- Well, it started well and ended okay but everything that happened in between was the issue. The Cavs won the second half (+4) but completely cratered in the first half (-25). The team showed some fight in the second half to get back, but they didn’t do enough to get up from the start.
- The Cavs had some pep early. Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen were working the pick-and-roll with success – Allen had three baskets with Garland assisting on all three. Evan Mobley knocked down a three-pointer which was five straight games with a made three, the longest such stretch in his career. Mitchell even pitched in with five early points including a driving layup and a step back three.
- The Cavs would go up 16-15 just under the 7-minute mark in the first quarter. On the second night of a back-to-back playing Phoenix, you’ll take that all day. But as we know, the Cavs can only put off pain for so long.
- The Suns ended up going on a 19-4 run to end the first quarter. Outside of an Allen shot with four seconds left in the quarter, the Cavs went 1-10 FG and had five turnovers in the 6+ minute stretch. They scored two points.
- There are these stretches of the Cavs offensively where they just forget to play and don’t know how to execute. There’s always, always, turnovers involved too.
- It also doesn’t help if you’re not going to execute offensively, you also allow 54.5% FG% and 50 3P% shooting. The Suns would kill the Cavs all night with an extra pass to create open three-point looks.
- These types of lulls just can’t happen: Turnover, Turnover, Turnover, offensive rebound to made three-pointer and fail to get back on defense for easy bucket. That’s a quick 7-0 run for the Suns which is a team that doesn’t need points spotted.
- Follow-up with another poor effort play off of a saved ball, and a foul in the backcourt with three seconds left in the quarter to put the Suns at the free-throw line. Again, spotting the Suns points.
- JB Bickerstaff must be feeling the pressure because he started the second quarter with both Mitchell and Garland on the floor along with two other starters (Strus and Mobley). Usually, one guard gets to run the show while the other rests, but not tonight. In those four minutes, the Cavs lost two points.
- Continuing the Cavs stellar first half defense, the Suns had seven straight possessions with a made basket. They were getting any three-point shot they wanted as evidenced by 8-10 from three for the quarter.
- The Cavs made eight two-pointers, and only ten field goals all quarter. The Suns made eight three-pointers.
- Another part of the Cavs offensive issue is they too quickly forget what’s working and allow the opposing defense to dictate how they play. The Cavs bigs did not have a pick-and-roll assist from the Cavs guards the entire quarter.
- After putting in six three-pointers in Utah and being on the second night of a back-to-back, how does one explain no second quarter minutes for Sam Merrill? Even better, how about no second half minutes outside of garbage time? Simply, you can’t.
- The second quarter was Phoenix just flexing their offensive muscle while the Cavs just couldn’t keep up. 58/50/83 is a good shooting quarter but when you allow 60/100/80, it pales in comparison.
- And if the Suns didn’t need any more help, they went into half 11-0 in second chanced points.
- The Cavs entered half with 14 made two-pointers, the Suns had 12. The Cavs went 4-15 from 3P while the Suns went 12-18. That was the difference in the first half, and oftentimes the difference in the Cavs large deficits of late – they can’t win the three-point battle.
- 72 points is the worst defensive half for the JB Bickerstaff defense all year. All year. In April.
- The Cavs also did not have a double-double digit first half scorer. Bol Bol or Royce O’Neale (12 pts) would have been the Cavs leading scorer.
- One of the positives at half was Mobley being aggressive offensively. One possession he went right at Kevin Durant. Another went into Bol Bol and finished over him. These are the moves you want to see more often.
- During the ESPN half time show, Kendrick Perkins said he saw a team with no fight and playing with no joy.
- Sure enough, the Cavs came out to start the third quarter with two separate runs: 9-0 and then 8-0. In between that, Doris Burke specifically called out the Cavs bench being up and active during these runs. Thanks, Perk.
- After being down by as much as 28 in the first half, the Cavs were able to cut it to 13 points at the 8-minute mark. They were within striking distance and ready to make it a game.
- They even cut it to 11 points, but sure enough joy is only temporary. The Suns quickly pushed it back to a 22-point lead.
- In that span, the Cavs were 1-7 with a turnover and three missed layups (Garland had two). The Cavs offensive draughts once again come back to bite them.
- You can also look at the Suns third quarter a different way: They ended the quarter on a 21-11 run. Booker and Durant combined for 23 of the Suns 26 points.
- Even though the Cavs won the quarter, the Cavs had a chance to take the league’s worst fourth quarter team to the fourth quarter within striking distance and hold their feet to the fire. But, they couldn’t do that.
- Games like this is where Dean Wade and Isaac Okoro are really missed. The Suns perimeter heavy team is quite the test for the Cavs without their best perimeter defenders, and it was a test the Cavs failed tonight.
- Give credit to the Suns: They’re also tough shot makers. The open three-point shots were more disappointing than anything Booker or Durant did. They did what they do, and they made tough shots.
- After a 60/100/80 first half shooting split for the Suns, they went 40/33/85. Quite the difference and the Cavs could gain four points from it.
- JBB was coaching like a guy who was feeling the pressure or wanted to prove something with his starters. Outside of LeVert’s 24 minutes, the other bench players only played 20 minutes. He went starter heavy all night as each starter had over 36 minutes.
- Mitchell is clearly not healthy. It says something he ended up with 24 points on 47% shooting. He was gutting it out all night and the explosiveness, change of direction ability is simply not there.
- So, knowing that, what sense does it make to play a hobbled knee almost 12 straight minutes in the third quarter? Bickerstaff’s inability to successfully manage minutes is a blind spot and has been for quite some time. You can play starters heavy minutes but there are better ways to do it then length times on the court without a break.
- The fourth quarter was like a yo-yo – the Cavs would press, the Suns would press back. The Cavs would have opportunities to cut the lead further but couldn’t convert and the Suns would make them pay.
- While there were chances to make it close, the Cavs never really did.
- Strus made a steal and then a bad pass which led to a Durant three. It went from being down possibly 13 to being down 18. Allen and Mobley each missed lay-ups which led to two Suns baskets. The Cavs were down 19 instead of 15. All those small things add up.
- Interestingly enough, the Cavs starters were a +10 on the game. Even with the terrible first half, they were a +1. It was the non-starters minutes that hurt the Cavs the most tonight. They also had a +27.8 net rating. The starters were actually good. Which is, progress? Maybe?
- The Cavs never led after midway through the first. It was a game of catch up that they were not well conditioned for.
- Every loss hurts but this one hurts a little more. The Bucks lost at home to the lowly Grizzlies. Not only do they fail to capitalize on that loss, they also now are tied with Knicks and the Magic in the loss column. So instead of being a game back of the division, they know could easily fall to 5th in the coming days.
- Make it another stretch of alternating wins and losses for the Cavs. It’s been over a month since the Cavs have had a win streak.
- The Cavs are currently limping to the finish line. While other teams are getting heathy (Knicks and Sixers) and others are honing their craft (Celtics, Magic), the Cavs are struggling. Their best player may never be healthy until the offseason, the defense has failed post-All Star break (25th in DRTG), and the others haven’t stepped up to help their ailing star.
- The realization that the Cavs best player can’t be his best self is a disappointment. The even bigger disappointment is those around him haven’t picked up the slack like Mitchell did for them earlier in the year.
- Up next: The Cavs head to Los Angeles for a back-to-back starting Saturday against the Lakers at 3:30PM (ET).