Tag: JARRETT ALLEN
Cavs get outworked, outhustled, fall to Knicks in Game 4
After losing Game 3 to the Knicks on Friday, the Cavs were down 2-1 in their first-round series, so Game 4 was a must-win for Cleveland.
However, Jalen Brunson had 29 points, six rebounds, and six assists, and R.J. Barrett added 26 points as the Knicks defeated the Cavs 102-93 at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.
With the loss, the Cavs are now down 3-1. Game 4 is Wednesday night in Cleveland.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Knicks.
The Great:
Second Half Garland: Darius Garland scored 21 of his team-high 23 points and seven of his game-high 10 assists in the second half, including 11 points and five assists in the third. After appearing rattled in Game 3, Garland settled in at MSG, and it appeared the Cavs would tie the series at 2, but it didn’t happen.
Third Quarter: Garland and the Cavs woke up in the third. After trailing 54-45 at the break, Cleveland started the third quarter on an 18-7 run to take their first lead of the game at 63-61. Cleveland shot 52% from the field in the third, and they trailed 73-71 at the end of three.
Not So Great:
Rebounding: The Cavs were killed on the glass again. They were outrebounded 47-33 by New York. Mitchell Robinson and former Cav Isaiah Hartenstein had a combined 11 offensive rebounds. The Knicks outscored the Cavs 21-12 in second-chance points.
Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley got outworked by Robinson and Hartenstein.
Donovan Mitchell was off on Sunday, and he was 5/18 from the field and had only 11 points to go along with six turnovers. Cleveland needed Mitchell to be Mitchell, and he wasn’t.
First Half: The Cavs got off to a slow start; the Knicks led by as many as 15 points in the first half. Cleveland was sloppy, as they had nine of their 13 turnovers in the first half, which led to 11 points for the Knicks. New York did not shoot it well in that first half(41%), but they had 11 of their 17 offensive rebounds in the first half.
Fourth Quarter: Cleveland fought back in the game in the third but fell apart in the fourth. The game was tied at 75 with just under 10 minutes to go, and the Knicks went on a 5-0 run to push the lead to 80-75. The Cavs would cut the lead to three, but they could not control Barrett(10 points in the fourth), Brunson(8), and Josh Hart(8). The Knicks led by as many as 11 points in the fourth.
Cleveland shot 42% from the field in the final stanza and was outscored 29-22 by the Knicks in the fourth quarter.
Bottom Line:
The Cavs’ response on Sunday was disappointing. Garland brought in the second half, but Mitchell could have been better. Allen, Mobley, and everybody else got manhandled on the boards, and the Knicks continued to outwork and outhustle the Cavs.
The Knicks’ second-leading scorer, Julius Randle, was awful in Games 3 & 4, but it did not matter because the Cavs could not make shots and did not play good basketball.
Cleveland averaged 86 points in the two games in New York, which included a league-low 79 points on Friday.
In NBA history, teams with a 3-1 series lead have won 95% of the time, so history is working against Cleveland. However, you have to take it one game at a time. If the Cavs can win Game 5 in Cleveland and steal Game 6 at MSG, they would have Game 7 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, so they still have a shot, but a lot is working against them.
End of the day, they have to play better.
Best of the Rest:
Cleveland had six players in double figures on Sunday. Allen and Caris LeVert had 14 points apiece. Mobley had 12, and Cedi Osman had 10 points off the bench.
For the Knicks, Robinson had 12 points and 11 rebounds; Josh Hart added 19 points and seven rebounds.
Garland, defense help Cavs rout Knicks in Game 2
After stumbling and losing to the New York Knicks in Game 1 of their first-round series, the Cleveland Cavaliers needed to get a win in Game 2 on Tuesday night, and they did convincingly.
The Cavs led by as many as 29 points and would defeat the Knicks 107-90 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse to even the series up at 1.
Game 3 is Friday night at Madison Square Garden.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Knicks
The Great:
Darius Garland was not at his best in Game 1, but he was at his best in Game 2. Garland scored 26 of his game-high 32 points in the first half to go along with seven assists. He was 6/10 from the field in that first half, including 4/6 from deep. He was on fire! That is the Garland the Cavs know and love.
Donovan Mitchell led the Cavs in points in Game 1, but in Game 2, Mitchell did score 17 points, but he was more of a factor as a distributor. He had a career-high 13 assists; he got Garland and his teammates going.
Caris LeVert gave the Cavs a huge lift off the bench. LeVert got most of the minutes at small forward after Isaac Okoro was benched, and he scored 24 points—great minutes from LeVert.
Evan Mobley was much better in Game 2. He had a double-double with 13 points, 13 rebounds, and two steals; he helped with rim protection as he had two blocks.
Defense: Cleveland had great defensive energy in Game 2. They held the Knicks to 37% shooting, and the Cavs created 18 turnovers, which led to 32 points. They were ferocious on the defensive end and got after the Knicks. Cleveland did a much better job on Brunson and Randle in Game 2, as they were a combined 13/37 from the field.
Second Quarter: Cleveland led 25-22 at the end of the first quarter; the Cavs exploded in the second quarter.
Garland had 15 points in the quarter.
They created nine turnovers, which led to 19 points, and led by as many as 20 points in the quarter. The Cavs outscored New York 34-17 in the second; from there, it was smooth sailing.
Not So Great:
There is nothing to see under this section. Well, the turnovers were high(18), but they overcame it. We could put Okoro(0 points on 0/0 shooting) on this list, but he only played three minutes, so that’s not fair.
Bottom Line:
This was a great effort by the Cavs. They corrected all the mistakes in Game 1. Cleveland outrebounded the Knicks, Garland got off, and they defended well.
As stated numerous times, we knew this would be a long series; we knew this would be a competitive series. Let’s see how Cleveland responds in Game 3 at MSG. The Garden will be a hostile environment.
Side note: Jarrett Allen was called for a flagrant one foul after attempting to block Julius Randle’s dunk attempt late in the game. Was it dirty? No! Was it unnecessary? Probably. The game was out of reach(103-82 with 2:22 left in the game); in reality, both players should not have been the game. That could have been very bad for the Knicks, but Randle, who fell awkwardly, says he’s okay.
Best of the Rest:
For the Knicks, Randle had 22 points and eight rebounds; Brunson added 20 points.
Allen had nine points, 10 rebounds, three steals, and three blocks for the Cavs.
Knicks grab Game 1 in Cleveland
The Cleveland Cavaliers began the postseason at home against the New York Knicks in Game 1 of their first-round series matchup on Saturday. The Cavs are in the postseason for the first time since 2018.
This game was close throughout. After the Cavs took a 93-92 lead with just over two minutes to go in the fourth, New York got some big shot-making from Josh Hart, who made a big three with the shot clock winding down to give the Knicks a 95-93 lead, and Jalen Brunson made a huge step-back jumper and driving layup, and the Knicks would take Game 1 101-97.
New York leads the series 1-0. Game 2 is Tuesday night in Cleveland.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Knicks.
The Great:
Donovan Mitchell was outstanding in his Cavs playoff debut. Mitchell scored 38 points(the most by a Cavs player in their playoff debut with the team), five rebounds, eight assists, and three steals. He scored 14 points in the fourth and brought Cleveland all the way back from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit, but it wasn’t enough.
Cavs 16-5 run in the Fourth: With 6:34 in the fourth, the Cavs trailed 87-77. Over the next four-plus minutes, Cleveland went on a 16-5 run. Mitchell scored 10 points during that run, and the Cavs took a 93-92, but again, it wasn’t enough.
Cedi Osman finished with only nine points; he had five of those nine points in the fourth and played some solid defense on Brunson; he played most of the fourth quarter for Cleveland, and Osman almost sparked the Cavs to a win.
Not So Great:
Rebounding: The Knicks pounded the Cavs on the glass; they outrebounded the Cavs 51-38 and had 23 second-chance points. They allowed a huge Randle offensive rebound with 06.9 seconds to go, which led to two free throws from Quentin Grimes that put the game away. The Knicks had seven offensive rebounds in the final stanza.
Three-Point Shooting: The Cavs were not that great from downtown, making 10/31 threes(32%).
Bench: The Knicks’ bench outscored Cleveland’s bench 37-14. Caris Levert was 1/7 from the field and finished with just three points.
Bottom Line:
The Knicks jumped on the Cavs early, played with more purpose, and closed the game the right way. Everyone knew this could be a long series, so for New York to win Game 1 is unsurprising. Credit to the Knicks; they pushed the Cavs around in this one and got big plays from Brunson, Randle, and Hart.
Sidenote: Brunson is a lot better than people think. Look at the impact he had on the Knicks this season and the impact he had on the Mavericks in his absence.
In Game 2, Cleveland has to get more from its bench and be better on the glass. In addition, they have to get more from Darius Garland(17 points, one assist, five turnovers) and Evan Mobley(4/13 FG, eight points, and 11 rebounds).
Best of the Rest:
Brunson led the Knicks with 27 points(21 in the second half); Randle had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Hart added 17 points and 10 boards off the bench.
For the Cavs, Jarrett Allen had 14 points and 14 rebounds.
Cavs are back in playoffs but for how long?
The Cleveland Cavaliers(51-31) are in the playoffs for the first time since 2018 and for the first time without LeBron James since 1998, which is not a surprise after the acquisition of Donovan Mitchell.
Now, they battle the New York Knicks(47-35) in the first round of the playoffs. Game 1 is Saturday in Cleveland.
In the regular season, New York won the season series 3-1, including a win in Cleveland, but that gets thrown out the window. It’s the playoffs.
Cleveland has all the things needed to win this series. They are the number-rated defensive team in basketball and have a go-to elite scorer in Mitchell(28.3 ppg). Don’t forget Darius Garland, a big-time scorer, and distributor(21.6 points & 7.8 assists per contest). In addition, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley are ranked two and three in defensive rating. Plus, they have homecourt advantage, which should help as they have the sixth-best home record(31-10) in the NBA.
While they have been subpar on the road(20-21) this season, Cleveland has two things that do travel, an elite scorer and defense.
For the Knicks, you can’t discount Jalen Brunson(24.0 ppg), who was remarkable in the playoffs for Dallas last season and was big-time this season for the Knicks. However, the uncertainty with Julius Randle’s(25.1 ppg & 10.0 rpg) ankle could be an issue, but he is expected to be ready for Game 1. In addition, New York has been outstanding on the road this season(24-17), including big wins in Memphis, Philly, Denver, and Boston(2x).
Both teams are near the bottom in bench points(Cavs ranked 28, Knicks ranked 26).
We can talk about Mitchell, Garland, Mobley, and Allen for the Cavs and Randle and Brunson for the Knicks, but there will be some unsung heroes in this series. For the Cavs, Caris LeVert(12.1 ppg) could be that guy and has picked up his play late in the season, while for the Knicks, Immanuel Quickley(14.5 ppg) could be the man for New York.
Prediction:
The 4-5 matchup is usually exciting and this will be no different. Plus, Mitchell almost being traded to New York is an interesting subplot.
The Cavs are the slightly better team, and have homecourt advantage, so expect that to be enough for Cleveland to win in 7, but it will be challenging.
Cavs secure homecourt advantage, get 50th win of season
The Cleveland Cavaliers(50-30) hoped to accomplish two things on Tuesday night as they began a two-game set in Orlando against the Magic(34-45).
First, secure homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs with a win, and next, win 50 games for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
Mission accomplished!
The Cavs defeated the Magic 117-113 at Amway Center.
With the loss, the Magic are officially eliminated from playoff contention.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Magic.
The Great:
-Donovan Mitchell went over 40 points for the fourth straight game as he had 43 points, five rebounds, and four assists.
According to the NBA, Mitchell is the fourth player over the last 25 seasons to record four straight 40-plus point games.
After Paolo Banchero’s layup gave Orlando a 109-108 lead with just under four minutes to go, Mitchell would score six of Cleveland’s final nine points. He came up big when needed.
-Caris LeVert was huge for the Cavs, and he added 19 points, including five threes off the bench. With Cleveland trailing 109-108 with just under four minutes to go, LeVert hit a three that would give the Cavs the lead for good.
LeVert has been in double figures in 11 of his last 12 games.
–Darius Garland had a solid floor game with 16 points and 10 assists. This was Garland’s 18th double-double of the season.
Not So Great:
Rebounding: Orlando did a solid job on the boards as they outrebounded Cleveland 47-30 and outscored the Cavs 14-4 in second-chance points.
Bottom Line:
Coming into this season, on paper, three teams in the East were better than the Cavs, the Bucks, Celtics, and the 76ers, and in terms of the standings, those three teams are better than Cleveland right now.
However, that does not take away from how great it is to win 50 games, which was expected after the acquisition of Mitchell.
With homecourt advantage, the Cavs will probably be the favorite when they face the fifth-seeded Knicks(likely opponent) in the first round, which should be a lot of fun.
For now, Cleveland should enjoy winning 50 games, but there is most definitely more work to be done.
What’s Next:
Cleveland concludes their two-game set in Orlando against the Magic on Thursday night.
Best of the Rest:
Evan Mobley had 14 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Jarrett Allen had 12 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks.
For Orlando, Markelle Fultz led the way with 23 points and eight assists; Banchero had a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Cleveland was 15/31 from three-point range on Tuesday night.
Cavs clinch playoff spot for first time in a long time
On Sunday, the Cleveland Cavaliers were one win away from making the playoffs for the first time since 2018 and the first time without LeBron James since 1998.
However, the Houston Rockets(18-57) stood in the way, but the Cavs had no issues. Cleveland led by as many as 20 points and defeated the Rockets 108-91 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, and now, the Cavs are in the playoffs.
The Cavs(48-28) have won four straight and six of their last seven; Houston has now lost five straight.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Rockets.
The Great:
Jarrett Allen did it all for Cleveland. He tied a season-high with 24 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, and provided rim protection with three blocks. This was Allen’s career-high tying 32nd double-double of the season.
Evan Mobley also did it all for the Cavs. He scored 19 points, grabbed seven rebounds, dished out five assists, and like Allen, he blocked three shots.
Donovan Mitchell had 22 points, including four threes and five rebounds; he was a game-best +24.
First Half: The Cavs got off to a strong start. They led 33-22 at the end of the first and took a 60-43 lead into the break. They were sizzling in the first half as they shot 58% from the field, including 46% from three-point range. They had an easy time making shots, which is unsurprising because the Rockets are not very good on the defensive end.
Not So Great:
Third Quarter: Cleveland pushed their lead to 20 in the third, but they let the Rockets get back into the game. Houston outscored the Cavs 37-25 in the quarter, and they allowed Houston to shoot 52% from the field. Cleveland led 85-80 at the end of three; the Cavs would eventually close things out in the fourth, but they let Houston stick around longer than they should.
Bottom Line:
The Cavs are in the playoffs!! It seemed like forever, but after a rebuild, Cleveland is back. None of this is a surprise. Cleveland became a playoff team the moment they acquired Mitchell from Utah. The Cavs are not a championship team, but they are dangerous and right on schedule.
Regarding the standings, the fourth-seeded Cavs are now 5.5 games up on the fifth-seeded Knicks in the East, so they will at least have homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Also, they are now two games behind the third seed, the Philadelphia 76ers, so maybe they can catch the 76ers, but as stated numerous times by this scribe, expect the Cavs to capture the fourth seed.
What’s Next:
Cleveland gets back at it on Tuesday night as they go on the road to face the Hawks.
Best of the Rest:
-Jalen Green led the Rockets with a game-high 30 points.
-Darius Garland had 17 points and a game-high eight assists; Caris LeVert scored 10 points off the bench.
Cavs roll over Nets in Brooklyn
The Cleveland Cavaliers began a two-game set in Brooklyn against the Nets on Tuesday, and the first game went to the Cavs.
Cleveland led by as many as 24 points and defeated the Nets 115-109 at Barclays Center.
The Cavs(46-28) have won two straight and four out of their last five, while the Nets(39-33) have lost four straight.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over Brooklyn.
The Great:
Donovan Mitchell led the Cavs with 31 points, including five threes. In the fourth quarter, Mitchell threw down a nasty dunk over Brooklyn’s Yuta Watanabe, which may have been one of the best dunks of the season.
The slo-mo view 🤯 https://t.co/FsAvsxwAnp pic.twitter.com/j7CLkdizbI
— NBA (@NBA) March 22, 2023
Jarrett Allen returned after missing four games with an eye injury, and he was big-time. Against his former team, Allen had 12 points, 14 rebounds, and two blocks.
Caris LeVert, another former Net, continues to play at a high level. He scored 18 points off the bench. In the last six games, LeVert has scored 15-plus points.
Second & Third Quarters: Cleveland trailed 30-23 at the end of the first quarter but took control in the second. The Cavs outscored the Nets 38-25 in the second and took a 61-55 lead at halftime. In the third, Cleveland started the quarter on an 8-0 run, and after a Mitchell three in the third, Cleveland had their largest lead at 84-60.
Cleveland would outscored the Nets 33-23 in the third and led 94-78 at the end of three.
Not So Great:
Isaac Okoro continues to struggle. In 20 minutes of action, he scored zero points on 0/4 shooting from the field; Okoro has not been in double figures in the last five games.
Bottom Line:
The Cavs continue to play well and continue to take advantage of the schedule. Three out of the four teams(Hornets 2x) the Cavs have beaten in their last five were against teams below .500, which is what you should do.
At this point, Cleveland(fourth seed in the East) must continue to take advantage of the schedule. Five of their final eight games in the regular season are against teams below .500, so winning 50 games seems inevitable, and most importantly, keeping homecourt in the first round also seems inevitable. (3.5 games up on fifth-seeded Knicks)
Best of the Rest:
-Mobley and Garland had 17 points apiece. Cedi Osman had 12 points off the bench. Cleveland had six players in double figures.
-Day’Ron Sharpe led Brooklyn with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Spencer Dinwiddie had 19 points and 11 assists. The Nets also had six players in double figures.
-The Cavs are 13-3 when six-plus players score in double figures.
Cavs equal win total from last season after routing Hornets
The Cavs(44-27) concluded their four-game road trip in Charlotte against the Hornets on Tuesday. Cleveland defeated the Hornets 114-108 on Sunday night and hoped to sweep the two-game set.
Cleveland was without their leading scorer Donovan Mitchell(Finger Sprain – Injury Management) and Jarrett Allen(Eye), but that didn’t matter as they had three players score 20-plus points in a 120-104 rout of the Hornets.
The Cavs went 3-1 on their road trip and have won two straight and five of their last six. Even more, they matched their win total from last season(44-38).
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over Charlotte.
The Great:
Evan Mobley, who started his straight game at center for the injured Allen, had a team-high 26 points(10/15 FG) and six rebounds.
Cedi Osman was huge off the Cavs’ bench. He scored 12 of his 24 points in the second quarter, and Osman made six threes. Early In the second quarter, with the Cavs leading 32-31, Osman scored eight of the team’s next 10 points to give the team an 11-point.
Caris LeVert got the start for Mitchell, and he did the job. LeVert had 22 points(four threes), four rebounds, seven assists, and four steals.
Darius Garland scored 12 of 19 points in the first quarter and added seven assists. He got the Cavs off to the start they needed.
Second and Third Quarters: Cleveland led 30-27 after the first quarter but blew things open in the second and third quarters. The Cavs outscored the Hornets 68-49 in those quarters. Cleveland shot 50% in the second and 67% in the third. The Cavs led 98-76 at the end of three and had their largest lead of 26 points in the fourth.
Turnovers: The Cavs forced 22 turnovers, which led to 35 points. Cleveland forced 15 turnovers in the first half, which led to 25 points, and that’s the most they had in any half since 2008.
That’s a lot of turnovers and a lot of points.
Not So Great:
It’s all good, and it’s all great for the Cavs.
Bottom Line:
The Cavs did what they were supposed to do in these two games against the Hornets. It’s also impressive that they reached their win total from last season(44) with 11 games left, which was expected.
If Cleveland can win six of their final 11, they will win 50 games for the first time since the 2017-18 season, which would be a great accomplishment.
At this point, the focus is on seeding in the East. As stated numerous times, Cleveland is locked into the four seed. They are three games ahead of the fifth-seeded Knicks and three games behind the third-seeded 76ers, so again, barring anything crazy, Cleveland will have homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs as the fourth seed in the East.
What’s Next:
Cleveland returns home to battle the 76ers on Wednesday night.
Best of the Rest:
Kelly Oubre Jr. had a game-high 28 points for the Hornets, and Terry Rozier added 22 points and nine assists.
-Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff recorded his 200th win on Tuesday night.
Cavs overcome 16-point second-half deficit to defeat Hornets
The Cleveland Cavaliers(43-27) continued their four-game road trip in Charlotte against the Hornets(22-48) on Sunday. Cleveland, without center Jarrett Allen(eye), was looking to return to their winning ways after falling to the Heat on Friday night.
Cleveland did not get the start they wanted, but they got the finish they needed as they overcame a 16-point third-quarter deficit to defeat the Hornets 114-108 at Spectrum Center,.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Hornets.
The Great:
After missing Friday’s loss against the Heat due to a quad injury, Darius Garland returned on Sunday and was big-time. He had a game-high 28 points, along with six rebounds and six assists.
Donovan Mitchell scored 10 of his 23 points in the fourth. With the Cavs clinging to a 109-108 lead late in the fourth, Mitchell made a huge floater to stretch the lead to three—great work from one of the Cavs’ closers.
Evan Mobley, who started at the center for the injured Allen, had 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter to go along with nine rebounds, and midway through the fourth, the second-year forward gave the Cavs their first lead at 100-99 since the first quarter with a dunk, which gave Cleveland the lead for good.
Fourth Quarter: Cleveland trailed 89-81 after three quarters but finally got it going in the fourth. In the final stanza, they outscored the Hornets 33-19 and shot 61% from the floor. In addition, they forced five turnovers, which led to 10 points. Mitchell and Mobley scored 20 of the team’s 33 fourth-quarter points.
Mobley and Caris LeVert were a team-best +14 in the fourth.
Forcing Turnovers: The Cavs forced 19 turnovers, which led to 29 points.
Not So Great:
Three-Points Shooting: Cleveland was 7/27 from deep, and Garland had the biggest issue as he was 2/10 from three-point range.
First Quarter and Most of the Third Quarter: The Hornets led 35-25 after the first quarter and dominated most of the third quarter. In that third quarter, the Hornets had their largest lead of the game at 89-73. Fortunately for Cleveland, they found a way.
Bottom Line: