Recap: Cavs 114, Mavs 96 (or, Texas Flood)
2021-11-30The Cavs put on a masterclass in Dallas, Texas tonight, giving the Mavericks a 114-96 beat-down that was over before the fourth quarter. Ironically, the Cavs rendered Luka Dončić’s triple double moot by putting forth a complete team effort with punishing team defense and shooting as hot as a Dallas summer day. No stats better represent hustle and unselfishness like rebounds and assists and to that end, the Cavs outrebounded the Mavs 48-33 and outassisted them 29-20. Let’s dive right into tonight’s takeaways…
1. Let the Big Dawgs Eat
Clearly the offensive game plan was getting the big guys going attacking the rim, namely Lauri Markkanen and Jarrett Allen. They combined for 32 field goal attempts and scored a highly efficient 52 points. Yours truly was lukewarm on both acquisitions this off-season, but if tonight’s an indication of things to come I’ll gladly take the L. As things stand now, JA should be a lock for his first All-Star appearance and is playing like a top five center in the NBA. The question for the remainder of the season will be sustaining the effort and toughness he’s showed so far this year.
In my (meek) defense, the Evan Mobley/Allen duo is still a very poor offensive tandem and Isaiah Hartenstein is playing like one of the best centers in the NBA (miss you Hard Rock!). But the thing I was dead wrong about was Allen’s ability to take his game to another level, a top 25 in the NBA level. Cavs’ GM Koby Altman’s W is less obvious with respect to the Finnisher, but Lauri finally got the three ball to fall tonight (5-9 from deep) and moving him to small forward has been a stroke of genius for Coach JB Bickerstaff in terms of the impact of length on the defensive end. Without Collin Sexton’s usage, the Cavs have transformed their offense to one that seeks to utilize the size advantage on the offensive end, and tonight’s proof of concept was pretty damn convincing.
DG real slick with it 😎 pic.twitter.com/LbqEXFv2gW
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) November 30, 2021
2. Darius Garland on the brink of stardom
DG’s counting stats were solid tonight with an efficient 18 points and nine assists, but the impact he’s having on the team’s offense has put him on the brink of joining the household names of the NBA. Prior to tonight’s game, DG ranked in the top 25 in offensive Estimated Plus-Minus (EPM), higher than household names such as Anthony Davis and Paul George. He’s getting consistently better at orchestrating his teammates on offense and recognizing how to attack the defense. With good health, DG will be an All-Star perhaps not this year, but in the very near future.
3. Minny Magic
Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love turned back the clock tonight to turn in their most dominating performances of the year. Both guys led all Cavs in net rating, posting up absurd numbers (+54.0 for Rubio, +47.3 for Love). With all the trade talk surrounding both of these guys, it has to feel joyous and vindicating for Love and Rubio to play essential roles on a Cavs’ team that’s competing for the playoffs (and perhaps more). All Rubio and Love want to do is play the game the right way and win. The young guys appear to have taken that to heart and running with it, resulting in some beautiful basketball.
4. Quick Note on Dallas
A few NBA fans and observers have adopted a “Mavs are frauds” agenda and this game did nothing to quell the suspicion that something stinks in the Big D. Luka put up a triple double in a little over three quarters and his team was down 30. Luka’s teammates looked disinterested in competing. Mark Cuban and Jason Kidd are wasting away rookie contract Luka Dončić and they have apparently no avenues to improve the team. Hey Luka, did you know that Cleveland is home to the most Slovenians outside the country of Slovenia? Just some food for thought, if someone can pass it along to his people.
5. Next up, South Beach
The Cavs will take on one of the Eastern Conference giants in the Miami Heat on Wednesday night. To end this recap properly, the dulcet tones of blues legend Stevie Ray Vaughan and his band Double Trouble on the famous program Austin City Limits:
just posted live thread!
Breaking news:
Heat C Bam Adebayo to have thumb surgery, miss around 6 weeks. Bummer for Bam. But this impacts the Cavs in two ways.
First, he is out tonight, along with Morris. Dedmon is listed as questionable as well (as is Butler). Herro probable (illness). Miami is banged up, particularly their bigs. If they opt to go small, this could be a fun game to watch.
Second, it likely takes Ban out of all-star discussion at C.
FWIW, Fall has been named the G League player of the week! 22/14 & 2 blocks per in 28 mpg on 81% shooting.
This was announced yesterday, making it …………..
Tacko Tuesday!!!
I am gonna make some for dinner to celebrate!
cool! I was at Taco John’s early, so I will take credit for the selection!
Kyrie doing his current stand only in order to boost the career of his countryman Patty.
Tell me I’m wrong.
Isn’t he trying to top his previous platform that the earth is flat?
Have watched just the first half of Mavs-Cavs, Cleveland up by 10 at the half but not terribly impressed yet — lots of turnovers. Porzingas chucking away (logo heat check clank when he wasn’t hot in the first place says it all), can’t get the logic of Kidd’s rotations. Two ridiculous foul calls on Stevens for going over screens — this is a problem for both Stevens and Okoro, the refs/league have no inbuilt respect (that is those two will rarely get the benefit of the doubt).
Cavs had ten turnovers in the first half, end the game with 19 (five each by Mobley and Garland). Mavs took care of the ball better (10 TOs) but couldn’t compete w/ Cleveland’s accuracy (56% overall FG, 10-19 from three) and the fact Dallas got outrebounded 48-33, would Cauley-Stein have changed that much? Glad Rubio got a bit of rest in this one (he played 28 minutes), Kevin Love with a very efficient 17:27 (10 points on 3-4 shooting, 5 rebounds, 3 assists). Limited run for Windler but good to see him on the floor, period, and a beautiful assist… Read more »
Holy third quarter, that was very impressive. Nice to see Lamar Stevens hit a nice bank shot over a big in the fourth, Windler picking up a few minutes in garbage time and Ed Davis with a competent bucket.
In thinking back to the Mavs game…Okoro is starting to find his role, and with it his confidence again. That’s basically like adding a replacement level or better player and subtracting a liability on offense. Add to that Lauri’s confidence rising…and we look formidable in a dimension I didn’t expect. Okoro and Stephens also look like ducking fake people in person btw. Like…DBZ people. It’s crazy.
another great one in Phoenix… Suns haters in the mud, Mikal Bridges shut Curry down… bet he could’ve shut Trae down for Philly. Ayton should’ve gotten paid LMFAOOO
17 game win streak!
Did the Cavs play them the closest in the streak? Maybe by point differential?
IDK i think so?
Timberwolves lost to them by 3 in their 9th in a row and a couple teams only lost by 4 during the streak. It has the feel of the rockets streak of 22 or so I think….they arent blowing many teams out
Did anyone else unintentionally think Ayton would go the way of Greg Oden just cuz they both looked 45 years old when they were drafted lol?
LMFAOOOOOOO
This is an important point !!!
Klay probably will help take the attention off Curry. I am salivating at the thought of those two teams fully healthy in a 7 game series.
When was the last time a team as green as our current cavs squad found their way to the finals? was it the Roided Magic? The sixers and Pistons were older by the time they got there in the early 2000s…Maybe the Pacers? No they were older too. I think it was the Magic. nope…just looked up their roster…they weren’t as young as this cavs team. almost an average age of 29 on their roster…this team has a 25 average. Minutes based averages aren’t available…but for reference Howard was 24 and Pietrus was 27. But i learned a lot searching… Read more »
could be a very fun WCF
Appreciate your recognizing that you were mistaken about JA, Chris.
On another note, I have no idea why the NBA thinks anyone, anyone on this Earth, wants to watch Jae Crowder pretend to play basketball. He’s a complete fraud who should be banned from the league. And yet he is befouling my tv screen as I type this.
There was a good quote during the game about JA working on his post moves and elbow drive game… it’s definitely made a difference on the offensive side of the ball.
postgame presser he compared all the work he did this summer to ‘putting pennies in the piggy bank’ which he is now drawing from, a host of new moves.
Never let up, MikeO!!
Net Knicks was a good one
I don’t know if anyone else is watching the knicks nets tonight but man someone needs to get Randle to shave off that ridiculous mess he must consider a beard…I mean it just looks like a prepubescent mess of scraggly hair…if he has a girlfriend or wife she is not doing her job…
DITTO WHAT CORDONZO POSTED—-BELIEVE –( AND AS MUCH AS I LIKE// ADMIRE LNJ ) —THE CAVS GOT THE BEST OF THAT TRADE —–AND THINK THE MORE COMFORTABLE LAURI GETS // HIS CONFIDENCE WILL GROW EVEN MORE —-AND I THINK HE HAS SHOCKED EVERYONE WITH HIS ATHLETICISM AND ” COMPETITITVE MEAN STREAK
BUCKAROO—-YOU MADE ME DO A “CLF “—WHAT HAPPENS IN THE TREE HOUSE —STAYS IN THE TREE HOUSE ” :-)
I only had passing knowledge of Lauri before he came to Cleveland, but I really like him. Obviously, he has had his struggles, but he never quits trying. He doesn’t give up on his shooting, he keeps trying to play inside when the play leads him there. His defense isn’t good, but again, he’s always moving and trying. It’s just fun to watch.
Ilhes had aome really good defenaive games.
can’t remember which recent thread it was on CtB (I think for this Mavs game?) but the ‘Markkanen playing angry’ thing is worth pursuing, he has been fun to watch lately and Love gracefully ceding the starting spot I think has been important for the Finn’s role on the team
Was at the game in Dallas last night…it was glorious. The amount to which media and the league are currently still sleeping on this Cavs team is pretty epic. The “highlights” from the game on ESPN and NBA, etc…are 70%+ Mavs highlights. That’s laughable. There actually was a palpable feeling by about 8 minutes in of When, not If, the cavs would pull away. They controlled the whole game from the tip…they were careless with the ball in the 2nd quarter a lot or it would have been a 40 point win. The Cavs felt relentless, and the Mavs felt… Read more »
man you saw a great one scotch!!!! CtB bump is undefeated!!!
Nice!!! +1 CLF on the CtB bump. Scotch, I agree about the highlights, the Porzingis dunk impressive, sure, but “clank clank clank goes the non-exploding dynamite” as they say. More impressed with Porzingis as a shot blocker in this game (4).
I last saw the Cavs-Mavs live when they came to Cleveland 2011 the year they won the title, Antawn Jamison was our main scoring threat. I wonder if Dirk was in the house on Monday’s game to watch Mobley and Allen dominate.
GOD QUESTION JOHNB—–BECAUSE CARLISLE IS A FAR BETTER COACH THAN JASON KIDD
NOMAD bro.. did you get in a little boban shake n bake with the mrs NOMAD ?
THE ONLY REGRET FROM LAST NIGHTS GAME IS NOT SEEING THE ‘TALL TIMBER GIANTS”—TACKO AND MARJANOVIC GO AT EACH OTHER —-JUST CLEAR OUT AND LET THEM GO 1ON 1 …………” MORE BEER PLEASE “
So what was the story with Carlisle. I know there was tension between him and Doncic, but was he actually forced out or did he just wash his hands and choose to leave?
Supposedly Carlisle clashed with the former “shadow” GM Harlabob dude who’s close with Cuban.
Combo of the Cavs playing great D and the Mavs being completely listless. Also JKidd’s coaching. Throwing Moses Brown to the wolves was coaching malpractice when he bad Boban, Powell, Zinger, and Kleber to make up for WCS’s absence. Mavs were completely unprepared for the Cavs.
LMFAOOOO thank you Jason Kidd!!!!
so…sort of. Kidd got more animated during timeouts than JB did. He was furious with his team during the 2nd quarter where they should have made headway but kept launching contested 3s. He looked like a tomato. but also the mavs players were very animated during each timeout from the 2nd qutr on…they were not listless in any way. Brunson and Luka and Coach Kidd were talking to the refs every chance they got on breaks until the 6 minute mark of the 3rd quarter. Luka basically until he was taken out in the 4th. They seemed genuinely flummoxed by… Read more »
‘He looked like a tomato’ whaaaaaaaaaa
Great recap and a great win. I am completely surprised with how good a team we are this year, especially with the injuries and tough early schedule.
I liked the Mobley pick but did not think he’d be near this good this fast, nor impact winning this much this quick. Nor was I sure Mobley/Allen would work. Speaking of JA, big step forward. Thought we overpaid slightly for him but was OK with it. But he has showed some something. Nit just a dunker. Nice McHale up & under stepthrough! Left hand finish off glass and the foul? Sweet.
DG is still too loose with the ball at times, but that lob to Allen is becoming potent. He is a real PG. Having an effective floor general out there makes a huge difference. And not only do we have one, we have two! The Rubio acquisition being golden is about the only thing I got right about the off-season. Despite the shooting issues, he has been fantastic. And he has helped Love’s attitude. I hope they both stick around beyond this year (for less money). Sucks about Sexton getting hurt. We are not going to see how Sexland would… Read more »
Thanks Jason, and on point with your observations as well!
Anybody else getting Nash-Stoudamire Suns vibes from DG-Allen connection? Jason Kidd is one of the worst coaches in NBA history. Watching his low-energy, arrogant press conference is a good start to figuring out where the Mavs’ lack of spirit comes from. Sort of the perfect foil to JB and how he’s gotten buy-in from our guys. I’m also finally starting to come around to the idea that maybe Koby is actually a decent GM. Yes, the individual moves have paid off, but even the seeming blunders — letting KPJ go, not signing Collin’s extension — seem to make sense from… Read more »
100% agree on Jason Kidd.
that’s a good point about KPJ and Sexton, I do think it was a good move to not extend Sexton to a crazy number.. really wish we could’ve seen what 6th man point guard Sexton looks like.
I was big on the 6th man Sexton idea for a long time, but seeing how our second unit functions so smoothly now — and more importantly, how it keeps the 5-man-game ethos in place so that there’s a style of play continuity throughout the game — I now think that Sexton’s score-first mentality would be disruptive even coming off the bench. I think a big part of what makes us so hard for other teams to defend is that the offense could come from any player at any time. Hell, even Valentine put up some numbers in that one… Read more »
totally fair point, there’s no question that would be a risk to the 2nd unit.
The counterpoint might be that it would allow Rubio to start instead of come off the bench, but obviously that’d still risk the ball movement that’s been key to the offense improving this year.
Not obvious that either letting KPJ go, or not signing YB’s extension, was a bad move: The fact that no one would trade anything for KPJ can’t be ignored. Don’t know if YB was holding out for the max. The parameters for his contract will be clearer after this season. I would have made a QO on Hard Rock and figured out how to use him. He would have looked pretty good during the rash of injuries. The narrative that there were too many big men was off: there were too many 4’s, and only one 5. Using Mobley at… Read more »
The problem with the HR logic is we have effectively used Mobley at the 5 in stints all year and the defense doesn’t suffer much (rebounding has when Love was injured…but weight should help)…and he will not weigh in at 96lbs forever lol. Hard Rock was fun…but cleveland fans seem to love slightly effective fun effort guys over very effective not as blue collar types. Delly was uncharacteristically impactful for a few seasons in cleveland…but his other years he was below replacement level. We need to take the next several years seriously…not attempt to put on a fun product that… Read more »
good points.
Being a skinny #1 is not as much of a problem as a skinny #5. Mobley looks like he has to run around in the shower to get wet.
Yeah, but look at Durant. Dude still looks like a praying mantis. I’m always perplexed when people talk about Anthony Davis as a comp for EM — or even Garnett, who seems a little closer. I see Durant. With less scaly skin!
Hammer in search of a nail is PERFECT for Sexton. And exactly right about our Cleveland love for hard-nosed, overachieving underdogs who can’t quite get you over the hump. See Mayfield, Baker (best case scenario) and Manziell, Johnny (worst).
good point.
However, I am afraid that “best case scenario” for Baker is optimistic. We are all wishing real hard that he can succeed as an NFL QB, but I worry that the tooth fairy will not bless us.
During the replay, I think it was around half time I thought “I wonder how long Luka will be with the Mavs?”. Then I read your recap – you’re right, something is not gelling. Looooved the defence this crew put up on the Mavs. Just jaw-dropping D, which was the reason Cavs built the break. No Mav got a clear shot except for Luka beyond the arc. Cavs bigs combined with a PG who knows how to distribute the ball will win this team a lotta games. For the offence, can I just holler LAURI IS A STUD. Cavs have… Read more »
yeah, Lauri at the small forward on offense is creating a lot of easy looks for him and he’s been cashing them in the last four games… could really see him take off now that he’s healthy and finding rhythm!
This was my favorite game so far this year. Kinda how I felt after we beat the nets last year. Great review and points about the Mavericks. They are not a bad team at all, the Cavs are just better. If Cedi comes back and we’re playing like this, I’m curious how the first round of playoffs goes. Going against the Heat will be a good indicator. But our crew is definitely something to get pumped about. If you told me last year that the Cavs would have a better record than Bron and the boys in LA this “far”… Read more »
Btw- can we get a more challenging schedule? Haha. Seriously it feels like we’re up against a top ten team almost every night!
Thanks Jake! Great point about them having a better record so far than the Lakers!!!
NOT TO BE ‘OUTDONE ” BY THE E.G. —-“I’M BACK —–HOME “——–GREAT RECAP CLF—-WATCHED THE REPLAY ——-RIGHT NOW I WOULD HAVE TO GIVE KOBY PASSING MARKS ON THE MOVES HE MADE THIS OFFSEASON—-ALLEN // LAURI / RUBIO —–YEAH I AM A HARD ROCK FAN—-THINK HE SAW THE LOG JAM WITH THE BIGS WHY HE DIDN’T RESIGN WITH THE CAVS –I TOO HAD TO DO A ‘RETAKE ‘ WITH THE NEW DO FOR ICE AND YES AFTER THIS VERY FRUSTRATING WEEKEND –( BUCKEYES–BROWNS )– THE CAVS REVIVED ME SOMEWHAT —-HEY NATE I STUMBLED ACROSS A BEER FROM A CANTON BREWERY// ROYAL… Read more »
LMFAO thank you NOMAD!!! glad you’re back home safe!
If CtB ever combines to write a book about the history of the Cavs from 2019-2022 I nominate Nomad’s phrase (“Logjam of Bigs”) as a title possibility, well said man
Also Okoro hair do threw me for a loop – I was like who tf is that? haha – oh.
Markk is gaining more confidence and why I think he will be better for Cavs in long run. His outside shooting is formidable and even if his defense is less than desired offense can win in this league.
Watched highlights and in via those this game was out of control quickly. Mavs are still a good team, Cavs just better and shot the hell out of the ball. Nice having everyone back healthy (at least those who could come back). See how team continues to operate after this. But considering what we went through with Ohio ST and Browns this was awesome to see. Who would have thunk?! GO CAVS!!
Speaking of the Browns, …., you gotta love Baker’s “can do” overachiever attitude, but there is no way he will ever be a top 10 QB. On good days, he might be a top 12 or top 15, but on frequent bad days, he is near the bottom. Joe Burrow was better in highschool.
As blowhard Colin Cowherd likes to point out, it is very rare for a team to get to the Superbowl without a top 10 QB. It is time for the Browns to tank.
Lots of teams get to the Superbowl with non-HOF QBs. In the last 20 years — Nick Foles, Eli Manning, Joe Flacco, Brad Johnson, and Drent Dilfer all won the SB. Jimmy Garapolo, Jared Goff, Cam Newton, Colin Kaepernick, Rex Grossman, Matt Hasselbeck, Jake Delhomme, Rich Gannon got there but lost. Browns problems are largely injuries on the OL and lack of a real deep threat. Not that I’m a big Baker booster, but we’ll be tanking from now til eternity if we just wait for Mr. Franchise to come along. We’ve had plenty of high draft picks already and… Read more »
GO CAVS!
Awesome recap CF! Been tough to stay current on the Cavs, but been able to see the highlights. Never been a numbers guy, but this team passes the eye test with flying colors. It just feels different. Not just the length, but the total buy in they have to the identity JB and the coaching staff has cultivated. They flat out hustle on both ends, rarely give up on plays, and mostly seem to have a plan. Mobley and Allen affect nearly every shot in the paint, and can both guard out to the perimeter with relative ease. Markkanen looks… Read more »
Thank you EG! Means the world to hear from you! I trust the EG eye test, was just thinking about how incredible the vibes are from the team right now… what gave me that thought was seeing Love enjoying himself on the court, celebrating after a three he hit. Great point about JB and the coaching staff too. You’re 100% correct, it’s a special squad… Mobley was a game changer, kids are growing up, vets are stepping up… it feels like the EG blessing of the Cavs will serve them well on this road trip!!! LMFAOOO Miss you EG but… Read more »
EG! Good to hear from you! Hope you’re well.
good point about winning without Cedi, hope he is back soon, a la Evil Genius on the comment boards