Recap: Cavs 125, Nets 113 (or, I’m Not Sure What to Do With My Hands…)

When Ricky Bobby won his first race… he felt like he was on a spaceship… he wasn’t sure what to do with his hands in the interview after the first race he won, as he was so excitedly in disbelief that he’d actually come in first instead of last. That’s how I felt the last two games watching the Cleveland Cavaliers. Not that I’m actually not sure what to do with my hands (I mean I’m typing this recap after all…), but that I understand that giddy, unbelieving euphoria of unexpectedly winning… especially when it comes in situations like this.

Be honest… did you think the Cavs had a good shot to win on Wednesday going in? Did you expect them to withstand the inevitable Kyrie/Harden revenge game assault that was looming… even without the services of Kevin Durant? Did you think there was even a remote chance they’d sweep the NBA’s newest Big Three over these three days in Cleveland?

I’ll be honest… I hoped, but I can’t say I believed. And now, I know it’s only 15 games into a shortened 72 game season… but this team has me convinced they are better (much better) than I thought they were.

The game itself was super competitive in the first half, as Kyrie in particular came out blazing… and he and Harden accounted for scoring or assisting on 44 of the Nets’ 60 points at the break. But, the Cavs went toe to toe with them until a 10-0 run that spanned the first and second halves seemed to spell doom. However, JB Bickerstaff’s timeout just two minutes into the third quarter righted the ship. The Cavs rode a 37-20 run to finish the quarter and never looked back. Steve Nash flew the white flag with about three minutes to go in the game since the Nets have a daunting trip to Miami tomorrow.

A disclaimer before we go further… Brooklyn isn’t a bad team… but, they are not a great one yet. They have shown flashes of their offensive brilliance in their first few games together… but they lost a lot more than they realized, well… at least prior to this two game set when their former backup Center and bench 3-and-D guy destroyed their depleted reserves. That’s the downside of superstars teaming up (as we know only too well here)… not only does it take a while for things to coalesce and for stars to learn to play together and sublimate aspects of their respective games for the good of the team, but it usually costs something they can often ill-afford to lose in the process of being put together.

It’s ironic then, that the very piece that was key to making the blockbuster deal for the Nets to acquire James Harden, was the same piece that they really could have used against the Cavs’ relentless attack the last two games. Jarrett Allen obliterated what remains of the Nets bench (poor Joe Harris… more on that later)… and conversely wasn’t available to Brooklyn to help stop the rampaging Cavs in the paint (they outscored the Nets 70-46 in the restricted area). The Nets will be better once they get their sea legs (remember the Cavs’ Big Three started 19-20 before they went on a tear that took them all the way to the Finals)… but they may never have a very good defense in this new iteration. Not unless Harden and Irving buy in and become something other than net negatives defensively. That should be a source of concern for Nets fans with dreams of titles dancing in their heads.

But, I digress. This is a Cavs blog… and there was so much good to blog about from last night.

I started with Jarrett Allen, so let me continue to send platitudes in his general direction. This kid is going to be a MONSTER. I mean… he kind of is already… which should get Cavs fans very excited about where this team is headed. He finished with 19 points in 19 minutes on 7-9 shooting with six boards… but, he could have had much more as he was constantly available as the roll man. He affected shots as a true rim protector, and has terrific touch around the basket. He definitely is sure what to do with his hands, and I for one want to see much, much more of him on the court… doing things like this…

Another angle. 👀 #BeTheFight pic.twitter.com/L2TdlR4sSk

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) January 23, 2021

The reason he wasn’t last night, is that the starting Center was pretty darn good too. Andre Drummond, seemingly past his turnover-laden performance on Wednesday that saw him benched for good portions of the second half, was mostly a force for good in this one. He too logged 19 points (on 8-13 shooting) to go with 16 boards, four assists, two steals and a swat. In fact, there was only a two minute stretch towards the end of the first half where Point Andre decided to take over and make some questionable decisions. A couple of turnovers and bad misses by the big man helped turn an eight point Cavs lead into just a one point margin at the break.

Look, I’ve definitely been hard on Andre this season… not because he’s a bad player, but because he’s a maddening one. I want the guy to do well… but I also want him to do the things he does best, and not hurt the team by trying to do the things he doesn’t. His defense is unquestionably a huge part of why the Cavs find themselves a game over .500 and in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, even after the rash of injuries they’ve suffered. However, when he decides to freelance offensively, it often goes more wrong than right. See, in a recurring theme… Andre doesn’t always seem like he knows what to do with his hands. But, for the most part, he was very good tonight.

Sincere apologies to Collin Sexton for being almost 1000 words into this recap without mentioning his name or contributions to this win. While we saw NBA Jam supernova Young Bull on Wednesday when he scored 20 straight points in the fourth quarter and extra periods… tonight’s outing on some levels was even more impressive. In just 30 minutes of play, Sexton poured in 25 points on 8-19 shots. But, even though he only shot 1-5 from downtown, he out-Bearded Harden, drawing more than twice as many trips to the line, finishing 8-9 from there. He also had superior court vision, dishing out a team-high nine dimes while only turning the ball over once. His +18 also led the team, and his presence on the floor was only limited by foul trouble. In what is increasingly feeling like a breakout season for the Young Bull… he’s starting to show facets to his game that will take him to another level.

Oh yeah… and also this…

Collin Sexton is the first player in @cavs history to score 20+ points in each of his first 10 games of the season. pic.twitter.com/9iYzUAb7qZ

— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) January 23, 2021

Speaking of another level… Larry Nance, Jr. has been operating on one for a while now. It’s sometimes hard to put into words how good he is at all the little things. His BBIQ is off the charts. Though he had just one steal last night (something like three below his average), he was a terror on defense and a threat offensively. Give Junior Nance 15 and 10 on an efficient 7-11 shooting. He was 0-2 beyond the arc, but I appreciated his Harden-esque step back confident triple attempt. It’s good to see Larry starting to get comfortable looking for his shot.

Issac Okoro and Cedi Osman didn’t have terrific nights shooting the ball, and that hampered the Cavs a bit in the first half as Brooklyn was able to keep things relatively close. However, they both cranked up the energy defensively, and Cedi had a terrific steal that led to a transition bucket. Meanwhile, the Ice man guarded James Harden about as well as anyone I’ve seen do it, often forcing a pass… rarely falling for cheap fakes… and generally making Harden seem kind of invisible in his game high 37 minutes. He may be a rookie… but he’s a sponge.

Taurean Prince might have been a salary-dump throw in to the Jarrett Allen deal for the Cavs… but he’s been dynamic in his first two outings. His combination of slashing and deep shooting got him 14 points in just 22 minutes, and earned him a +14 for the game. If Prince can continue to resemble the version of himself from his Hawks days, he will be a tremendous boost off the bench for a team that was previously desperate for good wing play.

It was a welcome sight to see Darius Garland and Dylan Windler back in action after missing so many games (Garland eight and Windler 13). DG was predictably rusty with his shot (4-13, 1-4 from deep), but instantly found a good chemistry with Allen on a couple of oops. Meanwhile, Windler’s shot looked very pure in limited action as he hit both treys he took. More importantly, he used his length to snare six boards and play some very solid defense on the perimeter. Looking forward to seeing them both round back into form and make this deep teem even deeper.

I could go on and on about this team. They are incredibly likeable and supremely fun to watch. That’s a true testament to the imprint Coach Bickerstaff has put on them. He’s got them bought in defensively, where they deliver 48 minutes of effort and grit every time they step on the court (sometimes even 58). They do what it takes to give themselves a chance to succeed. I can only imagine what their record would be if they actually had guards playing the last week or two instead of having to gut it out with gigantic lineups. Much credit is due to a coach who seems like the perfect fit for this young and rapidly growing squad. He understands rotations, and isn’t afraid to sit a guy who isn’t helping the team at any given time. He’ll need to lean on that going forward, given how many able bodies he suddenly finds on his hands.

To that end, there are already rumors in the wind about teams looking to trade for the Cavs’ surplus of bigs. Ironically, Brooklyn might be inquiring about JaVale McGee (possibly one reason why he hasn’t played at all in these two games). Imagine, having to trade away your best young defensive Center to the same team you might have to give a future draft pick to just to snag a backup with experience. Life comes at you fast…

Highlight of the Night:

Like I said… poor Joe Harris…

😱 JARRETT ALLEN RIM ROCK on NBA LP 😱@cavs 50@BrooklynNets 45 pic.twitter.com/tdrJl2KrUB

— NBA (@NBA) January 23, 2021

Until next time…

GO CAVS!