2023-24 Season | Game #63 | Timberwolves @ Cavs | March 8, 2024 | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN

[mds]

Lakers win.

 

[jjvors]

Cavs now tied for 2nd with the Bucks:

Eastern Conference​

TEAM	W	L	WIN%	GB	CONF	DIV	HOME	ROAD	OT	LAST10	STREAK
1 Boston Celtics- ps	48	14	.774	--	33-7	15-1	29-3	19-11	2-3	8-2	L 2
2 Cleveland Cavaliers	41	22	.651	7.5	27-16	9-5	22-11	19-11	3-1	5-5	W 1
3 Milwaukee Bucks	41	22	.651	7.5	29-13	10-7	25-7	16-15	2-1	7-3	L 1
4 New York Knicks	37	26	.587	11.5	26-14	7-4	21-12	16-14	0-0	4-6	W 1
5 Orlando Magic	37	27	.578	12	26-16	8-6	21-8	16-19	2-1	8-2	L 1
6 Miami Heat	35	28	.556	13.5	23-16	11-2	17-13	18-15	1-0	7-3	L 2
7 Philadelphia 76ers	35	28	.556	13.5	23-18	5-7	19-15	16-13	0-2	3-7	L 3
8 Indiana Pacers	35	29	.547	14	25-15	10-2	20-13	15-16	0-0	5-5	L 1
9 Chicago Bulls	31	32	.492	17.5	16-22	4-9	16-15	15-17	6-3	6-4	W 3
10 Atlanta Hawks	29	34	.460	19.5	17-26	7-6	16-16	13-18	3-1	5-5	W 3
11 Brooklyn Nets	25	38	.397	23.5	17-20	3-8	16-18	9-20	0-3	4-6	L 1

 

[bushwick_bill]

Lakers huge win! D’Lo huge game…

 

[CavsFaninNJ]

Lakers win.

Yup. I was at the edge of my seat. They fought back and pulled it out. DLo was great down the stretch and that block on Lillard by Dinwiddie, impressive.

 

[bushwick_bill]

Lakers win.

Awesome game!

 

[Pierre Pan]

Can JBB and DG please watch how other teams (in this case, the Bucks and Lakers) execute late game possessions? Dame started towards the basket with 12 seconds left and D’Angelo Russell with 10 seconds left and were both already feet closer to the basket than DG who tonight started towards the basket with 5 seconds left repeatedly

Back in sole possession of 2nd !

 

[Tlyons]

Back in the 2 seed after all these injuries is nuts

 

[Smooth]

• Could this be the night Garland really takes off from? You saw him talking with Mitchell after the game and it looked like one of those conversations of “I got you.” Cavs fans sure hopes that is the case.
• Oh, speaking of Okoro. That man did work on Anthony Edwards tonight. As the primary defender on Edwards, he finished the game (as a whole) with 19 points, on 7-27 shooting and was a -20. Okoro is starting to gain respect defensively, but he’s been such a consistent presence on that end.
• I must give Niang his flowers. He had 16 points, was 4-7 from three and was a team leading +26. He hit several big three-pointers and really played solid defense when it was needed. This is now three straight games of 3+ made threes.
• On a night where Wade and Merrill were 2-10 from three, they really needed Niang’s production.
• The Allen-Niang-LeVert-Okoro-Garland lineup had a 157.7 offensive rating in 12 minutes tonight. Swap out Niang for Wade against Atlanta, they were a +2 in 2 minutes with a 166.7 offensive rating.
• Meanwhile, the starters were a -10 in 14 minutes. They were a -1 in 10 minutes against Atlanta the other night.

RCF RECAP
​

 

[bushwick_bill]

Sportscenter had Cleveland highlights right after the Lakers game... Dig it... Cleveland has the best record in the NBA since Jan 1st... Did not know that...

 

[Pierre Pan]

All in all a damn good night of results for the Cavs. Hopefully, the day off will get Max and Donovan and Evan closer to returning and we can do some damage on the rest of this homestand

 

[Jscc]

Good grit win with two of our best players leading as needed. I'm not concerned about DG in crunch time. Yes, he has been mediocre to poor lately, but that's going to change eventually. The only way to get better at something is to do it over and over.

I'm not sure we will make it to the post-season healthy though. It feels inevitable JBB is going to get DG, JA, or LeVert hurt with these minutes.

 

[Pierre Pan]

Watching the replay on the Deuce; DG had two awful defensive possessions in a row in overtime covering Conley; the 1st after for no reason whatsoever he showed a double at the top of the key and lost Conley and fouled him (fortunately the refs said it was on the floor) …. And then on the very next possession, Conley blew right by DG and got the and 1. Fortunately, refs were very kind to us and JA lived at the line, Okoro put the handcuffs on Anthony Edwards and DG got his offensive game going. Not to mention solid play from LeVert all over and Georgie knocking down a few

 

[The Oi]

Really fun game to attend.

I have never seen a player get dapped up less than Niang on the floor. I feel like he’s the least popular player in the league.

Glad we have him.

That double kick move he does is absolutely infuriating.

When Merrill did not take that early open three and passed off, the whole crowd was disappointed. Sam was smiling sheepishly. He knows what’s up. It looks like teams are clearly gearing to stop him.

 

[CleveRocks]

There are a few guys that simply can’t. And those same guys strangely disappear for weeks at a time

I am still here. It's OK to wear shades if you are a cavs fan. It's also ok not to wear shades. Some people are straight up fans of good basketball. We are all going to have our own points of view..

 

[CleveRocks]

Watching the replay on the Deuce; DG had two awful defensive possessions in a row in overtime covering Conley; the 1st after for no reason whatsoever he showed a double at the top of the key and lost Conley and fouled him (fortunately the refs said it was on the floor) …. And then on the very next possession, Conley blew right by DG and got the and 1. Fortunately, refs were very kind to us and JA lived at the line, Okoro put the handcuffs on Anthony Edwards and DG got his offensive game going. Not to mention solid play from LeVert all over and Georgie knocking down a few

Speaking of glasses, while this is one way to look at it, Garland also made some amazing plays, including 30 foot swish and a few circus drive under the basket, drawing fouls on the bigs.. I agree hus passing is sloppy, and sometimes ill timed. There were quite a few passes to merril that put merril in an awkward position.. But Garland has the best handles on the team, and can break ankles. His decision making and pass placement needs to improve, but I see that in fact improving since he first returned..