Tag: EVAN MOBLEY
Cavs start slow, finish strong but fall in Brooklyn
The Cleveland Cavaliers were hoping to punch their ticket to the NBA Playoffs when they battled the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center Tuesday night in the Play-In Tournament.
Cleveland never led and trailed by 20 points after the first quarter and was down by as many as 22. The Cavs battled back and cut the lead to five late in the game; however, they could not get any closer as the Nets defeated Cleveland 115-108.
Kyrie Irving had 34 points(12/15 FG, 3/6 3-PT FG) and 12 assists; Irving made his first 12 shots; Kevin Durant added 25 points, five rebounds, 11 assists, and three blocks.
The Nets get the seventh seed in the East and will battle the second seed, the Boston Celtics. The Cavs will try to get the eighth seed Friday night against the winner of Hornets/Hawks.
Here is the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Nets:
The Great for the Cavs:
Darius Garland scored 16 of his 34 points in the fourth. Garland scored the first nine points for Cleveland in the final quarter, and he tried to rescue the Cavs.
The moment was not too big for him, and the moment has not been too big for him all season long. This is what you want from your best player in a big spot. The All-Star also added five assists and two steals.
-The moment wasn’t too big for rookie Evan Mobley as well. He had 14 of his 19 points in the second half to go along with seven rebounds and two blocks. Mobley has been steady all season long, and he was steady Tuesday night in Brooklyn.
-Rajon Rondo morphed into “Playoff Rondo” against the Nets. He made the right play time after time. The stat line wasn’t super impressive as Rondo had seven points and nine assists in 26 minutes of action, but he got it done for the Cavs. Rondo and Caris LeVert were the only two Cavs with a positive rating(+2), and Rondo had the best rating in the second half for Cleveland at +9.
Any Quarter but the First: Cleveland trailed by 20 after the first quarter, but they outscored Brooklyn by 13 points in the final three quarters. They held Brooklyn to 17 points in the second quarter. After shooting 35% in the first half, Cleveland shot 55% from the field, including 50% from deep in the second half. They scored 35 points in the fourth quarter on 55% shooting, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough.
The Not So Great for the Cavs:
First Quarter: Last Friday, the Cavaliers trailed Brooklyn 34-19 after one quarter, and Tuesday night, the Nets got off to another great start. Brooklyn shot 71% from the floor, including 67% from downtown. Kyrie Irving was 5/5 from the field and scored 11 points in the first quarter; he finished with 20 points in the first half on 9/9 shooting.
The Nets led 40-20 after one quarter and 57-43 at halftime.
Turnovers: Cleveland had 15 turnovers, which led to 24 points for Brooklyn.
-Isaac Okoro: The second-year guard struggled with his shot Tuesday night. He was 0/3 from the field, all threes, and finished with zero points in 13 minutes. No one expects Okoro to score a bunch, but he had open looks, and he has to make some of those open shots.
Bottom Line:
You can’t spot Brooklyn 20 points and expect to win. Cleveland played well after the first quarter, but they were swimming upstream just like last Friday’s game.
Brooklyn could win a championship, so there is no shame in losing this game. Cleveland has two games to win one. Hopefully, they can get back their All-Star center Jarrett Allen. Cleveland is 35-21 with Allen this season and 9-17 without him, so getting him back would help.
Getting to the playoffs won’t be easy; it should be fun to see the excitement at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse Friday night.
What’s Next:
The Cavs return home to battle the winner of Hornets/Hawks in the Play-In Game.
Best of the Rest:
-Kevin Love had a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds; Lauri Markkanen chipped in with 13 points, and LeVert had 12 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and three steals.
-Bruce Brown had 18 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, and three steals; Andre Drummond chipped in with 16 points and eight rebounds, and Nic Claxton had 13 points and nine rebounds.
Listen below as Garland and Love discuss the team’s loss to Brooklyn:
Kevin Love leads Cleveland to eighth seed
The Cleveland Cavaliers came into Sunday’s action against the Milwaukee Bucks looking to get at least the eighth seed in the East or, if the Nets stumble versus the Pacers, the seventh seed.
Fortunately, the Bucks decided to rest their whole starting lineup, and the Cavs took full advantage. Cleveland led by as many as 40 points and routed the Bucks 133-115 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Unfortunately, the Nets defeated the Pacers, so they will be the seventh seed, while the Cavs will be the eighth seed in the East, so Cleveland will to travel to Brooklyn Tuesday night in the Play-In Tournament.
Cleveland finished the season 44-38, and the Bucks ended the year 51-31.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Bucks.
The Great for the Cavs:
-Kevin Love, who played only 15 minutes, scored 23 of his 32 points in the first half off the bench. The five-time All-Star made a career-high tying eight threes. He finished 10/16 from the field, including 8/11 from deep. He also added 10 rebounds. Love had 18 points, including five threes in the first quarter. Here’s the crazy part, according to Elias Sports, Love is the first player in the shot-clock era (since 1954) to record 30-plus points and 10-plus rebounds in under 16 minutes of action.
-Evan Mobley had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, and he also added four blocks. Mobley finished the regular season with 21 double-doubles, the fourth-most for a rookie in Cavs’ history.
-Lauri Markkanen had 23 points(4/7 3-PT FG) and seven rebounds.
First Half: The Cavs jumped on the Pacers early and did not let up. Cleveland tied a season-high with 46 points in the first quarter, which tied a franchise record for most points in any quarter in team history. Cleveland shot 60% from the floor, including 10/15(67%) from downtown. They led by 26(46-20) after one.
Ultimately, the Cavs scored 79 points in the first half and led by 33 points(79-46) at the break.
The Not So Great for the Cavs:
Not today!!!
Bottom Line:
The Cavs caught a break as the Bucks were clearly not looking to win this game. Now, it’s time to prepare to head to Brooklyn to face the seventh-seeded Nets.
Brooklyn will be tough to beat, but it’s one game, so anything is possible.
On Friday, the Cavs were down 17 points in the first quarter against the Nets and were swimming upstream the rest of the way; they took the lead in the third but fell short in the fourth, so Cleveland must get off to a better start.
Playing Brooklyn again could be to the Cavs’ benefit. For example, last season, the Memphis Grizzlies lost to the Golden State Warriors on the road in the season finale. A week later, Memphis went back on the road and beat the Warriors in the Play-In Tournament, so again, anything is possible.
Fortunately, as the eighth seed, Cleveland will have two games to win one, so if they fall short against the Nets, they will have a home game against the winner of the Hornets(10) and Hawks(9).
Quotes:
“I like our chances when it comes down to a dog fight,” Love said after the win. “That’s what it’s going to be come Tuesday night.”
What’s Next:
The Cavs travel to Brooklyn to battle the Nets Tuesday night in the Play-In Tournament.
Best of the Rest:
-Mobley finished the season with 1,034 points, 570 rebounds(MOST among rookies), 174 assists, 115 blocks(MOST among rookies), 56 steals, and 21 double-doubles(MOST among rookies).
-Love finished with 187 threes this season, which is the fourth most in team history.
-The Cavs finished the season 25-16 at home.
-Rajon Rondo had six points and a season-high 13 assists against the Bucks.
-Sandro Mamukelashvili led the Bucks with a career-high 28 points; Thanasis Antetkuonmpko had a career-high 27 points.
-Before the game, the Cavs announced that they had converted the contract of center Moses Brown to a standard NBA contract and signed guard RJ Nembhard to a two-way contract.
Brown, who would not have been eligible for the playoffs with a two-contract, signed his first 10-day contract with Cleveland on March 10, his second 10-day contract on March 21, and a two-way contract on March 31.
Nembhard, prior to being waived on April 7, was signed to a standard NBA contract with Cleveland on March 31 and was originally signed to a two-way contract on October 16. Nembhard has appeared in 13 games this season for the Cavaliers and 13 games (12 starts) with the Cleveland Charge.
Listen below as Love and Mobley react to win over Bucks:
Cavs fight but fall short in Brooklyn
The Cleveland Cavaliers had a big one Friday night in Brooklyn against the Nets. The winner of this game would have possession of the seventh seed in the East.
Brooklyn led by as many as 17 points, but Cleveland did take their first lead in the third. However, Brooklyn dominated the fourth and defeated the Cavs 118-107 at Barclays Center.
Kevin Durant had a game-high 36 points; Kyrie Irving and Bruce Brown added 18 points apiece; Brown also added 10 rebounds. All five of Brooklyn’s starters scored in double figures.
Cleveland(43-38) has now lost three straight and dropped to eighth in the East, while the Nets(43-38) have won three straight. Brooklyn won the season series(3-1) over the Cavs, which means they are the seventh seed.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Nets:
The Great for the Cavs:
-Darius Garland played like a superstar against Brooklyn. He shot 12/24 from the field, including three threes, and finished with 31 points in 41 minutes of action. The All-Star scored 21 of those 31 points in the second and third quarters. He probably should have played the whole second half, but we’ll get to that later.
-Evan Mobley was back after missing five games with a sprained ankle, and he picked up where he left off. The rookie had 17 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks. He also became the eighth Cavs rookie to go over 1000 points in a season. Mobley plays winning basketball, and everything he does contributes to winning.
-Lamar Stevens did not fill up the box score as he only had two points on 1/5 shooting from the field to go along with two rebounds, but he did defend his butt off in the third quarter when the Cavs were making their run. Kevin Durant still got his points; however, late in the third, he forced two Durant turnovers. It wasn’t enough, but give Stevens credit.
Second and Third Quarters: Cleveland trailed 34-19 after the first quarter and looked dead in the water. However, in the second quarter, things got better. Garland had 10 points in the quarter; Cleveland outscored Brooklyn 35-28 and trailed 62-54 at the break.
In the third, things got even better for the Cavs. Brooklyn led 70-60 with just under ten minutes left in the quarter, but Cleveland outscored Brooklyn 28-13 the rest of the third and led by as many as seven. Garland again was big time as he had 11 points in the quarter. The Cavs outscored Brooklyn 34-21 in the third and took an 88-83 lead into the fourth.
Cleveland outscored Brooklyn 69-49 in the second and third quarters.
The Not So Great for the Cavs:
First Quarter: Cleveland did not get the start they wanted. Brooklyn shot 57% from the field, including 4/8 from deep. On the other hand, Cleveland shot 40% from the floor, including 0/7 from downtown. The Cavs had issues stopping Durant, who had 16 points in the quarter. Brooklyn took their largest lead of the game at 34-17 and led 34-19 after one.
Second Chance Points: Brooklyn is a great offensive team. They are tough to stop, but they become even harder to control when you give them second and third chances. The Nets outrebounded the Cavs 45-31, and Brooklyn had 25-second chance points Friday night, which is a lot. Rebounding is a big part of defense, and Cleveland had difficulty closing the possessions with a rebound.
Fourth Quarter: Cleveland had all the momentum going into the fourth, but the Nets have firepower for days, and it’s hard to keep them from scoring. Brooklyn went on a 10-4 run to start the fourth to take the lead for good. The Nets led by as many as 15 points in the fourth. The Cavs appeared to run out of gas in the fourth as the Nets outscored them 35-19 in the quarter.
The first 3:09 of the Fourth: You hate to be critical of anybody in this one, but Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff may have made a mistake by resting Garland early in the fourth. Garland was rolling, and so was the team while he was on the court. He did play the whole second and third quarters; however, Garland did get rest at halftime and before the start of the fourth. The Cavs should have ridden its young star to the end. Brooklyn took the lead back while Garland was on the bench and never relinquished it.
Bottom Line:
Cleveland battled in this one, and they played their hearts out, but Brooklyn is Brooklyn, so winning this game would be tough. The Cavs have to start better to beat a team of Brooklyn’s caliber.
Fortunately, the eighth-seeded Cavs got a little help as the Hawks fell to the Heat, which allowed Cleveland to hold the eighth seed and keep the eighth seed if they beat the Bucks in the season finale. The Cavs can still get the seventh seed, but they need to win and Brooklyn to lose to the Pacers at home, which is highly unlikely.
So, Cleveland could be returning to Brooklyn next Tuesday for the 7-8 game in the Play-In Tournament.
However, unfortunately, Cleveland could fall to the 10th seed if they lose to the Bucks, and Charlotte(Wizards), Atlanta(@Rockets), and Brooklyn(Pacers) win their final game, which would be disastrous.
Getting the eighth seed won’t be easy for Cleveland as the Bucks are still fighting for the second seed in the East, so Sunday’s game should be very interesting.
Remember, the seventh and eighth seeds have two games to win one, while the ninth and tenth seeded teams have to win twice to make the playoffs.
Quotes:
“I’m proud of the way they played and proud of the effort that they played with, the way they kept coming back and staying in the game,” Bickerstaff said after the game.
What’s Next:
The Cavs return home to battle the Bucks in the regular-season finale.
Best of the Rest:
-Lauri Markkanen had 17 points; Caris LeVert added 16, and Kevin Love had 10 points and nine rebounds off the bench.
-Andre Drummond had a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds for Brooklyn.
-Cavs shot 8/27 from three-point range.
Listen below as the Garland and Drummond react to loss to Brooklyn:
Time for the Cavs to focus on Play-In Tournament
The Cavs headed to Atlanta to battle the Hawks Thursday night in the second game of a back-to-back.
Cleveland lost to the Mavericks 120-112 Wednesday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Atlanta dominated and led from wire to wire and defeated the Cavs 131-107 at State Farm Arena.
Trae Young had a game-high 30 points and nine assists; Kevin Huerter had 23 points. The Hawks had six players in double figures.
Cedi Osman led the Cavs with 21 points off the bench.
Cleveland(42-35) dropped their second straight, while the Hawks(40-37) have won four straight and five of their last six.
Here is the Great, the Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Hawks.
The Great for the Cavs:
You lose by 24 points and trail from start to finish; there’s really nothing extraordinary, but let’s show some love to Moses Brown, who signed a two-way contract with the Cavs earlier in the day. Brown had a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds.
The Not So Great for the Cavs:
EVERYTHING!!
The Cavs’ starting forwards of Caris LeVert and Lauri Markkanen combined for 17 points on 7/17 shooting from the floor. LeVert had nine points, while Markkanen had eight. They needed more from these two guys.
Turnovers: The Cavs had 15 turnovers in their loss to Dallas, and they came back and committed 14 more turnovers Thursday night, which led to 24 points for the Hawks.
Three-Point Shooting: Cleveland did not guard the three very well, and they could not make many threes either. The Cavs were 7/30 from three-point range. Both Dylan Windler(0/5 3-PT FG) and Kevin Love(2-7) miss five threes apiece. Conversely, the Hawks made 17 threes.
Defense: For the second consecutive night, Cleveland gave up 100 points after three quarters. Against Dallas on Wednesday night, they allowed 120 points in regulation. Thursday night, Cleveland gave up 131 points, which is unacceptable, but again, not surprising when two of your best defensive bigs(Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley) are sitting in street clothes. The Hawks shot 50% from the floor.
Third Quarter: Against the Mavs Wednesday night, the Cavs were outscored 39-22, and Thursday night versus the Hawks, their third-quarter woes continued as they were outscored 34-22 in the quarter. The Hawks shot 55% from the floor in the quarter and held the Cavs to 32% shooting from the field, including 1/3 from downtown. Atlanta led by 13 at halftime and had a 100-75 lead after three quarters.
Bottom Line:
This was a bad performance for the Cavs, but these games happen in the NBA. Cleveland is a tired, depleted team who, at this point, is limping to the finish line. Unfortunately, they’ll have four games in five nights, so there’s no rest for the weary.
The way they’re playing right now, the Cavs may not win another game in the regular season. However, maybe this loss could wake them up.
With fives games left, they trail the fifth-seeded Bulls(45-32) by three games and the sixth-seeded Raptors(44-32) by 2 1/2 games, so that situation looks bleak.
It’s all about the Play-In Tournament for the Cavs. If they stay at the seventh or eighth seed, Cleveland would have two opportunities to win one game to make the playoffs, which is very doable, especially when you consider that they could have two home games(if necessary) in this tournament.
Currently, the seventh-seeded Cavs have a two-game lead over Brooklyn(40-37), Charlotte(40-37), and the Hawks(40-37), so they are in decent shape.
At the end of the day, the Cavs just need to start playing better!
What’s Next:
Cleveland heads to New York City to battle the Knicks Saturday night.
Best of the Rest:
Earlier in the day, the Cavs announced that they had converted the contract of guard RJ Nembhard to a standard NBA contract.
The 23-year-old Nembhard has appeared in 13 games this season for the Cavaliers as well as 13 games (12 starts) with the Cleveland Charge, the Cavaliers’ exclusively-owned and operated NBA G League team. With the Charge, Nembhard averaged 22.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 5.2 assists in 37.7 minutes. Nembhard went undrafted in 2021 after playing four seasons at Texas Christian University.
-Darius Garland had 18 points and eight assists against the Hawks. The All-Star recorded his 171st assists in the month of March, which is a team record.
Listen below as Osman reacts to loss to Hawks:
Cavs’ Bickerstaff on Doncic: ‘He’s a wizard with the ball in his hands’
The Cleveland Cavaliers concluded their three-game homestand Thursday night against Luka Doncic and the Mavericks.
The Cavs were without Evan Mobley(sprained ankle), which is a considerable loss.
Without Mobley, Cleveland could not slow down Doncic as he had 35 points, nine rebounds, and 13 assists, and Dorian Finney-Smith(6/12 3-PT FG) had a career-high 28 points as the Mavs defeated the Cavs 120-112 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Cleveland(42-34), who is the seventh seed in the East, is now two games behind the sixth-seeded Raptors(44-32) and the fifth seed, the Chicago Bulls(44-32).
Here is the Great, the Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Mavericks.
The Great for the Cavs:
-Caris LeVert had his best game and highest-scoring night as a Cavalier. He scored 21 of his 32 points in the first half to go along with six rebounds and four assists. LeVert looked comfortable, and he attacked from start to finish.
-Darius Garland did what he has done all month long, and that’s record a double-double. The All-Star had 25 points, 10 assists, and four steals. This was Garland’s 11th double-double in the month of March, which is a team record for points and assists double-doubles in a month.
-Moses Brown got his first start as a Cavalier against his former team, and he played well. Brown had 12 points(5/5 FG) and nine rebounds. He played with a lot of energy Monday night.
Second Quarter: The Cavs trailed 34-30 after one quarter but started fast in the second. With the game tied at 34, Cleveland went on a 16-8 run to take their largest lead of the game at 50-42. LeVert had 12 big points in the quarter. The Cavs shot 58% from the floor, including 5/6 from deep. They outscored Dallas 37-27 in the quarter and led 67-61 at halftime.
The Not So Great for the Cavs:
Third Quarter: The game shifted in the third. With the game tied at 87 with just under five minutes left in the quarter, the Mavs went on a 13-0 run to take their largest lead of 13. Cleveland had no answers for Doncic and Finney-Smith. Doncic had 20 points in the quarter(8/12 FG, 2/3 3-PT FG), and Finney-Smith had 11 points(3/5 3-PT FG). The two scored 31 of Dallas’ 39 points in the third. The Mavs shot 65% from the field, including 50%(5/10) from downtown. The game was pretty much over after the third as Dallas led 100-89 at the end of three.
Defense: The Cavs have played good defense for most of the season. However, of late, they have struggled on the defensive end. They allowed the Mavs, who are 25th in points per game, to score 120 points in regulation on 52% shooting from the floor. Without Mobley and Jarrett Allen, it makes sense that they struggled defensively Wednesday night.
Turnovers: Cleveland had 15 turnovers Wednesday night, which led to 13 points for the Mavs. Way too many turnovers when you’re trying to beat an outstanding team like Dallas.
Bottom Line:
Barring a collapse from the Bulls and Raptors, the Cleveland Cavaliers will be involved in the Play-In Tournament. Considering where they were a few weeks ago, that’s a disappointment.
However, considering all the injuries, this team has dealt with and the expectations for this team coming into the season, making the Play-In Tournament is a success for the Cavs.
The Cavs have six games left, and they will need a lot of help to be one of the top six teams in the East.
Quotes:
“He’s a wizard with the ball in his hands,” Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said about Doncic post-game.
What’s Next:
Cleveland travels to Atlanta Thursday night to battle the Hawks.
Best of the Rest:
Before the game, the Cavs announced that Mobley will be out at least three games, including Wednesday’s game against Dallas, with an ankle sprain after an MRI Wednesday confirmed the injury. According to the team, Mobley will now undergo a period of treatment and rehabilitation, and his return to play will be updated as appropriate.
-Lamar Stevens scored 16 points; Stevens has been in double figures in five of the last six games.
-For the second straight game, Cedi Osman was a DNP-CD.
Watch below as Bickerstaff talks loss to Mavs, Doncic, and more:
Cavs’ Love: ‘It gutted us to lose Evan(Mobley)’
The Cavaliers hoped to break a three-game losing streak as they hosted the Orlando Magic Monday night.
Cleveland had their largest lead of 20 points in the second quarter, but the Magic would grab the lead in the third. However, the Cavs would pull away in the fourth and win 107-101 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The seventh-seeded Cavs(42-33) snap their three-game losing streak and remain one game behind the sixth-seeded Raptors(43-32), who beat the Celtics in OT Monday night, and the fifth–seeded Bulls(43-32), who fell to the Knicks last night.
Cleveland has now clinched a winning season for the first time since 2018 and for the first time since 1998 without LeBron James.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Magic.
The Great for the Cavs:
-Darius Garland had game-highs of 25 points and 12 assists to go along with three steals, and he took over late in the fourth. Cleveland led 95-92 with under four minutes to go, and Garland hit a floater, made a three, and assisted on an alley-oop dunk from Lauri Markkanen to put the Cavs up 102-92 with just over a minute left in the game. This was Garland”s 10th double-double in the month of March.
-Kevin Love came off the bench and got things done for Cleveland. Love scored 14 of his 19 points in the second quarter, including three of his four made threes. At one point, he scored eight straight for the Cavs in the second. Love, who added seven rebounds and three assists, leads Cleveland with 164 threes made this season.
-Lauri Markkanen had 10 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter and gave the Cavs the lead for good with three at the 4:37 mark of the fourth.
-Dylan Windler spent more time in the G League than the NBA this season, but he took advantage of his opportunity Monday night. Windler had six points and nine rebounds, and he was on the court for the final 5-plus minutes of the game. He also won the “Junkyard Dog” award.
The First 3:49 of the Second Quarter: Cleveland began the second quarter on an 18-3 run to take a 20-point lead(largest of the game). During that run, Love had eight points, and Garland added five. However, the Magic would outscore the Cavs 28-15 the rest of the quarter, and Cleveland would lead 60-53 at the break.
The Not So Great for the Cavs:
Evan Mobley left in the second quarter and did not return after spraining his left ankle. The injury did not look good as Mobley had a noticeable limp, but hopefully, it’s not too serious. The Cavs can’t afford to be without two of the anchors of their defense in Mobley and Jarret Allen.
According ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the X-Rays on Mobley’s sprained left ankle were negative.
Turnovers: Cleveland had 15 turnovers, which led to 27 points for Orlando.
Bottom Line:
The Cavs got a win, which is all that matters. It wasn’t their best effort, but again, it’s a win. Now, hopefully, they won’t be without Mobley for too long. They took an emotional hit when the Rookie-of-the-Year favorite went down, which they acknowledged post game.
This team has fought injuries all year long, and at this point, they are still standing.
Now, they have to find a will and a way to get that sixth seed with seven games left in the regular season to avoid the Play-in Tournament.
Quotes:
“It gutted us to lose Evan, whether it’s for a game, two games, three games, or whatever it may be,” Love said post-game.
What’s Next:
Cleveland concludes their three-game homestand Wednesday night against the Dallas Mavericks.
Best of the Rest:
-The Magic had seven players in double figures as Wendell Carter Jr. led the way with a team-high 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
-Isaac Okoro added 11 points for the Cavs.
-Before the game, the Cavaliers announced that forward Dean Wade, who missed the previous seven games dating back to March 14th, underwent successful surgery to treat ongoing issues with the meniscus in his right knee and will miss the remainder of the 2021-22 season.
In addition, the team announced that guard Rajon Rondo (Right Ankle Sprain) and Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (Left 3rd Finger Fracture) remain out.
Watch below as Garland reacts to win over the Magic:
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Cavs’ Bickerstaff on loss to Raptors: ‘They outplayed us’
The Cleveland Cavaliers traveled to Toronto to battle the Raptors Thursday night in their biggest game of the season to date. Coming into this game, the sixth-seeded Cavs had a one-game lead over the seventh-seeded Raptors.
Toronto led for most of the game and had their largest lead of 17 points in the fourth as the Raptors defeated the Cavs 117-104 at Scotiabank Arena.
Pascal Siakam had a season-high tying 35 points, including a career-high tying six threes for Toronto as they had six players in double figures.
With the win, the Raptors(41-32) and Cavs(41-32) are tied for the sixth seed in the East, but Cleveland holds the tie-breaker since they won the season series (3=1).
Teams seeded 7-10 in their conference will have to battle it out in the Play-In Tournament to make the playoffs.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Raptors.
The Great for the Cavaliers:
-Lauri Markkanen came to play Thursday night, and he had a team-high 20 points. In the last 14 games, Markkanen has had 20-plus points six times.
-Darius Garland had another double-double with 18 points and 10 assists. This is Garland’s fourth straight double-double. He did not shoot it well(7/18 FG, 1/6 3-PT FG), but he did do his part.
The Not So Great for the Cavaliers:
First Quarter: Cleveland led 10-5 with just under eight minutes in the first, but they were outscored 20-7 the rest of the quarter, including a 15-0 run from Toronto. The Cavs struggled to score as they shot 30% from the field, including 1/8 from downtown. After the first, Toronto led 25-17 and took a 58-48 lead at halftime.
Cleveland’s three-point defense: The Cavs allowed Toronto to make 16 threes, nine of which came in the second half.
Fast Break Points: Cleveland let the Raptors have a lot of success in transition. The Raptors had 18 fast break points, which means Cleveland allowed too many easy buckets. Cleveland also had 13 turnovers, which led to 17 points for Toronto.
Fourth Quarter: Toronto led 83-75 after three quarters, and they shot it well in fourth. The Raptors shot 60% from the floor. Cleveland cutt the lead to seven with just under 10 minutes to go, but the Raptors went on a 12-5 run to push the lead to 14. Toronto outscored the Cavs 34-29 in the fourth.
Evan Mobley: Coming into Thursday’s game against Toronto, Mobley(two games) was averaging 19 points and 11 rebounds against the Raptors. Mobley shot 14 times in the first matchup and 15 times in the game against the Raptors on March 6, where he had 20 points and 17 rebounds.
On Thursday night, Mobley got up only seven shots and finished with 11 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks. Clearly, he needed more touches.
Bottom Line:
Toronto is playing some good basketball right now and has won seven of their last nine games, so the Raptors are hot basketball team.
This was another game that had a playoff atmosphere, and the Cavs were just not up to the task. The Raptors are a battled-tested team, and they looked that way Thursday night.
Regarding Toronto, three of their final nine games are against teams in the playoffs(1-6 in their respective conference), while five of the Cavs’ final nine games are against playoff teams(1-6 in their respective conference), so you could argue the schedule favors the Raptors.
Quotes:
“They outplayed us,” Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said about Toronto. “Give them credit where credit is due.”
What’s Next:
The Cavs begin a three-game homestand Saturday night in Cleveland against the Bulls.
Best of the Rest:
Kevin Love got the start for Cleveland and had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Lamar Stevens was in double figures for the third straight game as he had 16 points and six rebounds off the bench. Cleveland had six players in double figures Thursday night.
-Chris Boucher had 17 points off the Raptors’ bench.
Watch below as Bickerstaff reacts to loss to Raptors:
Cavs battle back to defeat the Pistons
The Cleveland Cavaliers had to work overtime to defeat the Nuggets Friday night, and they had to turn back around and host the Pistons Saturday night.
The Cavs battled back from a 12-point deficit in the third to defeat the Pistons 113-109 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
For the second straight night, Cleveland had three players(Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Kevin Love) record doubles-doubles.
In addition, the Cavs had six players in double figures.
Jerami Grant led the Pistons with a season-high 40 points, including seven threes.
The Cavs(41-30) have won two straight, while the Pistons(19-52) have lost five of six.
The Great for the Cavs:
-Kevin Love gave Cleveland the spark it needed off the bench. Love scored nine of his 14 points in the third. The Pistons had their largest lead of the night at 78-66 with 4:14 left in the third, but Cleveland went on a 16-3 run to close the quarter, and nine of those 16 points came from Love. Cleveland took an 82-81 lead into the fourth. Love also added 10 rebounds.
-Cedi Osman had back-to-back DNPs, but when he got his opportunity Saturday, he took full advantage of it. Osman scored nine of his 16 points in the fourth. According to Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, the team does not defeat the Pistons without the contributions of Osman.
Cleveland will need Osman come playoff time.
-Darius Garland led the way with 24 points, 12 assists, and two steals in 41 minutes of action. This is Garland’s seventh double-double in the last nine games. What a season for the first time All-Star. Garland also received the “Junkyard Dog Award” for playing 40-plus minutes in back-to-back nights.
-Evan Mobley filled the stat sheet Saturday night; he had 12 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and two blocks. According to Cavs Notes, he became the sixth player in team history to record 20 double-doubles in their rookie season.
The Final 4:14 of Third Quarter: See Kevin Love above
Fourth Quarter: Cleveland was rolling heading into the fourth. They went on a 17-8 run to take their largest lead of the night at 99-89. Detroit cut the lead to 105-102 with under two minutes to go, but Isaac Okoro hit a corner three, which was the dagger. Garland was 3/3 and scored seven points, and dished out six assists in the quarter. The Cavs shot 68% from the floor, including 67% from deep in the final stanza.
The Not So Great for the Cavs:
Second Quarter: Cleveland led 28-27 after one but was sluggish in the second. The Cavs took a 36-27 lead with 9:28 left in the quarter, but Detroit took a five-point lead after a 14-0 run. The Cavs shot 39% from the field, including 1/7 from three-point range. Conversely, Detroit shot 50% from the field. The Pistons took a 60-55 lead at the break.
Bottom Line:
If Cleveland had lost to the Pistons, it probably would have been the worst loss of the season when you consider what’s at stake. However, they woke up just in time and got the win.
The Cavs don’t ever give up. They have so much character and battle to end. Cleveland did what good teams do when they’re not at their best; they just find ways.
The sixth-seeded Cavs are now 1.5 games ahead of the seventh-seeded Raptors(39-31), and Cleveland is not 1/2 game behind the fifth-seed, the Chicago Bulls.
Quotes:
“The fans are always engaged here,” Bickerstaff said about Cleveland fans. “And you can feel the wave that comes over the building, which is why I think it’s one of the best arenas in the league.”
What’s Next:
The Cavs conclude their five-game homestand Monday night against LeBron James and the Lakers.
Best of the Rest:
-Lamar Stevens added 15 points(6/7 FG) and five rebounds.
-Lauri Markkanen made his 600th career three-pointer. He finished with eight points.
-Cleveland moved to 8-0 this season when three-players record double-doubles.
-The Cavs are 3-1 on their current homestand.
Watch below as Bickerstaff talks Cavs’ win over Pistons:
