Game Thread | Game #51 | Cavs @ Thunder | Jan. 27, 2023

[Rich]

Mobley's offensive game continues to grow and evolve. As time goes on and he gets more comfortable, there's gonna be a real problem that has to be solved: do you continue on with Allen/Mobley, or do you get some spacing so Evan has more room to operate?

I suspect next deadline will be the first time we really start talking about trading Allen.

 

[Ricky1319]

Not sure this would have mattered but JB really rode the starters way too long last night. It may have had some effect on this game. Its like he has no idea when to play people and who to play

 

[Futuredome]

What is the point?

It's a long season and the Cavs aren't selling out for wins yet. They only need to go 20-11 to win 50 games.

 

[WorldFreeB]

Quinn Snyder has to be worth 5 more wins alone this year

I never thought of Dan Gilbert as a patient man so you never know.

 

[Jscc]

It's a long season and the Cavs aren't selling out for wins yet. They only need to go 20-11 to win 50 games.

And what you've seen so far has convinced you they're capable of that?

 

[amil99]

It's a long season and the Cavs aren't selling out for wins yet. They only need to go 20-11 to win 50 games.

They’re a .500 team after starting the season 8-1. What the hell makes you think they’re gonna magically go 20-11 from here on out?

 

[Futuredome]

They’re a .500 team after starting the season 8-1. What the hell makes you think they’re gonna magically go 20-11 from here on out?

Lol, things change. Guys start focusing a little more. Push a little harder. Cavs feel like to me as one big experiment finding what they need and what won't work. Mitchell basically coasting since Christmas is a example.

 

[FrontPageNews]

Mitchell needs to ask for a raise

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

Horrible lineup to start the 4th quarter - the Cavs scored 3 points in the first 5 minutes. Neto, LeVert, Cedi, Wade, and Mobley. JBB had to bring Garland back in at the 9:00 mark. On the second night of a back-to-back the Cavs ran out of gas in the 4th and the Thunder slowly but surely pulled away. A couple of late 3's by Garland made the score more respectable.

The Cavs had a shot but needed all hands on deck with Mitchell and Rubio out. LeVert was 1-for-12, including several airballs, both on layups and 3's. I don't think I've ever seen him play so bad, and he's had a very strong month. The bench wasn't much help with only 25 points.

Garland had 31 but 8 came in the last 1:21 after the issue was no longer in doubt.

OKC had 47 points in the first half and 65 in the second. The Cavs ran out of gas. Fatigue was probably a factor in the 3-point shooting, which was awful. They were 6-for-27 before Garland hit two meaningless 3's at the end. The Cavs took 88 shots to 76 for the Thunder but when the opponent shoots 52.6% and 55.6% you're probably going to lose.

Mobley continued his strong play with 23 and 11 plus two blocks. The Cavs had no answer for SGA, who had 35 points and 8 assists so he was directly involved in at least 51 of their 112 points. We needed Mitchell tonight and with LeVert having his worst game of the season Rubio would have been a big help.

I'm very concerned about our bench. Love can't play defense and is having back spasms, Cedi has been sucking, and Stevens is very limited offensively, although he had 8 points in 15 minutes tonight.

We needed everybody to win this one but other than Garland, Mobley, and Allen we didn't have much. Playing their third road game in four nights I suppose it was expected that they would be missing wide open 3's, but I still hate when they shoot 28% from deep and lose a winnable game.

 

[LeQuit]

This team is obviously not ready for playoff run

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

This team is obviously not ready for playoff run

They could be pretty soon. Fedor had this:

On the second night of a back-to-back, their third game in four nights, at the end of a three-city road trip, down a trio of regulars -- Donovan Mitchell (strained groin), Ricky Rubio (knee injury maintenance), Kevin Love (lower back spasms) -- could the Cavs summon the energy to finish the road trip on a high note ahead of their flight back home?

Not this time. Not this season...Empty tank. Heavy legs. Big minutes. Too much Gilgeous-Alexander.

That sums it up. A tired Cavs team missing two key players, including their KEY player, played the Thunder even for three quarters but when JBB needed to give Allen and Garland a break to start the 4th it was over.

The first half was great. They had 19 assists to 3 turnovers and led 54-47 despite going just 3-for-16 on 3's. Even if they shot 6-for-16 (37.5%) in the first half they would have been up by 16 points at halftime. But they ran out of gas in the second half.

This won't happen in the playoffs because they won't play three games in four nights in three different cities and none of them at home, nor will they sit Rubio down because there won't be any back-to-backs. Once they get Mitchell back and Rubio and Wade fully up to speed while never having to travel west of Milwaukee this team will be way better than they were last night.

 

[KilgoreTrout]

They could be pretty soon. Fedor had this:

On the second night of a back-to-back, their third game in four nights, at the end of a three-city road trip, down a trio of regulars -- Donovan Mitchell (strained groin), Ricky Rubio (knee injury maintenance), Kevin Love (lower back spasms) -- could the Cavs summon the energy to finish the road trip on a high note ahead of their flight back home?

Not this time. Not this season...Empty tank. Heavy legs. Big minutes. Too much Gilgeous-Alexander.

That sums it up. A tired Cavs team missing two key players, including their KEY player, played the Thunder even for three quarters but when JBB needed to give Allen and Garland a break to start the 4th it was over.

The first half was great. They had 19 assists to 3 turnovers and led 54-47 despite going just 3-for-16 on 3's. Even if they shot 6-for-16 (37.5%) in the first half they would have been up by 16 points at halftime. But they ran out of gas in the second half.

This won't happen in the playoffs because they won't play three games in four nights in three different cities and none of them at home, nor will they sit Rubio down because there won't be any back-to-backs. Once they get Mitchell back and Rubio and Wade fully up to speed while never having to travel west of Milwaukee this team will be way better than they were last night.

Mitchell’s groin injury is going to be nagging for quite a while.

 

[DCTribefan]

Futuredome=the voice of reason

 

[dice1717]

Missed this game. Sounds like it’s a good thing I did.