Recap: Cleveland 112, Brooklyn 117 (or, Last Minute Lesson)

The Cavs looked to deploy a healthier version of their roster against the superstar laden Brooklyn Nets and learned another lesson about finishing out a close game against a playoff contender.

Tonight saw the return of a somewhat familiar starting lineup as Allen and Markannen reunited as a partial Tower City and Love saw action coming off the bench. However, with Sexton now out for the season, Mobley limited to standstill shots at the Cleveland Clinic, and Cedi and Stevens out, the Cavs couldn’t quite finish a game the led for nearly 40 minutes.

1st Quarter

The Cavs opened play with the scrappy intensity and versatile scoring fans have grown to love in the young 2021-2022 season, trading scores before the Nets hit a shooting slump and the Cavs dominated the defensive glass, limiting the Nets to single attempts. Early made threes from Garland and Markannen would portend the Cav’s continued abandonment of mid-range looks for open perimeter shooting and 80’s style banging in the paint. The Cavs’ newfound health was put to use early as Wade collected two fouls early, pressing Davis and Love into early minutes. The Nets could not match the Cavs’ effort on defense, particularly Wade’s sound coverage of Durant, which continually frustrated Durant throughout the half and helped limit him to four of 11 shooting in the half and the Nets over all to 35% shooting. The Cavs finished the quarter up three with 27 points over the Net’s 22.

2nd Quarter

With the defensive effort, fast transitions, and rebounding that have become, dare this author say, the hallmarks of the Tower City era, the Cavs pushed their lead to 11 in the second quarter to head into halftime with to plan a win instead of a comeback. While the Nets attempted to bully Markannen off switches they couldn’t find the offensive output to match the surging Cavs, lead by Garland’s 4-7 shooting in the quarter including a crucial three and a highlight shake and bake dismantling of Harden. The Nets pushed the game to within three points with five minutes left in the quarter before a Wade block led to a fantastic Lauri euro step make. Okoro remained active on offense, drawing a crucial foul that stalled the Net’s momentum and allowed the Cavs to gain a ten point advantage with a timely Rubio step back three pointer.

https://youtu.be/rKNunqEBuEA

The Cavs finish the half shooting 46% from the field with higher efficiency than the Nets, doubling the Nets’ free throws made with 15, and doubling the Net’s rebounds with 29. However, the Nets held an advantage in turnovers, which they converted into 14 points in the half compared to the Cavs’ paltry two.

3rd Quarter

The officials started giving superstar calls to the Nets’ admittedly superstar players as the teams traded blows through the beginning of the second half. With ten minutes left in the quarter Aldridge drained his seventh of nine attempts to cut the Cavs’ lead to single digits, but Garland (24/5/11) wasn’t done showing the world (or, a semi-national audience on NBAtv) what he can do on the basketball court.

However, a Wade block (he played excptional D) led to a free-for-all for a loose ball that found a scrambling Garland’s head collide with DeAndre Bembry’s elbow, sending Darius to the locker room. Garland was clearly shaken up on the play, and while he would return eventually to the court, he had lost his rhythm and would struggle to find it. A bench unit including Rubio, Windler, Love and Davis showed early promise before the Nets began a run that would stretch to 15 to 7 before Garland’s eventual return with just over a minute left in the quarter and the game tied up at 80 all.

https://youtu.be/Xg1X-uIl_ZA

4th Quarter

Garland’s unscheduled date with the training room would prove a pivot point for the rest of the contest, as the Cavs were able to briefly retake the lead only twice, and the Nets held on to two or three possession advantage that would prove enough to win. The Nets never led by more than five points during the game and would finish five points up. The quarter included some positives for the Cavs, as Okoro’s three triples in the second half added some talking points to the ongoing internet debate regarding his early season shooting woes, and Markannen would match with three of his own strikes from deep.

The 4th quarter pivoted around a few adjustments made my both teams, likely at the half, that defined the late game’s flow. Spot sideline reporter and man-about-town Andre Knott commented that J.B. called a timeout early in the quarter with the Cavs down seven to stress the importance of Cavs sticking with the Net’s formidable perimeter shooters on defense, while the Nets attempted to take away the paint with generous help defense on Love and Allen down low.

The Nets’ gambit nearly backfired as the Cavs were able to hit shots from deep, but the Nets’ Harden (14/6/14), Mills (17, 5-9 from deep) and Durant (27/6/9) were able to find open shots in transition and via frantic off ball movement. And every time Brooklyn needed a timely mid-ranger, LaMarcus Aldridge was there (20 points on 9-11 shooting). Fortunately, Jarrett Allen happened.

I absolutely love this, getting emotional I think. Watch Allen right when he hits the front of the C logo and realizes no one is back. Turns on the jets and Garland hits him in stride. pic.twitter.com/HHgK1H4yrO

— Crandall Dinsbach (@cavsfilmroom) November 23, 2021

The backbreaker came at 2:30 when Ricky Rubio went up for a shot in the right corner after an offensive rebound and Bembry was in his space. Rubio elevated for the shot, and Bembry launched himself backwards from the force of a phantom elbow, flopping on the floor like a fish. Justin Van Duyne called an offensive foul on Ricky, JB elected not to challenge, and 13 seconds later Patty Mills splashed a triple from the top of the key against a disorganized Cavs defense. That was at least a three point swing, and maybe as much as six. Post-game, Bickerstaff probably drew a healthy fine for criticizing the officiating.

A Rubio three would draw the Cavs within one point with just under two minutes to play, and a timely Markannen strip of Harden with 13 seconds left almost allowed for an oppurtunity to send the game to overtime, but Markannen had stepped on the sideline, and Cavs headed to tunnel.

After 18 games the Cavs stand nine and nine, the same record they had last season after 18. The similarities almost end there, as this year’s edition will look to get even healthier, and press through the toughest early season schedule the team has faced in several years.