball Arena.
Cleveland’s three-game winning streak was snapped, while the Nuggets have won two straight.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Nuggets
Great:
Caris LeVert led the Cavs with a team-high 22 points, including three threes. This was the third time in four games that LeVert has scored 20-plus points.
Cedi Osman gave the Cavs a nice lift off the bench. He scored 10 of his 15 points(6/10 FG, 3/3 3-point FG) in the first half.
Not So Great:
Defense: Cleveland allowed the Nuggets to score 121 points on 53% shooting, including 49% from downtown. The Nuggets made 17 threes. Cleveland has the number one-rated defense in the NBA, but the defense betrayed them on Friday night.
Third Quarter: Denver led 62-58 at the break, and they took over the game in the third. They outscored the Cavs 32-24 and had their best shooting quarter of the game. Denver shot 55% in the quarter, including 50% from three-point range.
Cleveland, like most teams, had no answers for Nikola Jokic as he scored 11 points on 4/5 shooting from the field and was 3/3 from deep in the quarter.
After a Bones Hyland three late in the third, Denver had its largest lead of the quarter at 94-79 and would take a 12-point lead into the fourth.
Cleveland got the lead down to nine in the fourth, but they did not get much closer.
Free Throw Shooting: Cleveland was an abysmal 18/32(56%) from the charity stripe. The biggest culprit? Evan Mobley, who was 0/6 from the line.
Bottom Line:
Defeating the Nuggets in Denver would have been tough with Mitchell, and without him, it became an even more difficult proposition. As good as Cleveland is, this is a game you probably said would have been a loss when you looked at this west coast trip, so in reality, there’s no shame in losing to the team with the best record in the West on the road.
However, the Cavs(7-11) need to be better on the road.
What’s Next:
Cleveland heads to Phoenix to face the Suns on Sunday night.
Best of the Rest:
Jokic had a triple-double for the Nuggets with 28 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists, and two steals; Jamal Murray added 18.
For the Cavs, who had six players in double figures, Garland had 21 points and eight assists. Jarrett Allen had 13 points and nine rebounds, and Mobley had 12 points and nine rebounds.
For the second time in five days, a game was delayed in Denver due to rim issues. This game was delayed for over eight minutes early in the fourth, and against the Celtics a few days ago, the game was delayed for 35 minutes.
On Wednesday night, the Cavs(25-14) defeated the Suns(20-19) 90-88 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Cleveland has won three straight, while Phoenix has lost four straight and seven of their last eight.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Suns
Great:
Caris LeVert got the start for the injured Darius Garland and performed. LeVert scored 12 of his 21 points in the fourth, and in the fourth, he was 4/4 from the field, including 3/3 from deep. The Cavs don’t win without the contributions of LeVert.
Donovan Mitchell did not shoot it well(6/20 from the field, including 3/12 from downtown). However, during money time, he was big. Mitchell made a three to put the Cavs up 88-85 with 40 seconds left, and with the game tied at 88, he assisted on an Evan Mobley jumper with four seconds to go! Mitchell didn’t score 71, but he still got the job done.
Raul Neto gave the Cavs a big boost off the bench. Neto scored eight of his season-high 14 points in the third and gave the Cavs life. Cleveland doesn’t win without Neto.
Not So Great:
Shooting: Cleveland could not make shots against the Suns; they finished the game shooting 39% from the field, including 30% from deep, but fortunately, Phoenix wasn’t much better as they shot 40% from the field.
First Half: Cleveland had a bad first half, scoring only 33 points, and they shot 29% from the floor, including 16% from three. Not good, but again, they won.
Bottom Line:
This was a workmanlike performance. Nothing pretty about this game, but the Cavs won. It’s really that simple. These are the wins that a good team gets. Not at your best, but you pass the test, and now the Cavs get some rest until Friday when they head to Denver to face the Nuggets as they start a five-game west coast road trip.
After this trip, we’ll learn a lot about the Cavs, who struggle on the road.
What’s Next:
Cleveland heads to Denver to face the Nuggets on Friday night.
Best of the Rest:
Chris Paul led the Suns with 25 points and eight assists; Deandre Ayton had a double-double with 15 points and 18 rebounds. All five starters for the Suns scored in double figures.
Cedi Osman had 12 points off the Cavs’ bench.
Darius Garland(thumb) missed his second straight game, and Phoenix was without their leading scorer Devin Booker(groin).
The Cavs(24-14) returned home to face the Bulls(16-21) on Monday night. Cleveland, who defeated the Bulls 103-102 in Chicago on Saturday, was again without Darius Garland(thumb) and Evan Mobley(ankle), but they did have Donovan Mitchell.
After trailing by as many as 21 points in the first half and by as many as 18 in the third, Mitchell scored 71 points, 55 which came after halftime, and the Cavs defeated the Bulls 145-134 in OT.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Bulls.
Great:
Donovan Mitchell had a career-high, an NBA season-high, and a Cavs franchise record-high 71 points. Mitchell is the seventh player in NBA history to finish with 70-plus points in a game. He also added eight rebounds and 11 assists.
Mitchell was 22/34 from the field, including five threes. In addition, he was 20/25 from the free-throw line. The 71 points for Mitchell is the most by a player in an NBA game since Kobe Bryant scored 81 points in 2006.
According to Basketball Reference, Mitchell became the first player in NBA history with 70 points/10 assists in a game.
‘Third Quarter Mitchell”: He scored 24 points in the third and was a perfect 12/12 from the line. Cleveland scored 44 points in the quarter, and a 21-point lead was down to five heading into the fourth.
“Fourth Quarter Mitchell”: He scored 18 points in the fourth, and after intentionally missing a free throw, Mitchell would get the putback to tie things up at 130 with 03.0 left in regulation to send the contest into overtime!
“Overtime Mitchell”: Mitchell scored 13 of Cleveland’s 15 points in OT. He was 4/4 from the field, including 3/3 from downtown.
Not So Great:
We could talk about that first half, where the Cavs trailed by as many as 21 points, but not today; it’s all about Donovan Mitchell.
Bottom Line:
This is why you acquire Donovan Mitchell. No Darius Garland, no Evan Mobley, no problem. Mitchell just kept coming, and coming, and coming. Chicago had no answers for him. He did it from the field, he did it from the line, and the Cavs got a big win!!
What’s Next:
The Cavs host the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.
Best of the Rest:
Cleveland had five players in double figures. Kevin Love, who started for Mobley, had 12 points and 17 rebounds, Jarrett Allen had 21 points and eight rebounds, and Cedi Osman scored 19 points off the bench.
DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls with 44 points, including six threes. Zach LaVine had 26 points, six rebounds, and six assists; Nikola Vucevic had a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds. All five starters for the Bulls scored in double-figures.
The Cavs(22-14) begin a two-game road trip in Indy against the Pacers(19-17), and the Cavs have now lost three straight as they fell to the Pacers 135-126 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Pacers.
Great:
Jarrett Allen had 19 points and 14 rebounds. Allen was a perfect 5/5 and had 13 points in the fourth. He battled against the Pacers. This was Allen’s 14th double-double of the season.
Donovan Mitchell had a team-high 28 points. He didn’t shoot a high percentage, as he was 10/25 from the field, but he was 5/11 from deep.
Cleveland had seven players in double figures.
Not So Great:
Defense: For the third straight game, Cleveland allowed a team shot 50 percent or more; the Pacers shot 57% from the floor and 61% from downtown. Indiana made 19 threes.
Also, the Cavs allowed a season-high 135 points. In addition, the Cavs allowed the Pacers to score 30-plus points in three quarters.
Fourth Quarter: Cavs had their largest lead of seven with 9:29 in the fourth, and the Pacers would tie things up at 113 with just under seven minutes to go, and with just over five minutes to go and the Pacers trailing by 1, Indy would go on a 7-0 run to take control!
Bottom Line:
The Cavs’ road woes continue. They could have defended better, which cost them. You score 126 points in regulation; most nights, you will win.
Cleveland has now lost three straight and fell to 6-10 on the road. It’s still early, but based on how things are bunched up in the East, a few losses could drop them in the standings.
Something to keep an eye on is Darius Garland, who left and returned after injuring his thumb in the fourth quarter. According to cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, Garland left the locker room with a bag of ice wrapped around his right hand, and the team has some concerns. Let’s hope for the best.
What’s Next:
Cleveland finishes 2022 in Chicago as they face the Bulls on Saturday night.
Best of the Rest:
Indiana had four players with 20-plus points. Tyrese Haliburton led the way with 29 points, including six threes; Buddy Hield had 26 points, including five threes; Bennedict Mathurin chipped in with 23 points off the bench, and Aaron Nesmith added 22.
Hield also made history as he made a three off the opening tip three seconds into the game.
Garland had 18 points, and eight assists for the Cavs, and Caris LeVert added 19 points off the bench.
Cleveland was without Robin Lopez(illness) and Cedi Osman(back).
The Cavs(22-13) finished their six-game homestand on Monday against the Nets(22-12) and trailed by as many as 19 points before rallying late, but they would fall to the Nets 125-117 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The Nets have won nine straight, while the Cavs, who ended their homestand 4-2, have lost two straight.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Nets:
Great:
Darius Garland had a game-high 46 points(14/20 FG), including five threes and eight assists; he had 18 points in the fourth; Garland cut Brooklyn’s 19-point fourth-quarter lead to four with just under a minute to go. However, just like what happened against Minnesota, where he scored 27 points in the fourth, it wasn’t enough.
Not So Great:
Defense: Cleveland allowed the Nets to shoot 57% from the floor, including 60% from deep. The Cavs are one the better defensive teams in the NBA, but they had no answers for the Nets. Specifically, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, who combined for 12 threes and had 32 points apiece.
The final 3:54 seconds of the first half: Cavs trailed for most of the game, and in the first half, they cut the lead to 44-43, but Brooklyn closed the half on a 21-6 run, and the Nets took a 16-point lead at halftime.
Donovan Mitchell struggled again with his shot as he finished 5-16 from the field and ended the night with 15 points. Brooklyn did a great job of keeping him under control.
In the last two games, Mitchell is 9-32 from the field.
Bottom Line:
After starting this homestand 4-0, the Cavs got humbled by the Raptors and Nets.
Cleveland needed more of an answer for Brooklyn’s firepower and could not limit Durant and Irving.
The Cavs are a very good team, but not surprisingly, they have more to do to be a championship team. Again, Cleveland’s very good, but something could be missing. They may need another piece.
What’s Next:
Cleveland goes on the road to battle the Pacers on Thursday night.
Best of the Rest:
The Nets had six players in double figures. T.J. Warren had 23 points and eight rebounds off the bench, and Ben Simmons added four points, nine rebounds, and eight assists.
Jarrett Allen had 10 points and 11 rebounds. Cleveland had five players in double figures.
Robin Lopez(illness) was out against Brooklyn.
The Cavs continued their six-game homestand on Friday night against the Toronto Raptors.
Cleveland did not play very well and trailed by as many as 26 points. They never had a lead in the second half, and ultimately, the Raptors defeated the Cavs 118-107.
With the loss, the Cavs’ five-game winning streak is over.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Raptors.
Great:
The Cavs did have seven players in double figures, including all five starters, but no one, and nothing Cleveland did was great.
Not So Great:
The starting 5 for the Cavs: The starting 5 was listless, lifeless, and thoroughly outplayed. Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff was not happy and replaced the whole starting unit in the third after the Cavs fell behind by 26. He did bring them back, but it didn’t matter.
Cavs Backcourt: Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland combined for 29 points on 10/29 shooting from the floor. Mitchell had 12 points on 4/16 shooting, and Garland had a team-high 17 points on 6/13 shooting. Mitchell was 1/10 from the floor after three quarters. They were off, and the team was off.
Fast Break Points: Toronto feasted in transition and had 27 fast break points.
First Half: Toronto was on-fire in the first half. They shot 59% from the field, including a sizzling 57% from three-point land. Toronto led by 16 points at halftime. Overall, they finished the night shooting 50% from the field, including 51% from deep.
Bottom Line:
There may have been a little hangover after the Milwaukee win, but the Cavs were not themselves. They didn’t defend like they usually do and didn’t get any shotmaking from Mitchell and Garland.
However, no one should overreact.
They are still 16-3 at home and 10 games over .500.
What’s Next:
Cleveland finished their six-game homestand on Monday as they host the red-hot Nets.
Best of the Rest:
The Raptors had three players with 20-plus points. Pascal Siakam and O.G. Anunoby had 26 points apiece. Scottie Barnes added 25 points and 10 rebounds.
Cedi Osman and Kevin Love had 13 points off the bench. Caris LeVert, who had eight points, scored his 5,000th career point on Friday night.
The Cavs(22-11) continued their six-game homestand on Wednesday night against the Bucks(22-9), and for the first time in three games, Cleveland defeated Milwaukee 114-106.
Cleveland has now won five straight.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ big win over the Bucks.
Great:
Donovan Mitchell was sensational again; he had 36 points, four rebounds, and six assists. He feasted at the line as he was 15/16 from the stripe. Mitchell has scored 20-plus points in nine straight games.
Darius Garland also brought it for the Cavs; he had 23 points. The Cavs backcourt combined for 59 points.
Jarrett Allen was efficient, proficient, and just got the job done. He had 19 points on 7/9 shooting and eight rebounds.
Defense: Cleveland did a solid job on the defensive end. They created 16 of Milwaukee’s 21 turnovers in the first half, and Cleveland had 22 points off those 21 turnovers.
In addition, they held the Bucks to 40% shooting in the first half. Cavs led 60-42 at halftime.
Not So Great:
Fourth Quarter: The Cavs let the Bucks creep back in this one in the fourth. The Bucks outscored the Cavs 29-21 in the quarter. Cleveland shot only 33% from the floor, including 0/5 from deep. The Cavs led by as many as 25 points in the third and 16 in the fourth. Milwaukee cut the lead to five late, but Garland made a fadeaway and two free throws, and the Cavs held on.
Bottom Line:
This is a big win for the Cavs. Yes, Khris Middleton didn’t play for Milwaukee, and even without Middleton, the Bucks are still an outstanding basketball team, so again, a good win for the Cavs.
As we look at the standings in the East, we see the Cavs moving on up. With the win, the third-seeded Cavs are now one game behind the Bucks for the top spot in the East and 1/2 game behind the second-seeded Celtics.
Cleveland is taking advantage of this home cooking and is 16-2 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, which is the best home record in the NBA.
What’s Next:
Cleveland continues their six-game homestand on Friday night against the Raptors.
Best of the Rest:
Giannis Antetokounmpo had a season-high 45 points and 14 rebounds; he also added two blocks; Jrue Holiday had nine points, a season-high nine rebounds, and eight assists.
Lamar Stevens miss his third game with knee soreness.
Donovan Mitchell went against his old team, the Utah Jazz(17-16) on Monday night, and fortunately for the Cavs(21-11), he and his team brought it as the Cavs routed the Jazz 122-99 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Cleveland led by 19 at halftime and led by as many as 25 points in this one.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Jazz.
Great:
Donovan Mitchell, who spent five seasons with Utah before being traded to the Cavs in the offseason, scored 23 points on 8/12 shooting, including 4/5 from downtown. He had 23 points and only 23 minutes. For now, he got revenge.
Jarrett Allen was a dunking machine on Monday night. Six of his seven field goals were dunks, and he finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks.
Cedi Osman was 8/10 from the field and 5/6 from deep, as he finished with 22 points off the bench.
Shooting: Cleveland shot a sizzling 61% from the field, including 57% from deep. The Cavs finished with 15 threes. It was just one of those nights where everything Cleveland threw up went in the basket. Part of the reason they shot it so well is they had 29 fast break points.
Not So Great:
Nothing here to see…
Bottom Line:
Cleveland had seven players in double figures and was in control from start to finish. The Cavs have won four straight, and they are taking advantage of this homestand. Again, this is a totally different team at home than on the road, and this is a dominating team when they play in their own building.
Cleveland is 15-2 at home. Interestingly enough, the 2016 championship team started 15-2 at home.
The next three games will be a test as they finish the homestand against the Bucks, Raptors, and Nets, which should be interesting.
What’s Next:
Cleveland hosts the Bucks on Wednesday night.
Best of the Rest:
For the Cavs, Darius Garland had 17 points and eight assists; Caris LeVert had 13 points; Evan Mobley and Issac Okoro had 12 points apiece.
Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz with 24 points, and Jordan Clarkson had 23.
