- After not trailing for more than 35 seconds the last handful of games, the Cavs trailed the entire game against the Bucks. While the Cavs didn’t play poorly, they didn’t play up to the level they have been of late… and that’s okay. The Cavs battled for most of the game, despite being down as much as 21 points, they just couldn’t muster enough magic against a burden free Bucks team.
- This game was a likely intersection of a few things. One, the Cavs play, while sustained for a long period of time, was unsustainable to some extent. Tonight, was a regression of sorts. Their threes weren’t as plentiful and their defense not as rigid. Two, the Bucks play was due for a positive regression, fresh off a coach firing with a fully healthy roster a home. This outcome you may have expected from the outset.
- Speaking of which, the Cavs were down early which was a change. 2-2 is the closest the Cavs would get for the entirety of the game, and the Bucks quickly raced out to a 10-4 lead. The Cavs had been jumping out quick offensively and putting the pressure on their opponent, and tonight it happened to them.
- Early on, some of the shots that had been falling during the streak simply weren’t. Case in point: Last meeting Jarrett Allen simply could not miss to start the game. The following was Allen’s first quarter shot log: miss 12’ floating shot, miss 10’ hook, miss running layup, miss cutting layup, made running layup, miss layup, made 9’ floating jump shot. Within the first three minutes of the game, Allen had missed as many shots (4) as he missed over the course of 60 minutes and two games. The opportunities were there they just weren’t falling.
- It started early and never stopped: While Allen was the main defender on Giannis, Giannis was getting down hill and it’s hard to stop that train once it’s in motion. He finished 14-18 within the restricted area on the night – yes 18 shot attempts within arm’s reach for Giannis. You know who would have been useful on the weakside with Allen guarding Giannis? A guy named Mobley…
- Also uncharacteristic for the streak was the Cavs getting outrebounded. They finished the game being outrebounded by 7 with the Bucks grabbing 10 offensive rebounds. Allen had 12, Donovan Mitchell had 7 and Dean Wade was the next closest with 5.
- The Bucks got hot from three in the second quarter which allowed them to extend their lead. They were 5-10 from three-point range, and those 5 3’s accounted for almost half of their total made on the night (11).
- Of course not to be outdone, the Cavs unleashed their human flamethrower in Sam Merrill off the bench. In the course of three consecutive possession, Merrill hit three threes. He finished 4-9 from deep on the night.
- Speaking of Merrill, I can see a lot of what JB Bickerstaff appreciates about him: He does all of the little things coaches love to see, and gains their trust. He goes after loose balls on the floor, is willing to take charges (took one on Giannis), and will make the extra pass (passed up an open look for a more open look to Niang in the corner). For as good of a shooter he is, he has equally good awareness and basketball IQ.
- The Cavs were pushing the Bucks in the second quarter and had it within 3 however the Bucks quickly pushed the lead back to 9 after back-to-back 3’s.
- The Cavs had success deploying shooting around Mitchell and letting him find the open man. At half, they were 3-10 from three outside of Merrill. The type of shotmaking they’ve come to expect just wasn’t there consistently enough in the first half.
- And while the Cavs were efficient within the restricted area, they really struggled to convert in the paint going 4-13 and missing 7 shots around the free-throw line. Again, another area where they’ve been able to convert but just weren’t able to do so tonight.
- The third quarter was much like the second quarter where the Cavs would get within striking distance and then the Bucks would just as quickly pull away. First it was the Cavs getting within 7 then to quickly be down 13 and then 21. Then it was 10-0 Cavs run to get within 10 and Damian Lillard scored 6 points in the final 45 seconds of the quarter to put the Bucks up 14.
- The Cavs tried to shoot themselves back into the game in the third quarter and simply couldn’t find the magic. They were 3-12 on above the break threes in the quarter lone. Convert a couple more of those like they’ve had over the streak and you’re looking at a different game going into the fourth quarter.
- At the same time, the Bucks took a completely different approach than the Cavs in the third quarter. They only attempted three three-pointers and instead went 11-13 from within the restricted area. This accounted for almost half (23) of their restricted area makes on the night.
- Trying to find some spark, Bickerstaff went with a small-ball lineup to start the fourth quarter that saw Georges Niang, Max Strus, Isaac Okoro, Merrill and Mitchell share the floor. They managed to buy Allen four minutes of rest and cut into the Bucks lead by 3 points.
- If the Bucks hit the threes hard in the second quarter, pounded the paint in the third quarter then it was only fair they lived at the line in the fourth quarter. The Bucks were in the penalty early and took advantage of that to the tune of 15 free-throw attempts – they also made all 15, too. The Cavs got 8 attempts in the fourth quarter. On the game, the Bucks were a +13 in FTA… read into that as you will.
- At a couple of different junctures in the fourth, when the Cavs were trying to rally, they had three-point plays wiped away. One was a Mitchell drive that could have had the Cavs within 6 with just under 6 minutes left. The other was a Allen drive that could have had the Cavs within 7 with just under 3 minutes left.
- After being down by as many as 21 points in the third quarter, the Cavs rallied to within 6 late in the fourth. As soon as they were, the Bucks went on a 6-1 run and put just enough distance between the two teams with too little time left to make it an uphill battle for the Cavs.
- Damian James gave them some good first half minutes – he was a +3 in 10 minutes. He likely would have gotten second half minutes if it weren’t for the severe deficit, and Bickerstaff looking for a spark. All things considered, his combination of length and quickness, his minutes guarding Giannis may have been the best all night. James also had one dunk over Giannis, and one over Brook Lopez.
- Allen continued his double-double tour with 21 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists. After a rough start to the game, Allen went 8-12 in quarters 2-4.
- Strus looks to be coming around, hopefully. He’s shot 50% from the field in his last four games, is 4-10 from 3 in his last two games and has hit double digits in his last three.
- Niang continued on his roll with four straight double digit scoring games and nine straight games with 2+ 3PM.
- Lillard hit some really tough shots but once again was defended well by Okoro all night long. Lillard ended up going 8-21 from the field.
- This ended a four game streak of holding opponents below 100 points, and was the highest point total allowed since December 18.
- Up next: Back at it Friday night at 8PM (ET) against these same Bucks with perhaps a new head coach for the third time in three games.
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