- Well, that was fun.
- Didn’t think game 81 when the #1 seed is locked up and the Cavs have nothing to play for, except for good health, could be so fun. But any time coming back from down 23 on the road to beat a rival just for the heck of it happens its damn fun.
- There’s been a lot of debate as far as rust versus rest goes. Some say shut the guys down after the 1 seed to prevent injury, and some say the players need to play to keep their edge. If there was any debate where Kenny stood, this game should have answered it.
- He also expounded on the debate postgame when asked about it and referenced his time with the Atlanta Hawks in 2014-2015 when they won 60 games and finished with the best record. They shut their players down towards the end of the season and he said it felt like it hurt them later (but it’s not their fault they went 8-4 in the playoffs until reaching the Cleveland buzzsaw in the ECF).
- The other part of it was leaving it up to the players to decide. The Knicks had gotten off to a hot start and were up 23 points with the Cavs looking rather disinterested. So, Kenny ushered a challenge to them: Compete or sit. We know what they chose.
- The Cavs will have one week of downtown between their Sunday matinee finale and their projected 1st Round matchup on April 20. While Kenny said they play to scrimmage and keep the guys loose, it’s hard to replicate game action. And for all the commentary about the Cavs going into the playoffs on the wrong foot, this felt like the type of galvanizing, intense down-to-the-wire game that could really carry over the type of momentum that everyone has been hoping for into the playoffs.
- Looking back, it didn’t always seem like this was going to be the result. The Knicks had 8 second chance points in the first 5 minutes and Mitchell Robinson was doing what Mitchell Robinson does to the Cavs.
- But, to the Cavs credit, they finished the game a +3 on the offensive boards and a +14 on rebounding in general. Rebounding is always a hot topic with the Knicks, and although they were missing Karl Anthony-Towns, this is the type of performance the Cavs need to keep in mind should they find themselves in New York within the next few weeks.
- And while the rebounding has tailed off to some extent in the second half of the season, the Cavs are top 5 in REB% and dREB% over their last 5 games.
- The Knicks came out blazing and the Cavs came out looking blazed. The Knicks knocked in 6 3PM within the first 8 minutes and shot 68% for the quarter. Every starter hit a three-pointer, except Robinson, and the Knicks carried that into a 39-point first quarter.
- Meanwhile, the Cavs looked to be sleepwalking and were not playing as crisp as they typically would be (or even later in the game). They had 6 turnovers in the 1Q and looked a step behind offensively.
- That would carry over into the beginning of the 2Q when the Knicks hit four straight threes including three by Landry Shamet who was doing his best Sam Merrill impression.
- Combine that with the Cavs not putting in a field goal until the 8:13 mark of the 2Q and you get a 23-point deficit just 15 minutes into the game.
- Darius Garland had just 2 points halfway through the 2Q and Evan Mobley didn’t score a field goal until the 4-minute mark of the 2Q. That’s where the Cavs were at offensively.
- Although to Garland’s credit, while the shot wasn’t there and he looked to be playing at half speed, the playmaking was still there. He had 6 assists alone in the 2Q and was a +11. The offense looked like it fell off a cliff when he went off the floor and Craig Porter Jr was running the team.
- Garland was 1-for-6 in the 2Q but he doesn’t have to score to be an effective player for the Cavs. It certainly bumps the Cavs up a level, as we saw in the 4Q, but if he can learn to pick his spots offensively like Mitchell has while continuing to facilitate throughout the game that’s where the maturation of being a PG comes in.
- Meanwhile, Porter Jr could use some of that PG maturation. He had 7 points and 3 rebounds in the 1Q, but the offensive playmaking is still a work in progress. For the game, over 15 minutes when Garland was OFF and Porter Jr was ON, the Cavs were a -15 with a 72.4 net rating.
- The maturation of a young PG is realizing there’s more to being a PG then just scoring and it’s about setting the table for your teammates and that’s a step back he’s taken this season even going back to summer league. It’s one of those innate abilities that sometimes you either have or you don’t, but here’s to hoping Kenny the guard whisperer and Johnny Bryant are able to bring it out of him more in year two in the system.
- Halfway through the 2Q is where Kenny must have offered a challenge to the Cavs because that’s where the light seemed to come on. The Cavs rattled off a 9-0 run, which was part of a bigger 17-4 Cavalanche, that got the Cavs back in the game and within single digits.
- Garland was a large part in that run as he scored or assisted on 14 of the 17 points within that span. Just like Ty Jerome was the offensive catalyst and sparkplug for the Indiana game, so was Garland when he was on the floor in New York.
- After the game Garland said he enjoys playing in New York, especially with the fans being as vocal as they are, because it gives him energy. The Cavs certainly needed it, and it made a difference in the game.
- There was a really good mini stretch of Jaylon Tyson minutes that he needs to cut, copy and paste moving forward. In a span of a minute, he had a rebound, a driving layup, another rebound and a spot-up three. If he wants to be a role player moving forward, those are the types of plays he’s going to have to make consistently and over longer periods of time.
- On the flip side, Tyson had a missed three and a turnover in the 1Q and wasn’t playing with the type of confidence in his game that was there in college. It’s safe to say the comfortability is still coming along for Tyson and focusing on the little things should be the priority to help slow the game down and build his confidence back up.
- One area the Cavs were able to exploit is at the free-throw line. They had 16 FTA compared to just 6 by the Knicks at half. Despite the Knicks having a free-throw merchant, they’re just 25th on the season in free throw rate. The Cavs ended the game a +7 in FTM and a +10 in FTA. It could have been more if they made more than 70% of their free throws.
- Coming out of the locker room in the 3Q, the spark that Garland brought midway through the 2Q seemed to carry over. The defensive intensity was evident, and the Cavs came out of the gate with 4 quick points.
- Garland continued to carry the offensive load, and Kenny even bypassed his regular rotation to leave him in a bit longer in the 3Q because of what he was doing offensively. At one point, Garland had scored or assists on 13 straight points.
- The fun part was seeing the Cavs battle all the way back to make it a one possession game late in the 3Q. Going from one quarter to another and cutting the lead by 20 points on the road without some of your best players (Donovan Mitchell, Ty Jerome, and De’Andre Hunter) is a good accomplishment no matter who is on the other side.
- In addition to Garland getting the offense going, the defensive attentiveness is really what sparked the comeback. After a 39-point 1Q, the Cavs held the Knicks to 47 points after the 2Q and 3Q and just 37.5% shooting. In that time, the Cavs were a +7 and were able to get their feet back from underneath them after a torrid start.
- You never want to see a team turn it down, and turn it up, but the 2Q and, especially 3Q, was the case of the Cavs turning up their defensive level and it showed.
- That carried itself over into the 4Q as the Cavs got five straight stops to open the quarter and along with a couple of baskets, it prompted a 6-0 run and forced a New York timeout. It was a one possession game with 9:33 left.
- Then, the Clutch Player of the Year came out to play. Garland scored on 11 straight points with one of his shots tying the game, and two of his shots being go ahead buckets.
- The most interesting part of his offensive spurt is 5 of his 6 4Q FGM were all within the paint. Only one was a 3PM and that was after he made four shots within the paint (7’, 1’, 1’, and 4’).
- We’ll continue to say it: Garland is an inside-out player. The float game in the paint is the shot that really sets up everything else for him scoring wise. If he has that touch on his outside shot, it’s good news on his touch for other shots.
- The Knicks, well Brunson, were pushing the limit late in the game with some offensive ammo of their own but Max Strus stepped in with back-to-back three-point makes at a critical time to put the Cavs up 4. His last make was Garland’s 13th assist of the game.
- Speaking of that defense again: The Knicks scored just two points in the final 2 minutes of play. They had a turnover and missed the following shots: 6’, 3’, 3’, 9’, 2’.
- Within those defensive stops, and lost in the numbers, is the defensive effort shown on two of the plays that limited the Knicks opportunities. OG Anunoboy had two layups that he missed because of the Cavs hustle to get back and defend the play. One was a Strus block (yes, you read that right) and another was Garland doing enough to disrupt the rhythm of Anunoby and Strus hustling back off a bad pass to grab the rebound.
- All of this was part of a 20-10 run to end the game – they went from down four to up six within 7-ish minutes of play.
- (Speaking of which, can we practice out of bounds plays during the break? Sheesh.)
- Josh Hart was the only Knick with 10+ rebounds while Robinson had just 7. Both Cavs bigs had 10+ rebounds, combining for 23 on the night.
- Strus and Okoro combined to go 8-for-15 on three-pointers for the game. Role players hitting their shots has always been the way the Cavs have success against the Knicks. Thibs never trusts the Cavs role players do their job so when they do it opens a lot offensively.
- Dean Wade played 26 minutes an only scored one point, grabbed two boards, had a bizarre missed three-point attempt (it looked like the wind blew it) and was still a +2. He’s made a three-pointer in each of his last 10 games so perhaps it was just a bad night.
- But the one thing that is noticeable is his matchup ability with Jalen Brunson. In 8 matchup minutes this year Brunson has just 5 points on Wade (he’s shooting 50% on 4 FGA). Brunson also has just 1 assist and 1 turnover. Wade’s combination of strength, length and lateral quickness alongside his patience makes him a difficult matchup for Brunson. Brunson is always looking for an opening and Wade’s discipline allows him to play Brunson straight up well and the length helps cover any mistakes and makes it difficult for Brunson to get over.
- The Cavs finished the game limiting the Knicks to 40.9% shooting which is inclusive of their first quarter explosion. They made 21 shots, including 9 3PM, after the 1Q where they made 15 shots and 7 3PM.
- Even without Jerome and Hunter, the Cavs bench continues to be a strong point, they ended the game a +8.
- All the Cavs positive lineups for the game included Garland and Allen, and four out of the six included Okoro alongside Garland.
- When Okoro and Garland share the floor this year without Mitchell, the Cavs are a 99th percentile team including 99th percentile offensively. When Garland and Allen share the floor without Mitchell, they’re a 87th percentile team.
- The Cavs in the halfcourt offensively: 65th percentile. The Knicks? 14th percentile.
- This puts a wrap on the season series with the Cavs sweeping the Knicks and locks the Knicks into the 3 seed. In turn, it should set the Knicks up for a potential 2nd Round clash with the Celtics which is the likely matchup the Cavs would want to see although the Knicks are 0-fer against the Thunder, Celtics, Cavs and Lakers this year.
- Up next: The regular season finale in Cleveland on Sunday at 1:00PM (EST) against Indiana.