This one felt different. After an explosive 37-point first quarter, the Suns challenged the Cavs in a way that teams have been able to challenge them before - get physical, get out on the break, much things up defensively, and keep pushing until the Cavs break. But this time, the Cavs didn't. The Suns battled back all the way back to a 2-point deficit before the Cavs finished the 3Q with five straight points that gave way to Donovan Mitchell and the Cavs unleashing a Cavalanche in the 4Q. A 16-point win later, and the Cavs old Cavs may be back as a new year is upon us.
By the Numbers
125.2: Cleveland's offensive rating. (So much for Jordan Ott taking this offense to Phoenix?)
40%: Phoenix's FG% on 105 FGAs
39.1%: Phoenix's FG% on 2Ps - the Cavs second best mark on the year
35.5%: Phoenix's FG% at the rim (0 percentile)
86th: Cleveland's efficiency percentile in the halfcourt
32nd: Phoenix's efficiency percentile in the halfcourt
14: Cleveland turnovers, with 16 points off turnovers for the Suns
0: Cleveland turnovers in the 4Q
31: Combined fouls after the 1Q
+20: Cavs points in the paint differential
34: Game high points by Donovan Mitchell on 18 shots in 29 minutes with 10 coming in the 4Q
9: Craig Porter Jr rebounds including 5 offensive
5: Evan Mobley blocks
By the Players
Darius Garland: Every game he is starting to look more like himself and plays like this help. 19 points on 13 shots (although 2-7 3P) with a 2:1 AST:TO ratio and a +15 in under 29 minutes is the type of efficiency we're used to seeing. There was a 37.9 oRTG swing with Garland on/off the floor if that gives any idea what he can mean to this offense. Similarly, there was a +16.4 AST% swing with him on/off as well.
-
Donovan Mitchell: It always helps to have the best player on the floor. Mitchell had a double double (34 points, 10 rebounds) and almost a triple double (7 assists). With no De'Andre Hunter, the 12 FTAs were just as important as the 34 points on 18 shots. Mitchell had it cooking but being responsible for 14 straight points to start the 4Q (8 points, 3 assists) gave the Cavs the momentum they needed to put the game away. The Cavs were on the brink, and Mitchell quickly flipped it to the Suns on the brink.
-
Dean Wade: Kenny said pregame he liked the rebounding edge that Wade being in the starting lineup adds, and the Cavs had a +2.5 REB% and a +7.8 dREB% net with Wade on the floor. Wade starting feels like it better accentuates the the advantage up front while covering the defensive deficiencies in the backcourt. However, the give and take is giving some on the offensive end where Wade was 1-for-3 but the Cavs were a +20.9 net on offense with Wade.
-
Evan Mobley: He was quiet, but efficient (16 points on 10 shots including 0-1 3P) night but his difference was primarily felt on defense with 5 blocks, 1 steal, 9 defensive rebounds, a 109.8 dRTG with him on the floor and an opponent eFG% of 46.9%. Really wish we would see the bigs utilized more to create plays as they can both really pass and it would lift some of the load off Garland's shoulders. It has to be a coaching, point guard and coaching thing but the Cavs can't let teams get away with putting Royce O'Neale on Mobley. That has to be an automatic post-up and they have to milk it so long as it works.
-
Jarrett Allen: Back-to-back double-doubles and back to back 10+ FGA games isn't too shabby, right? Allen responded with 16 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists on 58% shooting, and played well yet again. The dREB% jumped 6.6% with him on the floor versus off, and was once again the beneficiary of drives sitting at the dunker's spot. The one area where Allen had a bit of an issue is around the rim that led to two turnovers and some sloppiness offensively. At times, Allen plays a bit loose with the ball and his decision making and it led to some Phoenix run outs.
-
Craig Porter Jr: Arguably the man of the match, Porter Jr once again got minutes over Lonzo Ball and is doing everything to never give them back. We'll touch on the point guard skills but his greatest asset right now is creating and disrupting possessions. Whether it be his offensive rebounds (4 for the game) leading to second chance opportunities; hustle plays made (1 loose ball recovered); shots contested (2 total) or blocked (1), they all point to shifting the possession battle game to the Cavs end. That's not to mention providing another player that can get downhill that they miss without Ty Jerome and Caris LeVert. Kenny spoke post game about him becoming an elite defensive player and he held his opponent eFG% to 41.3% and there was a -19.5 rating swing with him on the on the floor versus off. The next step for CRAIG! is being able to feel the game pace offensively and utilize his point guard skills to control the game. He was on the floor for a stretch in the 3Q when the Suns went on a 12-4 run. He shared the floor with Garland and Mitchell during those minutes but absolve him of controlling the game better as a ball handler. Small steps but the steps he's taking so far are impacting the game in significant ways.
-
Sam Merrill: If Merrill is reincarnated in another life it may be as a human crash test dummy. There's no shortage of time spent on the floor and you can tell it's not helping a healing wrist. Although, he hasn't let it effect his shooting as he finished 4-for-9 on 3's and his +14 was a best off the Cavs bench. The shooting and ball moving with Merrill on the floor is noticeable and it's an ode to what Strus can add when he gets healthy.
-
Jaylon Tyson: Another game, another stretch where Tyson makes his impact felt. This time it was a 10-point 4Q after going 3-for-9 through the first three quarters. Tyson had an uneven start to the game, particularly shooting the ball, but you would never be able to tell with how confident he was playing offensively in the 4Q. One of the best attributes, and a part of the floor for Kenny to explore more of with him, is his ability to be a weapon in the paint -- he has a soft touch that plays well and can also make quick decisions if help arrives. Kenny experimented with Okoro in the pick-and-roll game as a roller and it may be something worth trying more with Tyson. His consistency and energy are his greatest assets now and what allows him to make an impact on a game-by-game basis doing whatever the team needs.
-
Nae'Qwan Tomlin: A relatively quiet shift for Tomlin who was a -8 in 5 first half minutes although 2 rebounds, 1 block and 1 assist speak to his movement and involvement despite a tough shift. With Hunter out, Tomlin had an opportunity and when Hunter returns from his illness, that opportunity may be their sporadically.
Game Notes
- The collective effort defensively was noted from the start and is a good for a team who struggled with some of the basic defensive principles of trying hard and staying connected. Even when they made mistakes offensively, they didn't give up an easy bucket and still competed. For a team that has been up and down defensively, and even had Kenny saying the game was over in the 1Q, the fact we're seeing this type of defensive effort is a hopeful sign of things to come.
- Just in the first quarter alone, their hustle back in transition led to three Phoenix turnovers. For the game, Phoenix was 57th percentile in transition or just about average. Average is a step up from where the Cavs were previously which was anything but. Progress not perfection.
- The 1Q is an ode to what to shot making can do to make this offense look like it did last year. They made 6 3PM, had 10 assists on 14 FGM and got out onto the break for 14 fast break points. It would take until the 4Q for the Cavs to hit another 6 3PMs but still putting up 30 and 29 points in those quarters is once again progress. Especially with 11 turnovers in those two quarters combined.
- Over that 2Q and 3Q stretch, the Cavs bludgeoned the Suns inside -- they went 15-for-26 in the paint + restricted area and still left some points on the floor. Despite going 5-for-13 on 3's, the Cavs continued going inside and milking their advantage on a size deficient Suns team.
- It's also amazing to what happens when the rotations have consistent, two-way players scattered throughout and there aren't too many players you have to hide on either end. Wade, Merrill, CPJ, and Tyson all provide a formidable baseline that elevates the core and doesn't drag down lineups. That's not always the case with Ball, Hunter and some of the other rotations they ran out earlier in the year. It may not seem like much but sometimes a lineup is only as strong as its weakest link.
- So what did it look like the Suns mucking up the game in the 2Q and 3Q? 11 fouls, lots of stoppages, 11 turnovers, 17 fast break points, 13 FTAs and 8 3PMs. The Suns battled the Cavs in a lot of ways that have sunk them before -- be physical, pressure them, get out on the break whenever you can and don't allow them to get in an offensive flow. The Cavs were still a -9 over that stretch but it could have also been worse.
- Previously, those conditions would have completely knocked the Cavs off. But, this time, they kept battling. 59 points between the two quarters, and they never completley squandered the lead. They put themselves in a position to take the game in the 4Q, and they did.
- The stretch to end the 3Q really might have swung the game for the Cavs. The Suns were pushing for the lead and had it to a one possession game. Then, this possession happened. It wasn't Mitchell carrying the team, or one player making a heroic play. It was a systematic effort to move the player, play dribble penetration and kick out to find an open shooter. Or drive, kick, swing as Kenny likes to term it. The play was part of a mini 5-0 run to give the Cavs a 7-point breathing room heading into the 4Q.
- If there was a time that the team missed Isaac Okoro, it was in the second half. The Cavs did a good job of showing bodies at Devin Booker and forcing him into contested shots but in the second half he started to get cooking. The Suns were doing a good job of getting the primary defender off Booker but Booker was also hitting tough shots, too. After Dean Wade, the Cavs don't really have a long, active and impactful defender. Kenny said after the game that's why they put CRAIG! on Booker and if CRAIG! can pan out in that matter, it would be a huge boon as that was supposed to be Lonzo Ball's role.
- The Porter Jr, Tyson, Merrill, Mobley + guard (Mitchell or Garland) was a +7 for the game and one of their better lineups. The bench bros were a +8 on the game and their play keeps putting them in a position to be a weapon off the bench.
- The 3Q stretch where Garland, Mitchell and CPJ only combined for 3 assists and 6 turnovers can't happen and not if they're going to rely on the guards to be the primary offensive engine. This is where, when the perimeter pressure and physicality picks up, that leaning more on the bigs and playing through them can help relieve the pressure. Mobley and Allen had 6 FGAs and 3 assists which is a step but the Cavs can't be afraid to ask more of them offensively especially with their touch, and comfortability handling the ball.
- How did the Cavs provide this game was different? After committing 15 turnovers through the first three quarters they commited zero in the 4Q. That speaks to their ability to take the punches, handle the pressure and find a workaround to come out with a victory. Yes, the Suns were without some of their top players but for a team that his struggled to figure out how to win these types of games, it's important and meaningful progress.
- Also seeing this stretch to start the 4Q was refreshing for a team sticking to its offensive identity and allowing the actions to create the shots and not relying on the players to do so.
Highlights & Box Score