Game Thread | Game #61 | Cavs @ Sixers | Feb. 15, 2023

[Wham with the Right Hand]

How much of this was actually Cleveland?

Philly got sloppy like they were coasting in the second half like we did against the Spurs.

Yeah, after they got up by 28 it would be hard to maintain the intensity, but when the Cavs made their 19-2 run or whatever the Sixers were unable to stop it.

I'm just going by what Mitchell said, which is as the game went on they figured out what worked against this team. When they played them before James Harden was out. Harden is a huge part of their team. In the first quarter last night he had 8 points and 8 assists, so he was directly involved in 27-28 points in the first quarter alone, depending on how many of those assists were on 3's.

Harden only had 11 points and 4 assists the last three quarters so the Cavs were able to make an adjustment after he eviscerated them in the first quarter.

Allen and Mobley need to learn how to get in position and set their feet on Embiid and draw some charges. He blatantly throws his shoulder into their chest or pushes off and the refs ignore it. Trying to shadow him and then block the shot doesn't work because he just plows to the rim and pushes the defender under the backboard.

 

[PIP]

The fact that we’re at the all star break and there’s only 21 games left is wild

 

[Jscc]

Yeah, after they got up by 28 it would be hard to maintain the intensity, but when the Cavs made their 19-2 run or whatever the Sixers were unable to stop it.

I'm just going by what Mitchell said, which is as the game went on they figured out what worked against this team. When they played them before James Harden was out. Harden is a huge part of their team. In the first quarter last night he had 8 points and 8 assists, so he was directly involved in 27-28 points in the first quarter alone, depending on how many of those assists were on 3's.

Harden only had 11 points and 4 assists the last three quarters so the Cavs were able to make an adjustment after he eviscerated them in the first quarter.

Allen and Mobley need to learn how to get in position and set their feet on Embiid and draw some charges. He blatantly throws his shoulder into their chest or pushes off and the refs ignore it. Trying to shadow him and then block the shot doesn't work because he just plows to the rim and pushes the defender under the backboard.

I'm curious about playing Philly in a series. It's like JA and Mobley get shell shocked playing Embiid in these one-off games, but I feel like the familiarity a series brings would calm them down.

 

[CavsKermit]

did garland make anyone better in this game? Thought he played poor Except when he was getting his​

Well he lead the team in offensive efficiency (27 points on only 14 attempts) assists, and steals. I have no idea how you watch last night's game and conclude that he was part of the problem.

 

[2 For The Brew]

Well he lead the team in offensive efficiency (27 points on only 14 attempts) assists, and steals. I have no idea how you watch last night's game and conclude that he was part of the problem.

He kept us from even further humiliation in the first half and contributed in the second, especially defensively.

Some crazy comments going on in here but that's OK.

 

[Jscc]

Help defense and turnovers killed us. Mobley and Okoro weren't communicating on defense and constantly getting mixed up. Led to easy buckets.

Awful start to the game [1st quarter]:

11:33 - Harden blows by Okoro, Mobley collapses to help. Bang, Harris open 3 [no idea what Mobley was doing here; Mitchell already got in front of Harden to help, there was no need to leave Harris].

9:56 - Mobley throws ball to Okoro who's not where he was supposed to be. Turnover.

9:15 - Okoro gives Harden a lane to the basket, expecting help defense, which gives Harden space for a 3. Takes it and makes it.

8:39 - No idea what JA was doing. Harris drove into Mitchell and Mobley.. but JA collapses to help inside leaving Tucker open for a 3. He didn't take it, thankfully.

7:50 - Mitchell misreads DG on pass. Turnover.

7:36 - Embiid [on the perimeter] blew by Mobley like he wasn't there. Can't happen.

7:09 - Harden switches off Okoro onto Mobley. Mobley goes under the screen. Takes and makes 3.

6:39 - Harden gets lucky bounce, offensive rebound, and kicks it out to Harris. Takes and makes open 3.

6:21 - Mitchell accidentally dribbles ball off of foot. Turnover.

6:14 - Harris bullies Mobley away from the basket on a 1-on-1 fastbreak.

5:49 - Mobley collapses to help off a drive, leaves Tucker open for 3 in corner. Takes and makes open 3.

5:19 - Harden switches off of Okoro onto Mobley. Okoro tries trapping Harden, but Harden passes out of it to his man who is now wide open. Takes and makes open 3.

4:56 - Ball slips out of Mobley's hand. Turnover.

 

[Ohioplayer00]

Ibaka was the softest big man I've ever seen.

JBB could've played Lopez in strategic minutes to slow down Embiid around the rim. Just don't switch and live with Embiid 3s for a stretch. Alot of their crucial 3s came from Philly's offensive rebounds as our guys scrambled.

I don’t know about soft….I know he doesn’t get bullied down low like Mobley and JA. And unlike JA and Mobley he can hurt teams from outside.

 

[Holden beach]

I saw a game where Philly was hot in the first half, and the Cavs were ice, ice cold.

Embiid was not called for any blatant push offs in the lane before shooting.

Green did a great job on shading Harden's left side and making him drive right.

Cavs are a dangerous team.

 

[Don-no-vann!]

I think the poster who said Lopez needs some minutes against Embid has a good point. When he starts forcing his way into the paint, put in Lopez to give up his body. That will disrupt Embid's rhythm and I think his offensive fouls will be more obvious.

 

[cabs]

The fact that we’re at the all star break and there’s only 21 games left is wild

and somehow we have a back to back the first day games start back and 3 in 4 days lol you'd think they could spread our games out a bit more evenly

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

and somehow we have a back to back the first day games start back and 3 in 4 days lol you'd think they could spread our games out a bit more evenly

Yeah, but Philly has to play four more games the rest of the year than we do and they have five more back-to-backs while we have two.

 

[cabs]

Yeah, but Philly has to play four more games the rest of the year than we do and they have five more back-to-backs while we have two.

I am pretty happy with 4th, tracking our record vs philly is most likely not gonna end well I rather focus on making a gap on the teams behind us. If we finish 4th we get Miami or Brooklyn first up and then one of Bucks/Celtics.. exact same as finishing 3rd really, if Brooklyn hold off miami it may be better to finish 4th for the first round
Aiming to win the first round is a good goal for this season imo

 

[jjvors]

I am pretty happy with 4th, tracking our record vs philly is most likely not gonna end well I rather focus on making a gap on the teams behind us. If we finish 4th we get Miami or Brooklyn first up and then one of Bucks/Celtics.. exact same as finishing 3rd really, if Brooklyn hold off miami it may be better to finish 4th for the first round
Aiming to win the first round is a good goal for this season imo

Yes. Finishing in the top 3 or 4 and winning the first round were my expectations this season.

Defeating either the Bucks or the Celtics will require the team to perform at the next level. Will they do it? They're so young, they might.

Not knowing the outcome of a series is what makes the playoffs so fun.

 

[Jscc]

The one advantage we had was the crowd was out of the game and I knew they would be out if we came back. Philly fans expect bad shit to happen (sound familiar) and they had blown big leads this year.

Can confirm this. Watched the game in a bar with a good number of Philly fans. When Mitchell banked that 3 in to make the game 112-106, there was a collective groan followed by "we gonna lose this ain't we". Couldn't believe my ears.

 

[2 For The Brew]

Can confirm this. Watched the game in a bar with a good number of Philly fans. When Mitchell banked that 3 in to make the game 112-106, there was a collective groan followed by "we gonna lose this ain't we". Couldn't believe my ears.

I was six rows behind the Cavaliers bench. The crowd was dead in the second half. The Sixers had blown leads this season but the more important factors was blowing the Super Bowl three days earlier.

At halftime I mentioned to my wife & friends how leads affect the fans. If the home team falls behind then the away team is at risk of starting to lose their lead and getting the crowd fired up for a comeback which is always the best experience for fans. Conversely if the home team gets a big lead and starts to lose it home fans get nervous and often quiet. So I was hopeful we could come back and thought the crowd would be a bit subdued but I never thought we’d come back so far against a good team or that the crowd would be that dead.