RCF Front Page

Game Preview Coming off a 139-132 win over Charlotte, which was their second highest scoring game of the year, the Cavs stay home to take on the 8-22 New Orleans Pelicans, who also won last night in New Orleans. The Pelicans were 3-22 but have won five in a row, so the Cavs are catching them when they are hot. However, it’s a 1,000 mile flight from the Big Easy to Cleveland so the Cavs will have the rest advantage. In their last six games the Pelis lost by 3 points to San Antonio (21-7), beat Portland (12-16) by 23, beat the Bulls (13-15) by 10 points on the road, beat Houston (17-9) in OT, beat Indy (6-22) by 19, and beat Dallas (11-19) by 6. The Pelicans have played very well in each of their last six games so don't be fooled by...

Game Summary Shot making is fun, huh? The Cavs started hot, and finished hot. They scored 33+ points in each quarter, knocked in a season high 24 3PMs and Darius Garland, De'Andre Hunter and Donovan Mitchell all poured in 27+ points each. Good offense doesn't erase bad defense, a 132 dRTG, but good offense creates a larger margin for error (and much more so than of late). Can this be the start of better things to come? By the Numbers 137.6: The Cavs offensive rating, their third best effort on the year 132: The Cavs defensive rating, their second worst effort on the year 72.9%: The Cavs true shooting percentage, a season best 75%: Percentage of field goal makes were assisted 99th: Percentile by the Cavs in pts per play in the halfcourt...

Game Preview Losers of 7 of their last 10 the Cavs host the Charlotte Hornets, who beat them in OT a week ago in Cleveland. Donovan Mitchell had his worst game of the year going 6-for-24 overall and 1-for-11 on 3’s. DeAndre Hunter had 4 points in 27 minutes. Rookie Kon Knueppel had 29 points for the Hornets. In that game the Hornets got 20 second chance points and made 46.7% of their corner 3’s. The Cavs had a 3-point lead with seconds to go and were supposed to foul and make the Hornets shoot two free throws, but in a failed effort to draw a charge Garland gave up an open 3-pointer to send the game to OT. The Cavs could get some help this time as Sam Merrill is listed as probable. Merrill has not played in five weeks so it’s...

Game Summary Will they ever win again? There was a quick taste of the old with an 11-0 Cavalanche to begin the game but that turned quickly as the Bulls came back, overtook and never looked back. Aside from a quick blip in the road where the Cavs mounted a comeback, the Bulls controlled the game via paint touches and kickouts. They hammered the Cavs where it hurt, and the Cavs defense had little punch back. Positives? Darius Garland looked as close to Darius Garland as he has, and the youngins looked primed for primetime. By the Numbers 128.33: The Bulls PPG average against the Cavs in their three matchups 129.5: Is the third worst dRTG allowed by the Cavs this year 63.6%: The Bulls 2P% - the 4th worst mark allowed by the Cavs this...

Game Preview The good news is the Cavs return home after getting smacked down by the Bulls 127-111 on Wednesday. The bad news is they have to play the Bulls again. The Bulls are finally healthy and had no problem running and gunning the Cavs off the floor in Chicago. They easily outscored the Cavs on fast breaks 25-14 and points in the paint 68-52. The absence of Evan Mobley looms large. The Bulls were averaging 117.6 ppg before Wednesday’s game and scored 127 as the Cavs put up little defensive resistance. The Cavs knew the Bulls play the second fastest pace in the league but they still gave up 25 fast break points, some off turnovers, some off rebounds, some off made baskets. As usual the Bulls had seven players in double figures...

Game Summary Winter is coming and so too might be change. If losing to a Bulls team isn't rock bottom after losing to a Hornets team at home, barely beating the Wizards on the road and losing to the G-League Warriors at home then not sure what is. If the Cavs are in a funk, than it may be an all-time funk. The numbers paint a different picture than the eyes do but it's hard to turn a blind eye to all of what you see on a regular basis -- poor effort, inconsistent communication and a defense that looks uninspired. Is the message resonating with the players? Did it not resonate from years past? By the Numbers 5: Wins by the Bulls in their last 19 games with the Cavs marking their 5th win 20: Turnovers by the Cavs, their third worst TOV%...

Game Preview After a gobsmacking home loss to the Charlotte Hornets the Cavs have two days off before playing the Bulls in Chicago. The five-day “reset” clearly accomplished nothing as the Cavs almost lost to 3-21 Washington (missing Alex Sarr, their best player) followed by the loss to the injury depleted Hornets missing their best player, LaMelo Ball. Despite having a five-day break intended to reset the team, they came out with little energy or drive, squandering what was seen as a chance to build momentum. The recurring theme is a team that waits until the fourth quarter to display urgency, a risky strategy that is proving unsustainable. - cleveland.com podcast As Darius Garland said after the loss to Charlotte, “We played hard...

Game Summary Somehow, you keep hoping the next game would be better and yet it only gets worse. After winning a game they probably should have lost in Washington, the Cavs had the karma coming to them and let a bottom dweller team, without its best player, come into Cleveland and dominate the game. Playing part of the game is only going to work so many times, and this time it came back to bite them. No Donovan Mitchell to the rescue late, and even a above average Darius Garland game was washed away by the realization his toe may never be right this year. By the Numbers 46:47: Time the Hornets led during the game 22.2%: The Hornets winning percentage the last 18 games prior to this game 17: Point lead by Charlotte at one point +7...

Game Preview After a narrow escape against the 3-21 Wizards the Cavs return home to take on a marginally tougher foe in the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets are 7-18 overall, 2-10 on the road, and have lost 14 of 18 after getting off to a 3-4 start. They have not played the Cavs this year. Although they have only won 4 of 18, two of those wins were against the Raptors who are 3-0 against the Cavs, so the Hornets cannot be taken lightly, especially by a team that almost lost to the Wizards. Starting PG LaMelo Ball is a game time decision as is backup PG Tre Mann. Ball hasn’t played in over a week and Mann in two weeks. If neither can go the Hornets are in trouble. Backup SG Colin Sexton is also a GTD. The Cavaliers took a major hit...