Category Archives: Cavs

Cavaliers take on Pelicans at home

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In search of a much needed bounce back performance, the Cleveland Cavaliers take on the New Orleans Pelicans at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Saturday night was not a great endeavor for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs can turn things around in their second game of a back-to-back as they take on the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Pelicans come in winning five of their last 10 games, while Cleveland is 3-7. Both teams are several games out of the playoff picture, some things will have to go their way to change that by the time the season is up.

The last time the Cavaliers faced the Pelicans it did not go well for Cleveland. The Cavs were blown out by a score of 116-82. Cleveland should be able to close that gap and make things more competitive, but that does not seem likely.

When it comes to New Orleans it is about one player, Zion Williamson. Zion is averaging 26.5 points per game which leads the Pelicans. Lonzo Ball is the team leader in assists (5.7) and steals (1.4). Steven Adams is the Pelicans leader in rebounds (8.8) and blocks (0.7).

Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 P.M. at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse

Cavaliers no match for Raptors in 135-115 loss

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The Cleveland Cavaliers saw their brief winning streak end as they were on the wrong side of a 135-115 score against the Toronto Raptors.

From the start this game was not really a contest. Once the Cavaliers were down double-digits midway through the 1st quarter this game was just about over. While the Toronto Raptors have not played up to their expectations this season, they proved they are more than capable of handling the Cavs.

The Cavaliers found themselves down 87-54 at the half, an embarrassing deficit to say the least. Even with Toronto’s 13-point 3rd quarter, the Cavs were so far behind that the end result was already written in stone.

Even though Toronto was without Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam, two of their better players, the Cavaliers were not match. There really is not a combination of current Cavs players which points towards a definite win fort this unit and Saturday’s result seems to show that quite definitively.

The Cavs have a shot at redemption Sunday as they host the Pelicans at 7:00 P.M.

Cavaliers looking for third straight win

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As they search for their third consecutive win, the Cleveland Cavaliers will host the Toronto Raptors Saturday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

After another surprising win, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a chance to run their win streak to three as they take on the Toronto Raptors at home. This will be the second of three meetings between Cleveland and Toronto, with the Cavs winning their last meeting 116-105. That game featured Collin Sexton scoring 36 points, 23 of which came in the second half. Cleveland will be hoping that Sexton can repeat that performance this time around.

The Raptors have lost their last two games and seven of their last 10. Cleveland is just half a game behind Toronto in the standings which is a statement that would have been hard to believe before the season started. Toronto is 9-18 on the road this seasons while the Cavaliers are 11-13 at home, the location of Saturday’s matchup.

The issue the Raptors have dealt with lately have been injuries and the suspension of Fred VanVleet. In addition to the suspended VanVleet, Kyle Lowry, Jalen Harris, Rodney Hood, and Paul Watson did not play in Thursday’s loss. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers have been without Jarrett Allen, Dylan Windler, and Larry Nance Jr. over the last few games. The fact they won their last two without those two players is quite surprising.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 P.M. at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Cavaliers roll Thunder in Oklahoma City

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The Cleveland Cavaliers managed to win their second straight game as they took down the Oklahoma City Thunder by a score of 129-102.

The 3rd quarter is usually a complete letdown for the Cavaliers, but this time it went Cleveland’s way. Cleveland surprisingly outscored Oklahoma City 28-14 in the 3rd en route to their 27-point win over the Thunder. It wasn’t just the 3rd quarter that they held an advantage in, is what the 4th quarter as well. The Cavaliers dropped 36 points in the final quarter to solidify their win on the road. It was an all around good performance for Cleveland as their lowest point total in any quarter was 27 in the 2nd quarter.

Perhaps in what may be the outlier of all outliers, Cleveland drained 13 three-pointers on 37 attempts in the contest. The Cavaliers average 9.4-28.1 per game from deep, both which rank dead last in the NBA. This upturn is actually a sign of improvement and maybe a light at the end of the tunnel.

SexLand leads the way

As is the case for the Cavaliers in their wins this season, Collin Sexton Darius Garland led the charge. This performance was just a bit different as SexLand’s shooting was improved (9-17, 8-15) while they also cut down on turnovers, all 3 of which belong to Garland. There have been questions about how viable this combo could be multiple times this season, but a night like this provides optimism.

Love, Okoro, Wade all step up

It wasn’t just SexLand who carried the team, all five of the Cavaliers starters scored in double-digits. Kevin Love had 18 points and 11 rebounds on 6-12 shooting (3-8 3PT, 3-4 FT). Isaac Okoro added 15 points on a 6 for 13 from the field, making 2 of 6 three-point attempts. Even Dean Wade scored 12 points, half of which came off his two three-point makes.

Prince off the bench

Taurean Prince had himself a night off the bench yet again, scoring 22 points in 28 minutes. Prince went 3-5 from deep (9-15 overall) and finished with 6 assists, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal. The veteran forward is proving to be a valuable contributor off the bench for the Cavs as of late.

Cleveland returns to action when they host the Raptors Saturday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse at 7:30 P.M.

Cavaliers travel to Oklahoma City Thursday

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With the possibility of winning two consecutive games on the line, the Cleveland Cavaliers travel to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder.

It was a surprising 24-point win for the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Spurs Monday as the team was carried by Darius Garland. The Cavs are looking to win their second straight game Thursday in Oklahoma City.

The Thunder have lost four straight games and seven of their last 10 while the Cavs also have that same record over the same span. Both teams find themselves in the bottom of their respective conferences with Cleveland at 18-32 and Oklahoma City at 20-31. Neither team has been particularly good this season with the Thunder outright tanking with the Cavaliers pretending they’re not. The scoring differentials for both teams are eerily similar, with both the Thunder and Cavs being outscored by almost 8 points per game.

What this game will come down to is which team will play slightly worse than the other. Looking at the performances of the Cavaliers and Thunder this season it really could be either team. All it will take is a run at the precise right time for one of these teams to come out victorious.

Darius Garland leads Cavs to 125-101 victory

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Second year guard Darius Garland scored a career-high 37 points en route to a 125-101 Cleveland Cavaliers victory over San Antonio.

If the Cleveland Cavaliers were going to snap their five-game losing streak and get back on the right track in San Antonio they were going to need from someone not named Collin Sexton. The good news is that someone did, Darius Garland. Garland scored a career-high 37 points against the Spurs and help the Cavs defeat San Antonio by 24-points.

Darius Garland made 14 of 22 shots including 5 of 10 from deep along with making all 4 free throw attempts. Garland also dished a game-high 7 assists to add to his game-high scoring effort. This was an excellent performance for Darius Garland and on the higher end of possible outcomes for the second year guard. Garland is more of a complimentary scorer than leading scorer, but is capable of the occasional scoring breakout like Monday night.

It was not a lone effort for Darius Garland as the other half of SexLand, Collin Sexton, provided some help in the scoring department. Sexton finished with 22 points on 7-17 from the field and 7 of 8 free throws. Sexton also had 5 assists and 3 rebounds in the contest. The key stat for both Collin Sexton and Darius Garland is that they only had 1 turnover between the two of them, a massive improvement in this area.

Okoro, Hartenstein and Prince

Rookie Isaac Okoro also had decent night, making 4 of 6 field goal attempts including all three shots from deep totaling 11 points. Okoro seems to be settling in a bit offensively and has been a little more efficient over the last three games.

Newcomer Isaiah Hartenstein was a surprising contributor off the bench with 16 points and 12 rebounds in 27 minutes of play. Hartenstein went 7-8 and made 2-3 shots from the free throw line. Veteran Taurean Prince was the second-highest bench scorer with 14 points and grabbed 7 boards in 26 minutes.

The Cavs have two off days before returning to action in Oklahoma City Thursday night to take on the Thunder.

Cavaliers travel to San Antonio amidst losing streak

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The Cleveland Cavaliers will look to snap their current five-game losing streak as they travel to San Antonio Monday.

It was another disappointing, but expected loss for the Cleveland Cavaliers last time out as they found themselves on the wrong side of a 115-101 final score in Miami. The Cavs have a chance to snap their current losing streak as they take on the San Antonio Spurs.

San Antonio has not enjoyed a ton of success lately as they are 3-7 in their last 10 like Cleveland. The difference is that the Spurs are currently in the 8th spot in the Western Conference while Cleveland is 14th. There is a difference between the two teams during their down time. This is just a dry spell for the Spurs while this has been the norm for the Cavaliers.

San Antonio is barely being outscored this season as they give up 111.7 points on average while scoring 110.7. Cleveland is also on the wrong side of this number as they score 102.7 per game while giving up 111.2.

Like the Cavaliers, the Spurs are not strong in the three-pointer department. San Antonio ranks 27th in makes (10.6) and attempts (29.5) per game this season. Cleveland is still ranked 30th in both categories (9.3, 27.8).

DeMar Derozan is the leads the Spurs in points (21) and assists (7.2) per game. San Antonio has some complimentary scorers in Dejounte Murray (15.7), Derrick White (14.3), and Keldon Johnson (13.2). Murray is also second in assists per game with 5.2.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 P.M. at AT&T Center

Cavaliers lose 20th straight game in Miami

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It was a 115-101 loss for the Cavaliers down in Miami as Cleveland lost their 20th consecutive game at American Airlines Arena.

Trips down to Miami have not been great for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The last time Cleveland came away with a win at American Airlines Arena was during the first LeBron James era and that did not change Saturday. The Heat handed the Cavs a 14-point loss in what was their 20th straight loss in Miami.

There was only one quarter that Cavaliers were not outscored in and surprisingly it was the 3rd. Cleveland held a 19-17 advantage during that quarter, but the differences in the other three quarters all favored Miami. The Heat outscored Cleveland 98-82 outside the 3rd, scoring 31 or more points in each quarter.

As per usual for the Cavaliers this season, Cleveland made less three-pointers than their opponent. Miami went 15-38 while Cleveland went 10-31, the 15 points just in three-pointers has an interesting look when compared to the final score differential.

SexLand excels in two different areas

For the second straight game Colin Sexton scored 20+ points and did not require 10+ misses to do so. Sexton went 11-17 from the field and made all 4 free throws en route to a 26-point performance. It was the scoring aspect that Sexton played well in while making a lesser impact in the assist department with only 3 on the game with 5 turnovers.

Darius Garland was the member of SexLand to excel in the assists. Garland finished with 8 assists, a team-high, with only 3 turnovers. It was a so-so scoring effort from Garland as he finished with 12 points on 4-8 from the floor (2-4 3PT) and 2-2 from the line.

Oh, Oh, Okoro

It was a surprising scoring performance from rookie Isaac Okoro. Okoro made 5 of 7 field goal attempts, including both shots from deep, along with 5-7 from the free throw line as he finished with 17 points in 36 minutes. Okoro’s scoring total was the third-highest for the Cavaliers and second-highest total in their starting lineup.

Prince off the bench

Cleveland did get a boost off the bench in the form of Taurean Prince. Prince played 32 minutes and finished 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. It was a 7-13 shooting performance for Prince as he made 2 of 4 three-pointers on the nights. Additionally, Prince made all three free throw attempts.

The Cavaliers will look to snap their current five-game losing streak at home against the San Antonio Spurs Monday at 7:00 P.M.

Cavaliers look for better result in Miami

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The Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to snap their current four-game losing streak as they take on the Heat in Miami.

Not only have the Cleveland Cavaliers lost their last four games, those losses have come in pretty disappointing fashion. The Cavs last loss was a 20-point loss to the Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia 76ers Thursday. Cleveland will look to change their fortunes in a locale that has not been kind to them for some time, Miami.

The Cavaliers have lost 19 straight games against the Heat in Miami. Cleveland’s last win came on January 25, 2010 during the first LeBron James era. Since then it has been a house of horrors for the Cavs and that may not be coming to an end Saturday.

While the Heat are only 5th in the Eastern Conference, they are a better team than their record. This could prove problematic for the Cavaliers as they come in second to last in the conference, the only team with a worse record being the 14-34 Detroit Pistons.

The Heat are averaging 106.2 points per game while surprisingly giving up 107.2 to their opponents. Both numbers are better than Cleveland’s and this should play a factor in the final result. Miami’s 36.5 three-point attempts per game rank 11th in the NBA while their 12.6 makes from deep is good for 15th. The Cavaliers still rank 30th in both three-point makes and attempts on the season.

The Cavaliers will be without Larry Nance Jr., Jarrett Allen, and Dylan Windler. These injuries will certainly make things more difficult for a Cleveland team looking to snap their current losing streak and losing streak in Miami.

Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 P.M. in Miami

Cavaliers lose fourth consecutive game

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The absence of Joel Embiid did not matter for the Philadelphia 76ers as they handed the Cleveland Cavaliers a decisive 114-94 loss.

The fact that the Philadelphia 76ers were missing Joel Embiid was massively overstated as they managed to prove it did not matter against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Philly dominated the Cavs in the second half and handed Cleveland a 20-point loss. What was seen on Thursday was the difference between a team in contention and one stuck in the basement of the Eastern Conference.

The Cavaliers surprisingly kept things close in the first half, only trailing by 2 points. It was the second half that doomed Cleveland yet again. Philadelphia outscored Cleveland 27-17 in the 3rd and 29-21 in the 4th. This has been a recurring theme for the Cavs all season long and was hardly surprising. Cleveland simply cannot compete with most teams in the league and the 76ers are no exception, even without Embiid.

Love and Delly return

Even though the loss was disappointing, the Cavaliers saw the return of Kevin Love and Matthew Dellavedova. Love has only appeared in 4 games prior this season and this was the season debut for Dellavedova. Love finished with 13 points on 4-10 shooting (3-6 3PT) in 20 minutes. Delly saw 16 minutes off the bench finishing with 5 assists.

Highs and lows of SexLand

Collin Sexton scored a team-high 24 points on the night on 7-15 from the floor. This is one of the better performances from Young Bull as he usually needs 10+ misses to eclipse 20 points. Sexton made all 9 free throws and 1 of 4 three-point attempts with 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.

Darius Garland did not have a great game by any means. Garland only had 6 points on 3-8 from the field while missing all 3 three-point attempts. The second-year guard did have a game-high 8 assists, the problem was the 7 turnovers pretty much canceled them all out.

Looking ahead

The Cavaliers head back on out the road for Saturday’s game against the Miami Heat. Cleveland has lost 19 straight games in Miami and this does not seem to be a great opportunity to snap this rather long streak.