CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The post All-Star break stretch run began with disappointment for the Cavs as their offense sputtered late.
Behind a spectacular night from two-time reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, the Denver Nuggets left town with a 115-109 victory.
Here’s a look Behind the Box Score from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
1. That was a fun, entertaining basketball game, with the exception of the final score.
2. It was also a slugfest. We saw 24 lead changes and 12 ties between the two teams, but the Cavs missed too many shots in the final two minutes which allowed the Nuggets to hold on.
3. This is what playoff basketball is going to be like for these young Cavs, and they know it. “This is the playoffs, that's what that is,” Donovan Mitchell said. “They know our plays, they know what's coming. We know their plays, we know what's coming. It's just who executes better and who finds a way. They found a way tonight we didn't. And that's just all about the learning process as we get better.”
4. Denver saw six players finish in double figures: Micjael Porter Jr. 25, Nikola Jokic 24, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 17, Jamal Murray 16, Jeff Green 11 and Vlatko Cancer 10. The Cavs had four: Evan Mobley 31, Mitchell and Darius Garland 22 and Jarrett Allen 14.
5. What a game for Mobley – at least through three quarters. Mobley made his first six shots, including a 3 and his 14 first quarter points tied for the second most points in a quarter in his career. He scored 15 in the third quarter at Miami in December 2021. Mobley finished with 31 points, but none of them came in the fourth quarter, which was a major problem. “I mean the ball’s got to find him and we have to do the right thing,” Bickerstaff said. “And again, I thought there were opportunities for the ball to find him and it didn't.”
6. Despite not getting the opportunity to add on in the final 12 minutes, Mobley didn’t complain. “I just try to stay involved in the game no matter what's going on,” Mobley said. “Either rebounding, pushing the ball, or assists, no matter what it is, I just try to stay involved in the game.”
7. Mobley’s lack of fourth quarter touches was not lost in the locker room either as everyone agreed Mobley needed the ball inside late. “Evan was great,” Garland said. “Evan was the All-Star that I know. The rookie of the year that I know last year, and that's what Evan does when Evan's a good. He's one of the best players in this league, in my opinion, even at this young age. So yeah, I mean he got to keep it going, keep being aggressive, keep it up.”
8. Donovan Mitchell wants Mobley to demand the ball more and acknowledged they have to just get it to him even when he doesn’t ask for it. “That's just him progressing and getting better,” Mitchell said. “I'm not putting this on Evan for not demanding the ball. That's on us to get him the ball and get him in those spots. And also we got to play defense and guard. Him and JA [Jarrett Allen] played their asses off and we weren't there to have their back.”
9. For whatever reason, after scoring 60 points in the paint through the first three quarters the Cavs managed just eight in the final 12 minutes. “It's us making sure we understand the game as a whole,” Bickerstaff said. “Got to continue to be aggressive, keep doing the right thing, the thing that's working and I thought their defense ramped up, give 'em credit, but I feel like we still had opportunities to attack that paint and be aggressive and they limited us there.”
10. Nikola Jokic, who could be in line for a third consecutive MVP, recorded a triple-double with 4 minutes left in the third quarter. “He's a great player,” Mobley said. “It is definitely challenging. I mean, we just got to trust our system, our defensive system and roll with it. He's going to make some good plays.” Jokic finished with 24 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists. It was just a ridiculously dominant effort. “I thought we had him contained until I looked up,” Mobley said. “To be honest, I thought the bigs did a good job. And then the second half he really was the aggressor in different ways. Look what they're doing a nightly basis man. And it's happening right now. It's next level. It's impressive and I think it's going to come down to those two at the end of the day. And we have a good player.”
11. The three-point line was the difference Thursday night. Denver hit 17 of 36 from deep while the Cavs made just six of 26. “I mean they made 17 of them – some contested, but a lot of open ones and we made six where I thought we had some good looks also that didn't go down for us,” Bickerstaff said. Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell scored 22 each but combined to make just three of 13 from beyond the arc. “First game back after the break, trying to get our legs back [and] shots weren't falling,” Garland said. “Second chance points killed us and not getting out to three point shooters on the defensive end.”
12. Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. torched the Cavs with six of 10 makes from deep. “A lot of times we closed out to him, but [with] his size and his release point, we were unable to affect those shots,” Bickerstaff said.
“And when you've got to focus on a Jokic and Murray, and then you've got a release point in Porter, that's why they're a really good team and again, they know each other well. They stay within themselves and know who they are and again they outplayed us tonight.”
13. Reggie Jackson ended the third quarter by throwing one in from 60 feet off the glass at the buzzer to cut the Cavs lead to 91-89.
14. Cleveland got just two points from Isaac Okoro which just isn’t going to be good enough against top tier teams, especially when his counterpart goes off.
