Recap: Philadelphia 114, Cleveland 95 (or, Jackhammering the Rock)

This wasn’t much of a game. Philly boatraced out to 68-44 first half lead and never looked back. The 76ers’ size proved insurmountable for the Cavs’ pair of 6-1 guards, and the Sixers shot 68% in the half to the Cavs’ mere 39%. Kevin Love looked disheartened much of the night, but survived a scary fall that had him on the floor for five minutes in the second quarter clutching the back of his leg. Kev was back in the second half, but finished his 25 minutes of play with just eight shot attempts and and six rebounds.

In a game where the Sixers led by as many as many as 31, this contest belied plus/minus. I was shocked when I looked at the box score and saw Collin Sexton +5. Sexton led the Cavs in shots yet again, and seemed to frustrate the hell out of Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson when he consistently failed to make an effective pass to the roll man, or move the rock. That being said, he led the team in scoring with 17 on 17 shots.

Conversely, Cedi Osman was -19 on the night and didn’t look nearly as bad to me as his Lilliputian back court mates. Still, NBA tracking stats credited the Sixers with 42 points in the paint and 13 points off turnovers in the game while Cedi played. I didn’t think he was that bad, but he’s definitely going through a confidence problem, going 1-4 downtown.

Philly seemed to gravitate towards whoever Sexton or Garland was guarding and throw it to them in the post (with nary any ball pressure), or just dump it down load to an unguardable Joel Embiid. The double team on Embiid was too late every single time and he feasted for 14 points when he was in.

More often than not it was Tobias Harris who tortured the Cavs, with a bunch of easy transition looks and drives to get him going early, and then fed on a diet of posting up tiny point guards in the second half to finish with a 27pt/5reb/4ast/2blk/2stl line with +23 on just 14 shots. Didn’t see Cedi in the picture for most of those. The Cavs briefly cut the Sixers lead to 15 in the final five minutes before Harris Calmly scored 5 straight to end any hopes of making this game interesting.

Ben Simmons didn’t have to do much other than pass the rock and make layups as the Cavs routinely failed to pick him up in transition. Yes, Simmons can’t shoot, but that doesn’t mean you can’t guard him. He’s quick enough to the rack, especially on the break, that you have to stop his momentum. The Cavs didn’t, and he finished with a 10/3/11 night. In fact, the Sixers cashed 33 dimes to the Cavs’ paltry 14 as Chuck Sexton and Co. routinely tried to drill holes in the Rocket Morgtgage Fieldhose floor with their dribbling. Somehow, Jordan Clarkson led all guards in assists with three and 15 points in 22 minutes. Maybe he should start.

Matthew Dellavedova continued to be a disaster and played the most brutal stretch of the game, a putrid second quarter that saw him go 0-2 from the field, miss a cutting layup, and go -11 in five and a half minutes. The bench clearly missed Larry Nance who’s seeing a thumb specialist after being cheap shotted on the hand while dunking on Jimmy Butler. Kevin Porter Jr. had a couple moments on D, was also a part of the bench malaise: -15 in 16 game minutes and 1-6 from the floor including 0-3 from downtown. Someone get this kid a shooting coach.

The Cavs’ subs were torched by James Ennis III, and Furkan Korkmaz who combined for 27 off the bench in 34 combined minutes. We saw none of Delly in the second half, as Brandon Knight got his minutes and scored four. The Cavs should consider starting him and moving Garland or Sexton to the bench.

Only Alphonso McKinnie offered a glimmer of hope for the Cavs’ perimeter defense. McKinnie showed nice energy running the floor and rebounding to finish with seven points and six rebounds in 21 minutes. He earned some run.

Thompson (12/9/3) and Love (12/6/0)  were gassed and have a game to play tonight against the Knicks, who’ll be looking for revenge after being embarrassed by Cleveland during the Cavs’ last win. They seemed frustrated, and I didn’t blame them as the Cavs yet again failed to muster requisite energy to start a matinee game. Kev seemed especially checked out on D. Hard to blame him against a bully team like the Sixers.

Ante Zizic showed some flashes but was clearly out of shape. Still, he finished 3-6 from the floor, and offered the promise for at least some backup center minutes. Unfortunately, he shared the floor with Tristan Thompson in a lineup that offered zero shooting. It was a bit shocking that backup big, Dean Wade who has been putting up 14 & 9 and shooting 59% from three in Canton, wasn’t up for this game. The Cavs could’ve used the two-way players’ floor stretching ability.

Let’s hope the good guys fare better against the New York tonight.