CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Lesson learned.
After getting manhandled in Game 1, the Cleveland Cavaliers responded with authority in Game 2 to tie their first round series with the New York Knicks at 1 with a 107-90 victory Tuesday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Here’s a look Beyond the Box Score from Tuesday night's beatdown of the Knickerbockers.
listen to 92.3 The fan
1. The Cavs completely flipped the script on the Knicks from Game 1 to Game 2. “We asked how our guys would respond to a little bit of adversity,” Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “We talked about what they've done all year long. All year long is they've learned lessons the hard way sometimes. But the next time they stepped on the floor, they figured it out. And again, it's a credit to them. What they did defensively tonight was phenomenal. The way they competed on that end of the floor, the way they scrapped every possession. That's a phenomenal effort by our group.”
2. Cleveland out-rebounded New York for the first time this season 43-36, including 32-13 on the defensive end of the floor. “We were in the right spot the majority of the night, and when they're in that paint, they're difficult to score over,” Bickerstaff said. “But I think there's something to be said. We have to continue to hammer this home. We got our ass kicked on the boards the other night and tonight those guys took it personal and made a huge change.” The Cavs scored 32 points off 18 Knicks turnovers. Granted they too turned it over 18 times and surrendered 29 points as a result. The bench won 36-27 thanks to a big night from Caris LeVert. The Cavs also won the second chance battle 17-13 and points in the paint 42-38.
3. This was the Darius Garland game. On both ends of the floor, Garland brought the intensity and the rest of the Cavs fed off it and followed his lead.
4. Bickerstaff and the Cavs wanted Garland, who took zero shots in the fourth quarter in Game 1, to step up and be aggressive. Early in the first quarter Bickerstaff gave Garland a look. “I mean, everybody in the building told me to go be aggressive, go shoot the ball,” Garland said. “So I mean, I watched the film from the first game and seeing some opportunities where I can go get mine and go be aggressive and that's what I just tried to do today.” Garland had 26 points by halftime as he joined LeBron James and Kyrie Irving as the only players to score 25 or more in a half of a playoff game in team history. Garland finished with 32, including making 6-10 from three while also handing out seven assists.
5. This one was won in the second quarter that saw Cleveland outscore New York 34-17 to go into the locker room up 20, 59-39. Ballgame. “We played great defense throughout the entire night,” guard Donovan Mitchell said. “So we did it in a lot of different ways, but for us as a group to come in and after a loss, to be composed, calm and understand that we can play better, I think that was the biggest thing. I wouldn't say that was frustration or anything. It was what happened. We we'll fix it and we got to go take at least one in New York.”
6. The Cavs did a great job of weathering the storm of a slow start in the first quarter that saw them fall behind 12-6 with four turnovers and four fouls in the first few minutes. Cleveland ended up leading 25-22 after one thanks to LeVert dropping in a three with 0.3 remaining in the quarter.
7. Mitchell didn’t have to carry Game 2. He scored 17 but he was a great facilitator by handing out 13 assists. It is a team game and Mitchell, and his teammates, play it well.
8. LeVert was sensational off the bench after a tough Game 1. He scored 24 points while shooting 9-126 from the field.
9. Evan Mobley was much more assertive inside Tuesday night that saw him finish with 13 points and 13 rebounds – 11 of those boards came on the defensive end of the floor. “He's not one of those guys who it takes a month to learn a lesson,” Bickerstaff said. “He has the ability to learn and grow quickly, and I think that's what makes him so unique.”v Mobley and the rest of the Cavs were well aware of the Game 1 shortcomings and they made it their mission to quiet the critics quickly. “I mean there's a lot of talk about it and a lot of talk about it in our locker room and stuff like that, so it was definitely a focus in,” Mobley said. “I feel like we did a good job of capitalizing on that and changing the narrative.”
10. Bickerstaff had to go to Cedi Osman three minutes into the game because Isaac Okoro picked up two quick fouls. Okoro didn’t see the floor again.
11. Danny Green was the third off the bench for Bickerstaff, which drew a large ovation from the sellout crowd. “They showed a lot of love, so I wasn't expecting that but I'm not going to lie, I was a little tired first couple stints,” Green, who played nearly 20 minutes said. “Haven't played some intense basketball in a while, but once I got my feet under me, I started getting used to it and it was fun.” Green checked in with four minutes to play in the first quarter and hit a big corner three in the second quarter to push the lead to 20 for the first time. “I had a lot of fun competing and hopefully build from there,” Green said. “I got to get a shot to go in, got two looks, hopefully get a couple more, but it's not about me. I'm there to space the floor and play defense and rebound and hopefully help us win games.”
12. Jarrett Allen, who finished with nine points and 10 rebounds, fouled Julius Randle with 2:22 remaining as Randle dunked. Randle landed hard by the side of the stanchion and the officials upgraded the foul to a flagrant 1 after review. “It was a contest of a dunk,” Bickerstaff said. “If you're going to get a steal, and they kept playing hard, they kept running through passing lanes, why would one team play hard and the other one not? There was nothing dirty about the play.” Green stepped in to play peacekeeper as a couple of Knicks seemed unhappy with Randle hitting the floor so hard. “The biggest thing was [to] let them know that's Jarrett. That's who he is,” Green said. “He’s a competitor and he didn't mean any harm by it. It wasn't a malicious play. It's unfortunate the way he fell, but I thought he made a defensive play, tried to block the shot.”
13. Off to Madison Square Garden Friday night for Game 3.