Live Thread: Nets @ Cavs
2026-02-19Good evening CtB!
The Cavs welcome the Brooklyn Nets to the thawing banks of the Cuyahoga River to begin the speed race to the NBA playoffs. The Cavs welcome back their dynamic defensive duo Evan Mobley and Dean Wade, while NaeQwan Tomlin is unfortunately out with a calf himself. This is a classic trap game against a tanking team that the Cavs can’t afford to lose, let’s see if they take care of business tonight.
Tip off is scheduled for 7:00PM Eastern time and will be broadcasted live on FanDuel Sports Network, Go Cavs!
apologies LT up
Mobley OUT tonight. Rest. Tomlin probable.
Assuming a starting lineup of: Harden, Mitchell, Tyson, Wade, & Allen.
Main bench: Schröder, Merrill, Ellis, Tomlin, Bryant. Maybe a little CPJ.
Cavs drop Emanual Miller and sign guard Darius Brown to a 2-way
https://www.nba.com/cavaliers/news/releases-darius-brown-260220
Good for Darius. Hard work pays off.
yeah he shot the lights out at summer league a year or two ago.
INTERESTING—- IS KHAYES ON HIS WAY OUT—- NOT SURE HOW OLADIPO WOULD FIT IN WITH THE CAVS
We cannot sign Hayes to a 2 way. The 15 man roster is full.
We are already thin up front and swapping LNJ for Hayes would make us even more imbalanced. Hayes has always been a play for next year.
Cavs acquire the G league rights to former Pacers guard Victor Oladipo.
https://x.com/TonyREast/status/2024872802638012676?s=20
interesting. is he playing in the G league?
I have no idea.
turns out he has been lately. apparently, between injuries — he is pretty good.
RAOUL THAT IS AMAZING 👍👍👍—— WE HAVE THE NCAA BB🏀—PLAYER OF THE YEAR—-THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND WORDS ABOUT FIREFIGHTER s 👍🙏👍🙏
NOMAD, my small town now has an Olympic Gold Medalist and a Heisman Trophy winner
Tonight:
Cavs at Hornets (b2b for both)
Clippers (b2b) at Lakers
Nuggets (b2b) at Blazers
The start of our Tough Ten begins.
If we end it within 1-2 of Boston and even with the Knicks I’ll be happy. If we gain ground on them, I think we will be looking REALLY good for at least 2nd. NY, at Det, Det, and Boston in this run of 10.
it is a Tough Ten indeed, but the Cavs took several big steps up in the last ten or so. so there is a good chance they will be in second place and gained a game or two on the Pistons. That will leave 16 games to see if we can run them down.
Since being 17-16 in late December, we are a league best 18-5. The improvement started with DG & Mobes healthy and Hunter & Ball still here. It continued thru the DG/Mobley/Wade injuries. And thru the trades.
Allen was trending up before Harden got here. And Tyson & Merrill have been stroking it from deep all year.
But I think the improvement, trades, and getting healthier have created a sense belief in the team that we have a real shot. Harden is still an elite orchestrator at times and Ellis is an elite small wing defender..
Of the 10, the 4 vs the East contenders are the toughest. 3 at home. None are b2b.
The 3 b2bs are challenging. Bugs and Mil both on b2bs, but no travel, & playing well lately. Bugs sans Bridges & Diabate. Buck maybe w/out Giannis, but will be our 5th in 7. Philly has a rest edge but no travel for us.
At Nets and at Orl (sans Wagner) on full rest are games we should win. Ditto at OKC without SGA & Williams. A break there.
2-2 in the first group, 2-1 in the 2nd, and 3-0 in the third would be 7-3.
We get out of this first stretch unscathed (at Cha, at OKC, NY, at Mil) and I will start dreaming of 8-2 or better.
the Cavs totally have a real shot.
The starters were 27/41 from the field last night. 65.9%. Smokin’.
I feel real good about our top 9 come PO time: Harden, Mitchell, Mobley, Allen + Wade, Tyson, Merrill, & Schröder. A healthy Strus would be #10.
And CPJ, Tomlin, and Bryant can still play useful roles in stints. Maybe even LNJ.
that is only 8. I think you want Ellis in there too.
Having Ellis and Wade to stick on Cade (and Daniss Jenkins, who destroys people) for all minutes is going to be fun.
There are very few bad possessions and the best players aren’t exerting a lot of energy to get to their spots and shots. Half of Mitchell’s points were catch and shoot or catch and finish. Mitchell had a few possessions where he was slamming into a set defender or two, and Harden had an ugly TO. But what we are seeing is Harden raising the floor by valuing every possession and problem solving for the easiest buckets when they present themselves. Like he’s not looking to indiscriminately push but when he sees Mobley or Allen flying up to the floor… Read more »
RICK 👍🙏👍🙏👍🙏. WILL LET HIM KNOW—— YES LIKE THE “ OL MAN “ HE ENJOYS……….. “ MORE BEER 🍺 PLEASE “ AND YES THE STORIES WILL FLOW———- THEIR TRAINING IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING/ GRUELING— EQUIVALENT TO NAVY SEALS TRAINING—- THANK s AGAIN RICK 👍🙏
the work and bravery of firemen and volunteer firemen is amazing. check out the story last week in Pomeroy about a VFM who was able to save a baby (but not the mother) from a car that had broken thru the ice and was sinking in the Ohio river.
JASON- YEAH WAS WONDERING WHY HE / OMIER WASNT PLAYING—- GOOD FOR HIM/ GOING TO A STRONG DEVELOPMENTAL TEAM—HOPE IT ISNT ANOTHER “ HARD ROCK “ SCENARIO—- KHAYES NEXT TO BE SIGNED—MINNIX PUT UP GREAT STATS LAST NIGHT—- ALL ABOUT FIT / NEED FOR AN ORGANIZATION
Nuggets fall to the Clips.
The loss column:
13: Pistons
14: OKC
16: Spurs
————-
19: Boston
20: Rockets
21: NY, Cavs, Nuggets, Lakers
22: Minny
NY, Cavs, & Denver all at 35-21. We swept Denver but 0-2 vs NY. 1-0 v LAL, who are 33-21, 1 game back. A chance to inch into 5th overall & 3rd in the East tomorrow.
Watched KA presser.
1) Wade is the starter going forward. Likes the size, D, & rebounding.
2) Just wanted to give LNJ some burn at the 5. TB is fine.
3) Talked about non-Wade options for guarding bigger wings. Did not mention Tomlin. Did mention Harden, Mitchell, Merrill, and Ellis.
KA expects Strus back before the POs. But admits there is still a ways to go.
Hope he stays on track.
The Clippers are signing Omier to a 2 way.
Sorry, NOMAD. I was hoping he’d get one here, too. Hard to say he has not earned it, though.
SGA will be re-evaluated in one week, snd Williams in two.
Looks like we will catch a break with the OKC game.
Win tomorrow and come out healthy & we should be favored faitly heavily at OKC.
Was in class tonight, Cavs handled their business…. LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Pistons walloping the Knicks at MSG without Duren & Stewart.
If that holds, we don’t need any help to pass them if we beat them here.
MY BAD BALL PLAYED TONIGHT—- HORNETS GAVE ROCKETS A TOUGH GAME
Yep. I’d expect more resistance tomorrow. The do have 2 guys suspended, still.
Are Wade & Mobes gonna play?
Missed this one. Box score only.
Looks like it was over fast. And the starters got some rest. We did not play eith our food.
Interesting that Wade started instead of Tyson and Bryant DNP. Any word on if Bryant had an injury? Or if Wade & Mobley are gonna play b2b?
RICK DO YOU LIVE IN BOISE —- HOT SHOT FIRE FIGHTER SON GOING OUT THERE IN A FEW WEEKS TO TRAIN FOR ELITE SMOKE JUMPER
Yes – National Interagency Fire Center is here. I’m in awe of those cats. Send this to him – humans are NOT helping with his job: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/sp/ig01-mapped-the-u-s-states-building-the-most-homes-in-the-fire-line/
Happy to buy him a coffee (or beer or… more beer of course!) norris.krueger@gmail.com
p.s. but you do know that I will pump for “amusing” stories about you hahahaha
RICK ACTUALLY 23 —- HEY WE GOT IT 👍👍🏀💪
do you ever look at the % of FGs that are assisted (tonight we were 27 out of 86 FGA)??
BALL WAS IN AN ACCIDENT—-PROBABLY WONT PLAY
He played tonight.
MINNIX 32/16 – 4/6 FROM 3 ———- HAYES 18/8 ONLY PLAYED 2nd half OMIER DNP
Playing tomorrow in CHA, I anticipate a lot of time for Bryant, Proctor et al.
WAITING FOR SCHROEDER TO BUST LOOSE FOR 15–20 PTS —— HOPEFULLY BRYANT GETS SOME RUN
agreed, didn’t like Bryant not getting run.
Me, either. That seemed odd.
MINNIX -16/ 6 at HALFTIME—— HAYES/ OMIER NOT PLAYING
i keep forgetting: 25 dimes is the goal? If so, we’re there!
Mobley so much better when he’s just looking to make the right play over forcing it. A couple nice assists this game where I could have seen him turning it over earlier this season.
Wow Ellis. Don’t know how he got that block.
He is an elite guy in terms of blocks & steals.
Great d from Wade, comes down and hits the 3.
Rage timeout 41 seconds in.
4 – 0 rage timeout is an interesting choice.
Wade starts