CLEVELAND - After his team’s 120-114 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Friday night, Cleveland Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff described his team’s performance as “disrespectful.”
So what adjective did Bickerstaff use to describe a 114-102 Saturday night win over the Milwaukee Bucks?
“Better.”
As simply stated by the Cavs coach, ‘better’ was enough for Cleveland to snap a two-game losing streak and maintain a much-needed winning effort at the Fieldhouse. The team locked down defensively on the Bucks, forcing 14 turnovers and holding the visitors to their lowest point total in a week.
“Lessons learned,” Bickerstaff further explained the team’s rebound from their Friday loss. “You have a young group that’s still trying to figure out who they are, and understand where the fit in this league. You have frustrating moments, but I thought our guys did a great job of not compounding it, and understanding that we needed to be better.”
Part of what allowed the Cavs to break away with a lead was the offensive performance of Evan Mobley. As the second-year forward continues to grow as a viable scoring unit for Cleveland, he posted a career-high 38 points (19-27 FGs) while totaling a Cavs-best nine rebounds and three assists.
After the game, Mobley explained it as “very important” that the Cavs get the victory after Friday night’s disappointment.
“Last night, we didn’t play our best game, but we just had to forget about it and move on to the next one.”
Even for a Bucks team that was missing mainstays Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton with injuries, however, they still received a few solid performances. Bobby Portis scored 11 quick points in the opening quarter of a 23-point game, while guard Jrue Holiday scored 16 of his team-high 28 points in the third quarter.
After the Bucks gained a small scoring advantage in the third quarter, however, the Cavs posted a 28-21 final period to secure their 29th win of the season.
