Recap: New Jersey 148, Cleveland 139, 3OT (or, Beautiful Disaster)

Forgive me. I’m not going to be able to do this game justice. Due to scheduling constraints, this triple overtime masterpiece, which was one of the viewing highlights of the Cavs’ season will have to do with an abbreviated recap. This game was a peach: a 63 minute slug fest between two hungry squads that featured plenty of mistakes, but even more bravado, effort, and shotmaking. In the end, despite surviving regulation and two OTs, the Cavs couldn’t survive D’Angelo Russell‘s 24 points in three overtimes, and were too exhausted to do more than let Jordan Clarkson go YOLO for the entire third overtime and eventually the Cavs couldn’t string together enough stops and scores to keep up. The Nets won when a woozy Cleveland fell to the mat and couldn’t stand up anymore.

Yes, this was a beautiful game effort and competition wise, but it was a disaster in terms of pure basketball aesthetics. Cleveland outplayed the Nets for the first three quarters, but couldn’t build a big enough lead as turnovers, bad shots, and worse defense reared their head at the end of every frame. In fact, the Cavs were outscored -24 in the last three minutes of quarters one through three. And though Collin Sexton played one of his best regulation games and through the first overtime, scoring 24 on 17 shots to drop a 24/6/5 line with just two turnovers. Sexton went scoreless in the final two OTs and threw up bad shots and worse turnovers to doom Cleveland. Still, he was a wunderkind in regulation, driving, nashing, dishing, and attacking the boards relentlously. He also hit the shot to force the second OT when he isolated on Allen Crabbe and roasted Crabbe on a drive to the bucket, a drive made possible by Marquese Chriss and his outside shooting pulling Jarrett Allen out of the lane.

Chriss had a breakout game himself. The young big man looked like a scoring machine as he dropped it in the rim on threeballs, post-ups, cuts, p-r finishes, lobs, and in transition. He displayed adept hands and good ability to move without the ball, but most importantly a silky smooth J when a pair of mirror image corner threes put the Cavs up three in the second overtime. Yes, Chriss was routinely abused by Jarrett Allen on the boards, and has an issue boxing out or even trying sometimes on rebounds, but his talent was on full display in this one. Chriss also rotated over well a couple times to go after blocks and to take charges. Chriss also crushed one of the best dunks of the season over Allen on his way to 23 point seven rebound night in just 23 minutes and on just 16 shots. His highlights are fantastic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxZPAb5IkjM

Jarrett Allen was an imposing force inside for Brooklyn, and absolutely controlled the paint, especially down the stretch. He finished with 10/12/3 with six blocks in 42 minutes. Cleveland had few answers for him. Allen set bone jarring screens for D’Angelo Russell down the stretch, and his five offensive rebounds were a part of fouling out Marquese Chriss and Larry Nance as they tried in vain to keep Allen from gathering every Nets miss. Allen also missed a chance to win it at the end of the first overtime when he gathered a Demarre Carroll pass and bounced one off the backboard harmlessly. The shot shouldn’t have been allowed, but the Cleveland shot clock operator started the 2.3 second possession late, and Cleveland dodged a bullet.

Speaking of Larry Nance, he had another nice night on the boards as he finished with 8/12/2. From downtown, he swished 2-3. But his hands were lousy and he had a very hard time finishing due to his flubs and due to Allen’s D. Larry’s penchant for fouling also stymied Cleveland as his frivolous fouls early piled up and he eventually fouled out in the first OT, paving the way for some of Marquese’s heroics. But Larry’s leadership and his passion rubbed off on his teammates as he fought throughout the night.

Also fouling out? David Nwaba who boasted the games’ best block (below) before picking up one of his many bad fouls before he fouled out in the early part of the third overtime. Nwaba was 3-3 from the field and added seven rebounds in 28 minutes, but he got behind the ball handler on pick and rolls and reached from behind way too many times, giving Russell way too many free throws. David was a great glue guy but he has to learn to play D without clutching. Still, Nwaba’s hustle was undeniable. His offensive rebound at the end of the second OT gave Jordan Clarkson two clutch freebies.

If you’re keeping track there was definitely a theme in this game: Cavalier fouls. Cleveland was whistled for 37 to just 23 for the Nets while the officials awarded Brooklyn 34 free throws to 18 for Cleveland, and fouled out three Cavs. The refs certainly seemed to swallow their whistles when Cleveland was driving, but the most egregious officiating disaster came on a crucial possession call in the second OT, when the call on the floor went to Cleveland and the replay showed what looked like the ball bouncing of DeMarre Carroll‘s leg, but the officials still overturned the call on the floor.

That overturn led to the play that probably lost the game. The Cavaliers’ hero in this one was Jordan Clarkson and his 42 points on 34 shots to go 42/8/5. JC hit the go-ahead 16-footer in the second OT with 39 seconds left, and then hit two more freebies (courtesy of Nwaba) to put the Cavs up three. Clarkson though, is a guy who gives as much as he gets, and when New Jersey had a shot to tie with 3.8 seconds left, Clarkson left Demarre Carroll to chase Joe Harris to the corner, and Nwaba couldn’t recover in time to get to Carroll who tied it up with a spectacular shot.

By the time they got to the third OT, Cleveland had punched themselves out and decided to just let Clarkson try to go yolo. It worked somewhat. Clarkson dropped 11 on 4-6 from the field in the third OT, but New Jersey scored 23 in the final five minutes. D’Angelo just wouldn’t miss as he put up 14 on a perfect 6-6 from the field and 2-2 at the line. Despite a rough start and seven turnovers on the night. Russell looked every bit the All Star (36/7/8) he is this year. He’s going to make a lot of money this summer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yj_kVj8w-yY

Dellavedova dropped 13 dimes, and had a crucial block on Allen in one of the many OTs, but his shot has been MIA of late as he went 1-6. Speaking of an MIA shot, Brandon Knight fell back down to Earth on an 0-4 outing from downtown. He just looked like a chucker. While Nick Stauskus had a a solid outing shooting, he contributed no rebounds and no assists in 23 minutes, and was abused defensively after Nwaba checked out.

I almost forgot about Cedi Osman, whose minutes restriction made him an afterthought, as he played in none of the overtimes. Cedi was very good: 13/5/3 in 25 minutes, and looked like he was showing no ill effects of his injury.

For Jersey, Joe Harris continued to make Cleveland regret cutting him. Harris posted a spectacular 25 on just 12 shots, and looked postively Korver-esque with the J and a series of ridiculously well timed back cuts. And of course, Carroll, who had 18 and the biggest shot of the game. The Cavs also struggled containing Hollis-Jefferson who had 17 on just 10 shots. He is so damned bouncy (and gets away with a ridiculous amount of contact).

Ultimately this was the kind of game you want if you’re a tanking rebuilding team: an entertaining loss where your young players played well, at least offensively. Cleveland should’ve won this multiple times, but it’s no tragedy they didn’t. At least they’re becoming much more watchable. They’re symbolized by Jordan Clarkson: a guy that is fun to watch but whose game isn’t likely to win consistently. Like him, they’re like a beautiful disaster.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_cfxwVblkA