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2023-24 Season | Game #67 | Cavs @ Rockets | March 16, 2024 | 5:00 p.m.

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This is not playing down to the competition. This is the Rockets being better than us. The Rockets are not a cellar dwelling team
 
Jarrett Allen should have feasted in this game
 
I'd definitely rather have everyone healthy and get the 5th seed than run everyone into the ground to get the 2nd seed. We are just as good home and away this year. But we are definitely not good with too many hurt people.
 
cavsfever said:
This is not playing down to the competition. This is the Rockets being better than us. The Rockets are not a cellar dwelling team
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they were 31 and 35 coming in and their best player didn't play.
 
Wham with the Right Hand said:
Cavs looked disinterested and gave up 70 points in the first half to a team missing it's leading scorer and 3 of its' top 8 players. The Rockets ran circles around the slow and lethargic Cavs. They are so much quicker and more athletic.

The Rockets rank 28th in 3-point shooting but hit 10-for-21 in the first half, then put the Cavs away in the 3rd quarter. By halfway through the 3rd it was garbage time.

VanVleet had 12 assists in the first half alone as he penetrated with ease and dished off for easy buckets. He badly outplayed Garland - it was like watching an older brother give a lesson to his little bro. Fred averages 8 assists per game but doubled that today.

The Rockets' starters were all between +7 and +22 while the Cavs' starters were all -13 to -17. Just an embarassing performance all the way around.

Jabari Smith Jr kicked Allen's butt with 20 points, 7 rebounds, 3 blocks, and a team high +22 in 32 minutes.

Part of me wants to flog the Cavs for once again playing down to the competition after a big win, but Niang pointed out before the game that with Sengun out the Rockets can switch defensively 1 through 5. With all that quickness and switching ability they held the Cavs to 73 points through three quarters before putting in the scrubs.

At halftime Sidney Lowe said that without Sengun the Rockets are quicker, more athletic, and shoot more 3's. Hey, isn't that what happened with the Cavaliers when Mobley got hurt? Their scoring went way up.

Austin Carr pointed out that "the Cavs could not stay in front of anybody". That was obvious. LeVert was the one guy who seemed to be playing harder (and better) than anyone in wine and gold.

Donovan still looks rusty in his second game back. He was 4-for-13 and was definitely bothered by the Rockets' quickness on defense. TT looked VERY rusty. I got the impression JBB wanted to give him some minutes because he needs to play after two months off and we weren't going to win today. Mitchell was playing in the 4th quarter garbage time so they also want to get him minutes.

The Cavs just ran into a quicker, more athletic, and hungrier team that is on a roll (won 7 of 8 now) and smells a playoff spot. Hopefully with a day off they come back strong in Indiana on Monday.
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The fact that Donovan won’t be playing Monday coupled with the fact that he stated, “I thought I was ready but I’m not” makes his reinsertion into the game in the 4th after the “nose incident “ all the more egregious by JBB .
 
CommD said:
5th straight win for HOU; 6th of out last 8. Suns, Kings and Cavs among the victims, lost to Clippers by 5.
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It’s actually 7 wins out of their last 8; the last 3 of which have been without their best player (Sengun). So what are you saying? That the Rockets are playing their best basketball of the season fighting for the playoffs and the Cavs are 6-7 since the All-Star break limping (literally and figuratively) into the playoffs?

I‘ve read plenty of explanations that it’s only one game, but clearly it’s not just one game. Bad losses to the undermanned Nets, depleted Knicks, injury-riddled Sixers (twice ), Bulls and Hawks is hardly just one game. It’s a stark trend regardless of some nice wins. Yes, the team can play excellent basketball on occasion, yet neither the coaches nor the players seem to be able to replicate with regularity what works so well; especially when sharp opposing coaches have clearly seen what can disrupt our winning style
 
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The Cavs seem to have a letdown against teams that are missing key players. A lot.

That being said, the Cavs were also missing key players; Mobley, Strus, Wade, and Mitchell was not close to 100%. Also, they don't match up well against quick, athletic teams that have five guys who can run the floor and hit 3's. The Rockets are really athletic, especially with Jabari Smith Jr moving to center and Amen Thompson in the starting lineup.

VanVleet kept getting penetration with athletic leapers to lob to and 3-point shooters on the perimeter. It's a defensive nightmare. He had 12 assists in the first half when they put up 70.

This is exactly what the Cavs need to do - get penetration by Garland or Mitchell with Allen or Mobley in position for a lob and Strus, Okoro, Merrill, Niang, Wade, or Garland/Mobley spotting up on the 3-point line.
 
Knicks are going to have a big road win tonight. Right on Cleveland’s door step. Monday Cleveland cannot have a let down game as the Knicks play Golden State on the road that night. Oh boy, oh boy.

Edit:
Kings down by 4 with 3 minutes and change left.
 
Wham with the Right Hand said:
The Cavs seem to have a letdown against teams that are missing key players. A lot.

That being said, the Cavs were also missing key players; Mobley, Strus, Wade, and Mitchell was not close to 100%. Also, they don't match up well against quick, athletic teams that have five guys who can run the floor and hit 3's. The Rockets are really athletic, especially with Jabari Smith Jr moving to center and Amen Thompson in the starting lineup.

VanVleet kept getting penetration with athletic leapers to lob to and 3-point shooters on the perimeter. It's a defensive nightmare. He had 12 assists in the first half when they put up 70.

This is exactly what the Cavs need to do - get penetration by Garland or Mitchell with Allen or Mobley in position for a lob and Strus, Okoro, Merrill, Niang, Wade, or Garland/Mobley spotting up on the 3-point line.
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The problem with your premise is that Mitchell clearly has been unable to penetrate since his knee injury and except for a few brief moments Garland has been extremely ineffective trying to penetrate, either getting his shot blocked or getting caught in the air with nowhere to go.

And in tonight’s game, to make matters worse, whoever was covering JA (Smith or Jalen Green or Thompson or FVV) was able to either out jump or out muscle him .

JBB and his staff were well aware that Sengun wasn’t playing and were unable to come up with any semblance of a solid game plan. While the defense was certainly a major issue, the Rockets picked up Garland full court early in the game and because of his reluctance to make early passes, we would wind up getting into our sets (I use that term loosely) with half of the shot clock gone or more. That’s a problem, both now and going forward as other teams (Knicks, Sixers, Rockets, et al) that have beaten us have done the same since DG has returned. It‘s a foregone conclusion that Thibs, Spo, Carlisle and others will capitalize on this in a series.

This seemed like the perfect opportunity to give CPJ plenty of run, since he’s much more physical than DG and gets into sets faster when pressure is applied early (as do LeVert and Mitchell, too).

No joy in Mudville tonight.
 
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