CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – Thursday night the Cavs lost their 31st game of the year but got two key pieces back on the floor that gave them a glimpse of how good they could become.
Kevin Love started his fifth game of the season while Matthew Dellavedova made his season debut, and their impact could be felt on the floor and scoreboard.
“I felt a lot more like myself,” Love said following the 114-94 loss. “I’m obviously not there yet but I knew that I was coming into this game, I felt confident that I could get in some sort of a rhythm.
“It just made me so happy to go out there and just play basketball.”
Love made his presence felt right out of the gate hitting his first three shots, including a pair of threes, as he helped account for 13 of the Cavs’ first 15 points.
“Kevin’s a really good player and he makes his teammates better, and they’re not even used to playing with him yet,” Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “There were cut opportunities, there were passes he was making where they just haven’t been used to playing with him and weren’t expecting those plays to be made so the more comfortable they get the better off they’ll be and we’ll be as a group.”
Dellavedova checked in with 3:55 remaining in the first quarter to a nice round of applause, his first regular season game action since March 10, 2020.
“It just goes to show you his commitment, his dedication but what intelligence can bring to the game,” Bickerstaff said. “His mind wasn’t off for 13 months. When you play the game the way he plays, when you think the game the way he thinks the game, you can have an impact.”
Dellavedova had been sidelined since the preseason opener when he suffered another concussion. Then in late February as he was close to returning, he underwent an appendectomy.
“Not being around the team, I couldn’t help,” Dellavedova said. “Feeling like I wasn’t being helpful at all, that was probably the toughest part.”
Dellavedova missed all four of the shots he took and didn't score in 16 minutes but he had five assists and two rebounds.
Love scored 13 points to go with three rebounds and two assists while playing 9:24 of the first 12 minutes and the game was tied at 31.
Bickerstaff held Love back in the second half, playing him just over five minutes in the third quarter, and it showed as the Cavs essentially fell apart and the 76ers ran away with the game.
“I know we took a beating and took one on the chin tonight, but this team is so together,” Love said. “We want to get better, continue to grow.”
Love had been bothered since the preseason by a severe calf strain, which he has aggravated in games twice when he has tried to return from the injury.
After missing the season opener, Love reaggravated the injury in Game 3 forcing him to miss the next 33 games before returning for two games in mid-March, but he went down again on March 14 after playing 1:14 forcing him to miss the last nine contests.
“It’s probably the most frustrating [injury] of my career,” Love said.
The test will be Saturday night at Miami for Love, who has reaggravated the calf injury in his second game out the previous two times he returned in December and March.
Space race – With the rise of perimeter shooting, and where some of those shots are now being taken, Bickerstaff would like to see the NBA move back the three-point line to create more spacing on the floor.
Watch what the Cavs coach had to say about it in the video above.
Embiid still out – The 76ers remain without one of their primary weapons as Joel Embiid remains sidelined due to a left knee bone bruise.
Embiid has missed 10 games and the 76ers won seven of those contests in his absence.
Philadelphia, who had lost twice to the Cavs this season, remains second in the Eastern Conference at 33-15, a half game behind Brooklyn.
Take charge – Bickerstaff tried to encourage Darius Garland about taking charge and being a vocal leader.
“It's not in his nature,” Bickerstaff said. “He's a leader by example mostly.”
The 21-year-old is one of just six players in the Eastern Conference averaging at least 16 points, five assists and shooting better than 39% on 3-pointers and 83% from the line this season.
“I think he understands where he needs to get better, but he’s really found himself in this league,” Love said. “He’s had double-doubles. He’s had high scoring nights. He’s had high assist nights. Even when he’s had tough games he’s found ways to be super impactful. That’s a major stage of growth as well.”
Start me up – Thursday night Bickerstaff employed his 23rd different starting lineup this season.
Injury report – Jarrett Allen (concussion), Larry Nance Jr. (illness) and Dylan Windler (left knee soreness) were not available Thursday night.