The game was over after the first quarter, or perhaps it was over before it even started. Looming large was the groundbreaking news that Dallas had traded its franchise player Luka Doncic just hours before tipoff. If the excuse today was the Mavericks played shocked, no one would have been surprised.
It also didn’t help that Klay Thompson was the only real starter that played – PJ Washington, Kyrie Irving and Daniel Gafford were all out. Dereck Lively II has remained out to long-term injury. On top of sending out a player or two, the Mavericks were already limping into a buzzsaw.
When the game highlights YouTube cover is Dante Exum and Evan Mobley, it should tell you what type of game it was. Good ‘ole former Cavalier Dante Exum was manning his first game back after a long injury layoff and did about all he could to stop the freight train rolling towards him only for him to be flattened.
The game as a series of record setting events. Most three-point makes in franchise history (26). Highest scoring quarter in franchise history (50). Highest scoring half in franchise history (91). The Cavs, a fully healthy squad, did this basically against a Texas Legends roster but alas this is the NBA.
The Cavaliers started the game on a run quite like anything we’ve seen. They ended the quarter with as many field goal misses (7) as the Mavericks had makes. The Cavs soaring to new heights scoring wise was balanced by the Mavericks dropping to new lows.
Darius Garland came out on fire. He hit three straight three-pointers after the big men got theirs to force a Jason Kidd timeout. The run was 15-7 and was about as close as the Mavericks ever got.
By the time the halfway point of the first quarter rolled around, the Cavs were already at 24 points. Jarrett Allen had just thrown down a thunderous dunk off a feed by Evan Mobley, after an Allen block on the other end. If this wasn’t the Showtime Lakers, then I don’t know what was.
After any live rebound, which there were a lot in the first quarter thanks to the Mavs 17 missed shots, the Cavs were looking to push. They had 18 fast break points alone in the quarter which is a shade above their 14.8 fast break points….. per game.
The Cavs finished the game in the 98th percentile in points per possession off live rebounds. Any time the Cavs had a chance to push the pace they would and looked like they were crushing the Mavericks spirits each time they would have to get back in transition only knowing the inevitable.
Jason Kidd tried his best to coach the Mavericks out of their early game slump and into some competitive basketball but it mattered little. After his initial timeout, the Cavs went on a 9-0 run. Then after his second time out of the quarter, with the Mavs down 24 to 9, the Cavs went on a 15-7 run. Kidd could have gone out and suited up in his prime days and it wouldn’t have mattered.
Caris LeVert joined Georges Niang and Ty Jerome as the first substitutions in the first quarter for Kenny Atkinson. It was good to see Caris back after a long layoff with a wrist injury.
Typically, Kenny has went with two players as his first subs – a wing and a big, subbing out Mitchell and Mobley. Today, he went with three and included Jerome in his first shift. It’ll be interesting to see if this is a continued habit due to Jerome’s recent play or more so being cognizant of the matchups or minutes at the time.
Garland was hot in the first (5-for-5, 13 points) but Evan Mobley was aggressive – 8 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block. He even hit a three-pointer, his first since returning from injury. Mobley looks to be all the way back from his injury with the way in which he was moving around the floor – aggressively attacking the rim, determined in isolation opportunities, and moving with confidence with the ball.
Confident, determined and aggressive Mobley is fun Mobley. His offensive ascension has really allowed the Cavs to not be so perimeter centric and have someone in the paint that can weigh them down. It might not seem like much, but the diversification of offense is important particularly when it comes playoff time.
Sam Merrill was o-fer his last game, and it hadn’t hit 2+ 3PM in seven games. Quickly after entering the game, Merrill had two three-pointers in a matter of two minutes and had four three-pointers in five minutes. It just was one of those nights.
Merrill led the way scoring wise in the second quarter and was the only Cavalier in double digits. He was a perfect 4-for-4 and was on his way to a career night.
Kenny sun his praises postgame, talking about being his defensive stopper and being included on most of the Cavaliers top lineups. For a guy who was one of the easier salaries targets to be included in deals to improve the team, and duck the luxury tax, his most recent performance certainly makes it harder to thread the needle.
Merrill was part of a bench brigade that dropped 24 bench points in the second quarter alone. The Kings had 27 total points for the quarter. The Cavs starters added another 17 points for a 41-point quarter.
LeVert chipped in some, so did Jerome and Jaylon Tyson did as well. Tyson has been making the most of his early game opportunities and continues to look more comfortable as his minutes increase. Whether or not the Cavs include in him a deal for an upgrade will be a storyline but he’s positioning himself well to be considered for more of a role next season as the Cavs have some decisions to make on the wing. But that’s for then the Cavs blowout is for now.
The Cavs continued to pour it on in the 2Q with what looked like a never-ending barrage of points. On top of Merrill’s three-pointers, they added three more in the quarter and nearly doubled up Dallas’s first half three-point total (4) in one quarter (7).
To add salt into the wound, after the Mavericks went on a small 9-4 run in the second to try and gain some momentum, Kenny took a timeout, and the Cavs followed with a 8-2 run eliminating any good vibes the Mavericks had.
By halftime, the Cavs had broken the record they previously set earlier in the year at home against Golden State with most points in a half. 91 freakin’ points in one half.
Even more impressive was the 24 assists on 33 made field goals. This wasn’t just one dominating performance; this was ethically dominating basketball.
Mobley and Donovan Mitchell were both a +45 at halftime. Mobley had himself a double-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds and add in 3 assists and 4 blocks. Mitchell had a ho-hum 12 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists.
We covered Mobley’s ascension earlier but that combined with Garland’s rejuvenation has left the Cavs less reliant on Mitchell. The offensive has also grown superpowers of its own but as Mitchell ages or goes through stretches, this isn’t a team that needs or desires Mitchell to fuel their offensive prowess. Mitchell can be an accessory to the success and not the sole driver of it.
Meanwhile on the other side, as if things couldn’t get worse, Klay Thompson had zero points at half and Spencer Dinwiddie had zero. Naji Marshall and Quentin Grimes contributed 13 points together, but any semblance of hope relied on their rotational players carrying the way and was extinguished when they vanished.
Going into the second half, there’s little chance a team can come back from their halftime score nearly being double up. It’s about managing the flow, getting out injury free and getting the young guys some playing time. Well, Jarrett Allen had other plans.
On an Exum steal off Mitchell early in the third, Allen keep pace with Exum while racing towards the hoop all for Allen to swat Exum’s layup attempt mercilessly into the glass while Exum went spinning like spin the bottle on the baseline. Allen only knows one speed and it’s to compete.
Oftentimes you worry about team’s letting up and allowing teams to hang around longer than they should in these circumstances. However, plays like that continue to keep the foot on the neck of the opponent and provide little hope for success.
On cue with the Cavs trend this season, they actually lost the third quarter and gave up the most points on the night. But the Mavericks had to take 11 more shots than the Cavs to score one more point and did it while shooting 1-for-12 from 3P.
Part of the letdown was the Cavs reserves played a good bulk of the quarter after the Cavs starters subbed out after their usual shift. The Cavs full bench lineup was a -5 in five minutes.
Merrill hit another three-pointer as part of the bench bunch but what should not be lost is part of the improvement he’s made on the other parts of his game. He had a pocket pass off a drive attempt that speaks to the work he’s put in to make himself more than just a shooter. Whether off a closeout drive or in a pick-and-roll, Merrill has positioned himself well as an opportunistic playmaker.
Mobley and Allen led the way for the Cavs scoring wise in the third, and there’s a component of their game that really should not be taken for granted: How well they catch the ball off feeds from the guards. Gone are the days of JaVale McGee, John Henson, Ed Davis, Andre Drummond and any other center you want to throw in there who were good for a few bobbles a game. Both Cavalier big men are equally adept at corralling in passes and being able to quickly transition it into a shot attempt.
No Cavalier starter played in the fourth quarter which turned into Merrill, Jerome, Tyson and Tristan Thompson playing the full quarter. Unfortunately, Craig Porter Jr was out with an illness and all the two-way players were out of commission. Otherwise, this would have been a solid opportunity to potentially showcase their talent should other injuries arise.
It was only fitting Merrill continued his shooting rampage with another four three-pointers. Towards the end of the quarter, he started to get hot, and the Cavs were feeding him a bit. His last three-pointer of the night with just under two minutes to play set his career high three-pointers in a game and set the Cavaliers team record for most three-pointers in a game.
The Mavericks once again won the fourth quarter but just barely to the tune of 26 to 25. Mitchell and Garland didn’t score a point in the second half, and the Cavs were still up by 50 points against an NBA team in the fourth quarter. The Mavs were just undermanned and underwhelmed.
The Kenny revolution has been as much about pushing the pace as much as it been about increasing efficiencies and changing how the Cavs operate. Lost in the shuffle a bit is how well they’ve played in the halfcourt. For the game, the Cavs were a 99th percentile offense in the halfcourt. This is the stuff they will need come playoff time.
Even with the little blip in the Cavaliers schedule with a three-game losing streak, they’re still the first team to win 40 games this year. It’s something to remember to keep the season in context and not lose sight that struggles happen – no team is perfect.
Just as it’s been a focal point of late, the Cavs have a defensive rating of 103 over their last four wins – this would be a league best in this span. The real test will be Boston at home on Tuesday but it’s never a bad time to be doing things the right way heading into an important matchup.
There’s more that’s been said about a game where the Mavericks never led, never tied the game, and were down by as much as 53 points. But it’s an ode to how dominant the Cavs have been this year and how much their offense has shifted their fortunes.
Up next: Tuesday in primetime at home against Boston at 7:30PM (EST).
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