Tag Archives: Cavs

Rally falls short as Cavaliers lose 116-110 to Spurs

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The Cavaliers attempted to rally late against the Spurs, but San Antonio was able to hold on to hand Cleveland a 116-110 loss.

The Cavaliers had a chance to accomplish something that has not been common for them this season, winning consecutive games. Cleveland held on to defeat the Boston Celtics Wednesday and were looking to add win consecutive games for the first time since February 23rd through March 1st, a four-game winning streak. However a winning streak was not in the cards as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Cavaliers in their first of two matchups on the season.

At one point the Spurs held a 22-point lead over the Cavs and at that point things appeared to be heading towards a blowout. It was then that Cleveland put together a rally to show that they wouldn’t just roll over and take the loss. The Cavaliers were able to cut the lead to four, but the problem was there was only 8.9 seconds left in the game, they simply ran out of time. Perhaps if Cleveland would have found that offensive mojo earlier in the game the result may have been different, but alas it is another loss for the Cavs.

SexLand scores big for Cavaliers

Darius Garland had a career-high 29 points along with 8 assists on the night as he was a key figure in the comeback attempt. The other half of SexLand, Collin Sexton, also scored 29 points while grabbing 5 rebounds. Garland made 8 of 16 field goals attempts (2-4 3PT) and all 11 free throws while Sexton went 12-25, including 3 of 6 from deep and 2-3 from the line. The fact that SexLand scoring more than half the teams is impressive, but that may also say a lot about some of the supporting cast.

Allen defining his role

Jarrett Allen was the third Cavaliers starter eclipse double-digit scoring as he finished with 15 points and rebounds. Allen went 6-8 from the field and made 3 of his 4 free throw attempts. The Cavaliers big man appears to have carved out a defined role for this team and that is very important moving forward.

Surprising contribution off the bench

It is not every day that the Cavaliers get a surprising performance off the bench, but that is what happened Friday night as Lamar Stevens scored 15 points in 17 minutes. Stevens was Cleveland’s leading bench scorer and was able to make an impact when needed. The 23-year made 4 of 9 shots and 7 of 8 free throw attempts, a recurring theme for the Cavaliers in this game.

Cavaliers hold on against Celtics 117-110

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The Cleveland Cavaliers survived a feisty comeback from the Boston Celtics and snapped their losing streak with a 117-110 victory.

Things were starting to spiral out of control for the Cleveland Cavaliers as they lost four straight games, the last being manhandled by the Miami Heat. The Cavs were able to get off their bad streak and back into the win column Wednesday with a surprising win against the Boston Celtics.

At one point in the game Cleveland held a 21-point lead. Late in the 4th quarter Boston cut into the lead to make the final result uncertain. Even when the Cavaliers were able to stretch their lead back out with free throws, the Celtics were able to cut right back in and stay competitive. The fact that Cleveland was able to win in this fashion should bode well for the development of their younger players. Development is a huge part of this season and there are signs of promise moving forward.

Return to SexLand

The Cavaliers scoring effort was led by Collin Sexton who finished tied with a game-high 29 points on 10 of 20 shooting. Sexton made 2 of 5 shots from deep and all 7 free throw attempts in the Cleveland win. The other half of SexLand also contributed as Darius Garland was Cleveland’s second-leading scorer with 25 points. This was the highest scoring output from Garland since the end of February, an encouraging sign moving forward. Each member of SexLand finished with 6 assists, a display of their improving passing abilities.

Nance steps up

Larry Nance Jr. was also a major factor for Cleveland as he made his usual all-around contribution. Nance finished with 18 points on 7-8 from the field, 2-3 from three-point range, and made both free throws. As far as non-scoring stats go, Nance had 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block, a typical Larry Nance Jr. performance.

Promising performance from Okoro

Isaac Okoro scored 15 points on the night, his highest total since February 27th in Philadelphia. Okoro made half of his 10 field goal attempts and all five of his shots from the charity stripe while adding 4 rebounds and 2 assists to his final line. This is the kind of development that the Cavaliers like to see out of their young rookie. It shows he can be a complimentary offensive option in the future and takes pressure off some of his teammates.

The Cavaliers have Thursday off as they prepare to host the San Antonio Spurs Friday night.

Cavaliers host Celtics as they look snap losing streak

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The Cleveland Cavaliers have a chance to end their four-game losing streak against the Boston Celtics Wednesday.

Things are not going well for the Cleveland Cavaliers and they may get a bit tougher Wednesday night. The Boston Celtics are coming to town and they will provide a difficult matchup for a team trying to get out of their spiral of losing.

The Cavaliers have lost their last three games by just over 22 points per game, the last being a 15-point loss to the Heat Tuesday. Boston has won five of their last seven and are trending upward after a down period of about a month. Cleveland is Boston’s weakest opponent in almost a month and that does not bode well for the Cavs. The Celtics could easily give Cleveland the same treatment that they gave their recent, better opponents.

Jayston Tatum leads Boston in points (25.2), assists (4.4), and steals (1.4). Jaylen Brown is the second-leading scorer with 24.4 per game giving the Celtics two good scoring options. Even if those two do not have a good game Kemba Walker and his 17.9 PPG could make an impact in any game for Boston. Tristan Thompson is their rebound leader with 8.4 per game, but will not play Wednesday due to health and safety protocols.

While a loss is not guaranteed, a win seems to be a big ask for the Cavaliers. Both teams are heading in different directions and that could ultimately play a factor in the final result.

The game is scheduled for 8:00 P.M. Wednesday.

Cavaliers torched by Heat in Miami

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The Cleveland Cavaliers were no match for the Miami Heat losing 113-98.

Tuesday night went as expected as the Cleveland Cavaliers were outclassed by the Miami heat from start to finish. The fact of the matter is that the Heat are head and shoulders above the Cavs and that proved to be true in what was their fourth straight loss, the third in a row by 10 or more points.

Miami was off and running the in the 1st quarter, scoring 37 points. Cleveland giving up nearly 40 points in the 1st quarter was quite the ominous sign. The Cavaliers were just not able to stop anything offensively that the Heat were doing. Cleveland was able to close the gap a few times over the course of the game, but Miami was able to rebuild their lead faster than they lost it.

The wheels are falling off for Cleveland as each game progresses and it is just becoming a yearly tradition now. When does the team fall fall on their face and when do they start trading players away? It seems like the former has already happened while the latter is on the horizon.

The Cavaliers have a chance to snap their losing streak Wednesday night as they host the Boston Celtics.

Cavaliers look for win in Miami vs. Heat

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The Cleveland Cavaliers are looking to snap their three-game losing streak Tuesday as they travel to Miami to take on the Heat.

It has been two straight games of underwhelming performances for the Cleveland Cavaliers, the last an 18-point loss to the Atlanta Hawks. The Cavs are hoping for a change of fortune as they take on the 21-18 Miami Heat Tuesday night. The Heat are currently on a four-game winning streak and are looking to extend that as Cleveland comes into town.

Miami is currently in fourth place in the Eastern Conference and is not necessarily playing up to the level that they had at the end of last season in the bubble. That being said, this is still a better team than Cleveland and that cannot be discounted. The Heat are averaging 106.6 points per game while giving up 107.5. While not the strongest offensive unit, they do average more than the Cavaliers (103.4) and surrender less per game (111.8).

Cleveland is 5-14 on the road this season while Miami is 11-8 at home. This says that one team takes care of business at home while the other looks lost away from it. Perhaps the Cavaliers can find their way and get back into the win column and prevent things from spinning out of control further. Although it is possible that they continue their spiral into the abyss of the Eastern Conference, a scenario that seems a little more likely.

The game is scheduled for 8:00 P.M. Tuesday night.

Cavaliers unable to sweep season series vs Hawks

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The Cleveland Cavaliers came up short in their quest to sweep their season series with the Atlanta Hawks, losing 100-82.

With Sunday’s loss to the Hawks, the Cavaliers have now lost three straight games, the last two in blowout fashion. Cleveland has lost to the Pelicans and Hawks by an average of 21 points, hardly the result they were looking for. Things appear to be unraveling for the Cavs after what appeared to be some signs of life before the All-Star break.

Cleveland had the chance to take the season series against the Hawks if they were able to win Sunday. The Cavaliers already won their last two matchups this season and could have won their third and final matchup of the season. Atlanta was able to salvage a win as they were able to be consistent throughout the game and close things out in the 4th quarter. The Cavs were outscored 31-16 in the final quarter, more than enough for the Hawks to put the game away.

Only two starters eclipsed double-digits for the Cavaliers, Collin Sexton (15) and Darius Garland (11). Kevin Love only played two minutes after leaving with an injury and did not score. Cedi Osman and JaVale McGee both had 10 off the bench. By looking at the point totals it is obvious why the Cavs lost.

The fact of the matter is that this team simply is not good. Cleveland seems to be just stuck in the same cycle of non-competitive basketball over and over again. All of the team-building they are claiming to be doing simply is not working. Big changes need to happen in the organization and on the roster if this team really wants to turn the corner. The same pattern will continue to repeat itself as long as things remain the same for the Cavaliers.

The Cavs head to Miami in attempt to snap their three-game losing streak against the Heat Tuesday.

Cavaliers look for season sweep of Hawks Sunday

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The Cleveland Cavaliers have a chance to sweep the season series with the Atlanta Hawks in their third and final game Sunday.

It was a 96-91 win for the Cavaliers back in January which saw Cleveland win game one of three against the Hawks. Game two featured a game-winning dunk from Lamar Stevens which gave the Cavs a 112-11 victory to snap a double-digit losing streak. Sunday will be their third and final matchup of the season with Cleveland having a chance to sweep the Hawks.

Atlanta has won four-straight games, including wins over Toronto and Miami. The Hawks are obviously trending in a good direction while the Cavaliers are losers of two straight. Cleveland could benefit with the possible return of Darius Garland this evening while Atlanta does not have any injured players listed.

What it will come down to is the same thing it always comes down to when facing the Hawks, slowing down Trae Young. Stopping Young is simply not an option, so the next best thing is slowing him down. Young is averaging 26.7 points per game on 43.3% from the field with 9.3 assists per game as well. The third-year guard can do a lot of damage from three-point range as he averages 2.6 makes on 38% from deep. Young is more than capable of going off from deep and the Cavaliers must be wary of that.

Can the Cavs complete the sweep? It’s possible, but it is not like Cleveland is firing on all cylinders right now. Even with the return of some players, the team still has not played a ton of minutes together. The chemistry that this team needs simply isn’t there at times and that is quite apparent. It is also possible that the Hawks salvage a win and avoid a sweep Sunday.

Darius Garland probable, Taurean Prince out for Cavs

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The Cavs may have one key player available to them Sunday, but will be without another in Atlanta Sunday.

Darius Garland and Taurean Prince were not available for the Cavs last time out in their loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, but there could one change Sunday against the Hawks. Garland is listed as probable while Prince will miss another game.

Cleveland really missed both players in Friday, but the absence of Darius Garland hurt more. Garland is able to make the Cavs starters work together even though they are not the best fits with one another. As the Cavs assist leader, Garland is able to get everyone involved when on the floor. While Collin Setoxn has improved in this area, he is not at the level of Garland.

Taurean Prince was also missed, but not to the level of Darius Garland. Garland is a starter while Prince comes off the bench. While being a quality bench player is valuable, it is just not the same as a night-in night-out starter.

Cavaliers blown out by New Orleans 116-82

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The Cleveland Cavaliers post-All-Star break return did not go well as the New Orleans Pelicans blew them out.

To be blunt, the Cleveland Cavaliers were awful Friday night as they were completely outclassed by the New Orleans Pelicans. A nine point 3rd quarter highlighted their struggled as the Cavs ended up on the wrong end of a 36-point blowout. Nothing went according to plan and that was very obvious.

There were only three players for the Cavaliers to eclipse the double-digit mark, Collin Sexton (19), Larry Nance Jr. (11), and the recently acquired Quinn Cook (13). New Orleans had five players have 10 points or more including Brandon Ingram with 28 and Zion Williamson with 23.

The return Kevin Love and Larry Nance Jr. were the only positives for the Cavaliers. Love has been out since the third game of the season while Nance has missed the previous 12 games and 17 of the last 20.

As far as players who did not play go, Darius Garland and Taurean Prince did not play in the contest. While their presence could of helped, they would not have made up a 36-point differential. At best they cut it in half and make the game just a little bit more competitive along the way.

Losing in this fashion could be the beginning of an all-out disaster scenario for the Cavaliers. Cleveland has a tough stretch coming up including games against Miami, Boston, San Antonio, Toronto, Los Angeles, and Utah over the remainder of the month. Any outside chance of postseason play could be completely erased by the end of March. This could also lead to a firesale of sorts and that could make the rest of the season absolutely dreadful.

The Cavs travel to Atlanta to take on the Hawks Sunday at 7:30 P.M.

Taurean Prince out vs. Pelicans

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The Cleveland Cavaliers will be without the small forward as they return to action in New Orleans.

Taurean Prince has only appeared in two of the last eight games for the Cleveland Cavaliers and that will be come two of nine Friday. The Cleveland Cavaliers will be without the veteran small forward when they take on the Pelicans.

Taurean Prince has appeared in 17 games (6 starts) since being acquired from Brooklyn earlier this season. Prince has been a somewhat productive veteran for an injury-riddled Cavs team. The 26-year old forward is averaging 8.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists on 36.6% from the field and 40.6% from deep. Prince has increased his three-point attempts by more than half an attempt since coming over from the Nets (3.1-3.8).

The Cavs are also expected to see the return of Larry Nance Jr. Friday while Kevin Love and Darius Garland remain questionable.