- Well, at least the Cavs are consistent. They continued their streak of alternating wins and losses over the last six games. They last won two in a row in late February. After getting a get back game against Utah, they’ll try to remedy that against Phoenix tomorrow.
- But for the time being, a win is a win, and the Cavs will take it. On a night the Knicks and Bucks both lost, any ground gained or lost is felt that much more.
- The Cavs came out hot. They hit their first seven shots and scored 16 points in the game’s first four minutes. Eight of those points were inside with Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley while Mobley also added a three-pointer.
- This is now four straight games with a made three-pointer for Mobley. You have to go all the way back to early in Mobley’s rookie year to find a similar stretch.
- The Cavs established their dominance inside early on, and there really wasn’t anything the Jazz could do to counter it. The Cavs had seven field goals made in the restricted area, with eight field goals made outside the restricted area.
- They ended the night with 15 restricted area made field goals, more than anywhere else. 27 of the Cavs 46 made field goals came within the paint.
- Allen and Mobley contributed 23 points to the Cavs 40 first quarter points. They were simply too big, and too aggressive for the Jazz bigs to handle.
- The 40 first quarter points was the 9th 40-point quarter for the Cavs this year.
- It also helps when you play the league’s worst team at protecting the basketball. The Jazz had three turnovers in the first four minutes and seven turnovers in the first quarter.
- On the other end, the Cavs came out moving the ball. Darius Garland was getting rid of the ball quick and being decisive in his decision making. Each starter finished the quarter with at least two assists. The Cavs finished out the quarter 13-6 in assists compared to the Jazz.
- The Cavs went into the second quarter with a 15-point lead. They quickly relinquished most of it. The Jazz got all the way to down five at the 5-minute mark of the second quarter. The Cavs only scored ten points in seven minutes.
- Part of this was going away from what was working: the inside game. In a 6-minute stretch of the second quarter, the Cavs have five missed threes and four turnovers. That’s not a recipe for success.
- And this is one of the areas you’re still looking for Garland to develop a little further. His feel for mitigating slumps, and controlling the game more still leaves something to be desired. Should it take 6+ minutes to realize that the perimeter game isn’t working and to get it back inside?
- There was 6+ minutes between a Cavs big making a basket. In that time, the Cavs were a -10. From the time when a Cavs big scored again until the end of the half, the Cavs were a +15. Mobley and Allen had nine points in that stretch.
- The Cavs ended the half on a 17-2 run. They went back to what was working, playing inside-out, and it helped push their lead to 20 by half.
- Allen already had a double-double at half with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Allen, Caris LeVert and Mobley accounted for 50 of the team’s 67 points.
- Speaking of turnovers: The Cavs had 15 points off Jazz turnovers at halftime.
- The Cavs had nine bench points at half. All from three-pointers: Two by Sam Merril and one by Marcus Morris Sr.
- Sure enough, at halftime Serena Winters conducted her typical interview with someone from the coaching staff. The coach said the first five minutes of the half would be the most important. Right on cue, the Jazz went on a 17-6 run.
- 15 of the Jazz’s 17 points came off five three-pointers in the first five minutes – three from Brice Sensabaugh and two from Taylor Hendricks.
- As one can imagine, the Cavs starters were a -9 in the third quarter. They were only a +1 for the entire game.
- But don’t worry, hometown hero Sam I Am was here to rescue the quarter. Promptly after entering the game, Merrill hit back-to-back three-pointers. He added another later in the quarter. The Cavs would go on a 22-7 run to end the quarter.
- This has been the case several times over the season: Merrill comes off the bench, breaks a cold draught for the Cavs, and sparks a run. He truly has a game changing type talent and was on display again tonight. When the Cavs need second unit scoring, he’s often who they turn to.
- Four of the Cavs made field goals were three-pointers, and five were in the paint + restricted area for the third quarter. Add in going 8-for-8 from the free-throw line and it’s an analytics dream quarter.
- The Jazz wouldn’t go away and were putting up some points but so were the Cavs. They scored 20 points in the first half of the fourth quarter which put the Cavs up +6 in that stretch and put them up 22 with just six minutes left. Just outside of the Jazz punching distance.
- Perhaps more of a victim of the game flow and the game being out of control but Mobley and Allen did not have a field goal attempt in the fourth quarter. Granted, they only played 7+ combined minutes, but quite the dichotomy from the first quarter.
- For the second half? Only eight points and six field goal attempts. 34 points and 19 field goal attempts in the first half.
- Coincidence or not, the Cavs were a +20 in the first half and a -2 in the second half.
- It doesn’t all come down to Mobley and Allen but it does follow a pattern of not always staying with what works.
- The Cavs also only allowed 47 points in the first half (45.9 FG%) but then allowed 66 points (50 FG%) in the second half. For a team missing key pieces and its leading scorers, that can’t happen. Just like the offensive strategy the defensive strategy to often comes and goes too.
- The Cavs were a +8 in rebounds, +12 in assists, +5 in turnovers, and never were down in the game. All-in-all a positive game, and a much needed game.
- All four of the Cavs top-four lineups +/- wise had Allen and Merrill. Three of the top four had Allen, Merrill and LeVert.
- The only thing that would have made this night better is an aggressive Garland. Eight points, six shot attempts, and two free throw attempts just seems odd. 4:1 AST-TO ratio is good but the lack of aggressiveness on the offensive end was noticeable.
- This is now two sub-10 point outings for Garland. The last time he did that was in his game two and three back from injury in February. Before then, you must go back the first three months of his rookie season.
- 129 points scored is the highest total since February 5 against Sacramento when they scored 136 points. That came during the famous win streak.
- Up next: Second night of a back-to-back in Phoenix with a 10PM (ET) game.
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