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Cleveland Cavaliers

Craig Porter Jr

Cavaliers Sign Craig Porter Jr. to 4-Year Contract

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The Cavaliers solidified their backcourt depth with the signing of Craig Porter Jr. on Wednesday.

The Cavs originally signed Porter on a two-way contract last July after the 6-2 point guard went undrafted out of Wichita State.

On Feb. 14, Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman announced that the Cavaliers have converted Porter’s contract to a “standard NBA contract.” It’s been widely reported that Porter signed a four-year deal.

Unfortunately for Cavs fans, Porter was quickly assigned to the Cleveland Charge for tonight’s game at Grand Rapids.

In 32 games – including five starts – Porter hasn’t played like an undrafted rookie.

The poised point guard is averaging 6.5 points, 2.8 assists (sixth among NBA rookies), 2.5 rebounds, 0.53 steals and 0.38 blocks, while shooting .509 from the field in 14.7 minutes per contest.

Porter, who also was a member of the Cavaliers’ 2023 Summer League Championship team, has scored in double figures on nine occasions and handed out five or more assists eight times this season.

In a win over Denver on Nov. 19, Porter recorded a career-high 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field – including a perfect 7-for-7 from the free-throw line – four rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block in 25 minutes off the bench.

His 21 points were the most by an undrafted Cavaliers rookie since Matthew Dellavedova on March 26, 2014, at Detroit.

Against New Orleans on Dec. 21, Porter dished out a career-high 11 assists, which were the most assists by an undrafted Cavaliers rookie since Dellavedova in 2014 against Detroit.

He also recorded the most rebounds ever by a Cavaliers undrafted rookie with 12 boards during a win at Dallas on Dec. 27.

For me, Porter’s signature moment came during the Cavs’ Nov. 22 overtime win at Philadelphia, with Porter driving into the chest of Joel Embiid with 54 seconds left in OT, hanging in midair and scoring to put the Cavs up 118-116.

Porter had 12 points and nine assists off the bench in that game.

Cavs Channel 43

In a big win for cord-cutters, Channel 43 to broadcast 5 Cavaliers games

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Cord-cutters, dust off those bunny ears.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are returning to WUAB Channel 43 after a six-year absence.

The Cavaliers and Gray Television, parent company of Channel 43, announced a joint agreement to offer over-the-air distribution of five upcoming Cavs games. And they’re marquee matchups.

Games scheduled to air on Channel 43 are:

  • March 5 – Cavs vs. Celtics
  • March 8 – Cavs vs. Timberwolves
  • March 29 – Cavs vs. 76ers
  • April 6 – Cavs at Los Angeles Lakers
  • April 7 – Cavs at Los Angeles Clippers

While these five games will not be available on the Bally Sports app or via Bally Sports Ohio, the Cavs broadcasting team will remain the same.

John Michael will continue to call play-by-play for all Cavs games on Bally Sports Ohio and the games distributed over-the-air through Gray, accompanied by analysts Austin Carr and Brad Daugherty. Serena Winters and Cayleigh Griffin will remain as sideline reporter and co-host of “Cavaliers Live,” respectively.

“We are constantly evaluating every available opportunity to create the greatest experience for all fans of Cavaliers Basketball,” said Nic Barlage, CEO of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Rock Entertainment Group and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. “Given the current dynamic media landscape, we have prioritized how we can expand our audience in every way possible. This partnership with Gray allows us to test out a new model of distribution that has the potential to reach more of our fans across our region.”

The “new model of distribution” likely won’t include Bally Sports Ohio in the future.

Diamond Sports Group, which operates Bally Sports Ohio and other Bally Sports regional channels, filed for bankruptcy in March 2023. The company was prepared to wind down operations by the end of 2024 until it announced a funding deal in January.

As part of the deal, Amazon will kick in $115 million to take a minority equity stake in Diamond, Reuters reported. That means “Amazon’s Prime Video will now become the primary partner through which customers can buy direct-to-consumer access to stream Diamond’s local channels, which carry the games of more than 40 major sports teams across the United States,” according to a Reuters article.

Fans of a certain age will remember that Channel 43 was the over-the-air home of the Cavaliers from 1994 to 2018, and for most of the 1980s.

In related Eastern Conference news, Atlanta-based Gray Television also announced that it will broadcast 10 Milwaukee Bucks games on WMLW “The M” in Milwaukee.

Cavs 76ers

Sixers Outhustle Cavaliers, Snap 9-Game Winning Streak

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If ever there was a “trap” game, this was it.

Heading into Monday night’s home matchup against Philadelphia, the Cavaliers were riding a nine-game winning streak – the longest active streak in the NBA at the time. Some of those wins were so non-competitive that they looked more like a Harlem Globetrotters game than a legitimate NBA contest.

Meanwhile, the 76ers have been reeling in the absence of reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid, who had surgery performed on his left knee earlier this month. While the Sixers’ lengthy injury report included Tobias Harris, Robert Covington and Nicolas Batum, they recently added prolific sharpshooter Buddy Hield and Cameron Payne via trades.

Other than Tyrese Maxey, this was a Philadelphia starting-lineup configuration that the Cavs hadn’t faced before.

The warning signs were there.

“These are the games you cannot take lightly,” Serena Winters of Bally Sports declared just prior to tipoff.

Brad Daugherty put it this way: “The problem when you play against a team that’s not at full strength is they’re gonna be a little freeer than you are. So they’re gonna take some tough shots; they’re gonna take a lot of shots. You don’t want to get lulled into doing that. You want to be disciplined, take advantage of your offense. Execute – that’s what’s gotten you here.”

The execution wasn’t quite there from the opening tip for the Cavs, who stumbled on their first possession and trailed 34-33 after the first quarter. Particularly troublesome was the fact that the 76ers shot 67% from the field in the first frame, matching the Cavs with 20 points in the paint.

Without Embiid, the Sixers took a page out of the Cavaliers’ playbook, playing aggressive defense, attacking the basket, gobbling up 50/50 balls, firing away from 3-point range and playing with an overall sense of urgency – a formula that served the Cavs well when Darius Garland and Evan Mobley were out.

The Sixers led throughout the second quarter and went up 66-62 at halftime. Philadelphia had the edge in paint points, 36-30, and shot 59% from the field.

“Give them credit – they’re attacking our paint,” Cavs assistant coach Luke Walton told Winters at the start of the third quarter. “The surprise for us [is] we’re an elite defensive team, and we don’t let people do that to us. We gotta play with much more physicality in the second half and really just get back to doing defensively what we’ve done so well all season long.”

Shortly after Walton’s comments, Sixers backup center Paul Reed started off the third quarter with an easy layup. Reed scored in the paint again on the Sixers’ next possession to make it 70-62 Philadelphia.

The 76ers continued to score effortlessly in the paint until a disgruntled J.B. Bickerstaff called a timeout with 9:14 left in the third.

The Cavs responded by ratcheting up their defense and getting some baskets in transition, taking a 77-76 lead with 7:00 left in the third. The 76ers weren’t fazed.

Still, the Cavaliers fought hard, taking a 92-91 lead on a Jarrett Allen dunk at the end of the third quarter. Considering that the Cavs had a 33-2 record when leading after three quarters, it looked like they had a good shot to extend their winning streak to 10.

The Cavs extended their lead to 94-91 early in the fourth, but the Sixers didn’t wilt. Maxey, who finished with 22 points, and Kelly Oubre Jr. (24 points) showcased their jumpshots all night.

Hield’s layup put the 76ers up 106-102 with 5:40 left in the game. Hield, who finished with 24 points, nailed a 3-pointer on the Sixers’ next possession – and then another to make it 113-104 with 4:28 remaining.

The Cavs trailed 115-107 with 3:17 left.

Somehow, the Cavs had a chance to win it. Donovan Mitchell, who led all scorers with 36 points, intercepted an errant inbounds pass with 53.4 seconds left and drove to the basket, scoring on a floating bank shot. Hield fouled out on the play, and Mitchell converted the free throw to make it 120-116.

On the next 76ers possession, the Cavaliers finally got a stop. After Max Strus and Garland missed 3-point attempts, Mitchell coolly drained a 3-pointer to make it 120-119 with 14 seconds left.

The Cavs had a chance to win at the buzzer, but Garland – who is still trying to find his rhythm after missing six weeks due to a fractured jaw – missed a 3-point shot as time expired. Philadelphia prevailed, 123-121.

Dean Wade was out with an illness, and the Cavs certainly missed his dogged defense. Georges Niang and Sam Merrill played, but both reserved were held scoreless.

Mitchell, the Eastern Conference Player of the Week, wasn’t making any excuses.

“I don’t mean to say this in a harsh way, but we kind of deserved to lose this game just based off of how we started,” Donovan Mitchell told reporters after the game. “We came out as if one, they were gonna lay down and let us just continue to do what we do, but I think also we just didn’t put forth [the effort], especially defensively. Offensively, we got what we wanted. But [defensively] we didn’t come out the right way, and the basketball gods don’t reward you for that.”

Mitchell added that there’s no reason to panic. However, with the addition of Hield, it sure looks like the 76ers are going to be dangerous if and when Embiid returns this season.

Zhaire Smith

Cavaliers sign Zhaire Smith to 10-day contract

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The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed Zhaire Smith to a 10-day contract, the team announced.

The 6-3 guard has started in 32 games this season for the Cleveland Charge, averaging 12.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.28 steals per game while shooting .404% from the 3-point line in 33.4 minutes.

Prior to Cleveland, Smith played two seasons (2018-2020) with the Delaware Blue Coats, the Philadelphia 76ers’ NBA G League affiliate. He played in 39 games – 30 of which were starts – for the Blue Coats, averaging 11.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 26.6 minutes.

In 13 career NBA games with the Philadelphia 76ers during parts of the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 seasons, he holds career averages of 3.7 points and 1.2 rebounds in 11 minutes. Smith started in two of those games.

He also appeared in four games for the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2023 NBA Summer League, averaging six points in 14 minutes.

The Phoenix Sun selected Smith as the 16th overall pick in the 2018 draft after one collegiate season at Texas Tech (2017-2018). He appeared in 37 games (21 starts) for the Red Raiders, averaging 11.3 points, five rebounds and 1.8 assists in 28.4 minutes and was selected to the All-Big 12 Defensive Team.

Smith will wear No. 19 for the Cavaliers, which was last worn by Damon Jones. (Fun fact: Cleveland radio personality Kenny Roda often referred to Damon Jones as “Amon Ones,” because he had no D and no J.)

Toronto Raptors

Cavs Roll with Satisfying Rout of Raptors in Toronto

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Scotiabank Arena has been a house of horrors for the Cavs over the past few seasons.

Prior to Saturday night’s game, the Raptors had won 10 of the past 11 meetings with the Cavs on Toronto’s home court. That included a 124-121 win on New Year’s Day – the first of only two losses for the Cavaliers in 2024 so far. Perhaps more memorable to Cavs fans was the Raptors’ 108-105 opening-night victory in 2022, during which Darius Garland suffered a left-eye injury that cost him several games.

Over the past two or three seasons, the Raptors have been a tough matchup for this iteration of the Cavs. The Raptors have good size and “length” (as they say in the popular parlance), and they seemed to outmuscle the Cavs at times in recent matchups.

That wasn’t the case on Saturday.

The current rendition of the Toronto Raptors is a mashup of the Raptors, Knicks and Jazz, and the organization seems to be in a weird limbo – “purgatory” might be the better word ­– of trying to rebuild and reload at the same time. They’re building around Scottie Barnes, who has a ton of upside, but their starting lineup isn’t terrible.

That said, the current rendition of the Cleveland Cavaliers is really good. And they take care of business against sub-.500 teams.

The Cavs’ 119-95 win in Toronto was just as non-competitive as the score indicates. They led 67-47 at halftime and warmed the heart of J.B. Bickerstaff with a season-high 21 assists on 27 shots in the first half.

The Cavs just kept pouring it on in the second half.

The Cavs’ frontcourt flexed its muscles against a disjointed Raptors squad that was playing its second night of a back-to-back. Jarrett Allen had 18 points and 15 rebounds, his 24th double-double of the season. Evan Mobley had 17 points and 11 boards in 27 minutes.

All five Cavaliers starters scored in double figures, and three reserves – Georges Niang, Caris LeVert and Isaac Okoro – did as well.

Considering that Toronto had won four straight against the Cavs – and they now employ the likes of Kelly Olynyk and former Knicks R.J. Barrett and Immanuel Quickley – this one gets honorable mention as one of the most satisfying wins of the 2023-2024 season. And I just don’t like the Raptors.

Defense Travels Well

Heading into the All-Star break, we have a pretty good sample size of data to feed into the Cavaliers’ formula for success. This particular data point is pretty compelling: The Cavs are 11-0 when holding opponents to 100 points or less this season.

Cleveland held Toronto to 40% shooting and 9-of-31 from 3-point range.

“I think our guys have completely bought into the idea of what they’re capable of defensively, and understand how important that is for our success,” Bickerstaff told reporters after the game. “And they take pride in it. It’s something they feed off and they want to do. They get upset when guys score on them. They get upset when they give up offensive rebounds or blow an assignment.

“I just want our guys to believe in it the way that they do, and understand, we can turn it up a notch even more, and keep getting better at it, understanding our system more, keep working together on our communication, all those things. But we just want opponents to feel us. We want to be a heavyweight on their shoulders every night.”

Donovan Mitchell

Report: Lakers’ List of Offseason Targets Includes Donovan Mitchell

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While the Los Angeles Lakers were quiet at the NBA trade deadline, there’s some chatter that the team has aspirations to land another star this summer to pair with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

With three first-round draft picks in their quiver, the Lakers believe they have enough ammunition to make a splash in the offseason.

Donovan Mitchell is the latest name to be linked to the Lakers’ wish list.

Citing The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, CBS Sports is reporting that Kyrie Irving, Trae Young and Mitchell are potential targets for the Lakers.

This isn’t the first time that Irving has been mentioned as a potential target, and Los Angeles reportedly was in hot pursuit of Young’s backcourt partner, Dejounte Murrary, in recent weeks.

However, this is the first I’ve heard about their interest in Mitchell, who currently ranks fourth in the NBA with 28.5 points per game. January’s Eastern Conference Player of the Month ranks third in the NBA in steals.

As much as it would pain Cavaliers fans to see Mitchell go to the Knicks, it would be just as horrifying to see him playing alongside LeBron and AD. However, it seems unlikely at this point.

“If Mitchell was available, either because Cleveland wants to trade him or he asked to be dealt elsewhere, the New York Knicks would likely be the most aggressive team to land him, as they tried to get him when he asked out of Utah,” Jasmyn Wimbish wrote for CBS Sports. “The Knicks have been making incredibly savvy moves recently, are the No. 4 team in the East and are armed with draft picks to facilitate a trade of that magnitude. So the Lakers would have to put their best package out there if they want to contend with a team like the Knicks or the 76ers who can also put together a strong package to land a third star.”

The Cavaliers have expressed zero interest in trading Mitchell, and understandably so. They gave up a king’s ransom for Mitchell in 2022, trading Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton, three unprotected first-round picks and two pick swaps for the 6-3 shooting guard. And they’re the hottest team in the NBA right now with Mitchell leading the way.

Mitchell signed a max extension with Utah during the 2020 offseason. The 27-year-old could become a free agent at the end of the 2024-2025 season or exercise his player option for 2025-2026. The national media seems to think it’s a foregone conclusion that he’ll be long gone by 2025.

Photo by Erik Drost/Wikimedia Commons

Cavs Nets Ben Simmons

Ben Simmons Poked the Bear, Which Didn’t End Well for the Nets

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The Brooklyn Nets are sick and tired of losing to the Cavaliers.

That much is clear every time Nic Claxton scores (which is rare) and then proceeds to glare at any Cavs players in his orbit. Claxton’s menacing looks were enough to rile up Tristan Thompson in Paris, but it didn’t change the outcome of that game – a Cavs blowout.

Early in the third quarter of the Cavs’ 118-95 win over the Nets on Feb. 8, Ben Simmons decided it was his turn to poke the bear.

The Cavs were up 59-51 at halftime. On their first possession, Max Strus drove to the basket and dished to Evan Mobley down low. Former Kansas standout Jalen Wilson – making his first NBA start – fouled Mobley. Nothing out of the ordinary there.

But away from the ball, Ben Simmons and Jarrett Allen were tangled up as they jockeyed for position to the left of the basket. Then Simmons shoved Allen to the floor.

The usually mild-mannered Allen sprang to his feet and charged at Simmons, shoving him in the chest before Donovan Mitchell restrained him.

Some confusion ensued.

When the dust settled, the officials – who reviewed Simmons’ initial shove as a “hostile act” – whistled Allen and Simmons for offsetting technical fouls. Because of Wilson’s foul, Mobley got two free throws, and canned both.

NBA crew chief Kevin Scott, who had a direct line of sight, immediately slapped Simmons with a T. But in my opinion, Simmons deserved a flagrant foul for the shove, which could have resulted in a serious injury to Allen.

The Cavaliers, who came into the game riding a seven-game winning streak, retaliated the right way. They clamped down on defense, blocked shots, prowled the passing lanes and attacked the basket en route to a 21-0 run to open the third quarter.

“That is how you take the hope away,” the always-quotable Cavaliers legend Austin Carr said during the Bally Sports telecast.

Cam Thomas scored the first Nets’ first points of the second half when he made a pullup jump shot with 6:39 left in the third.

After the game, Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said Allen’s reaction to the Simmons shove fired up the rest of the team.

“The guys love it,” Bickerstaff said. “They love to see the fire that burns within Jarrett, and it takes a lot to get him to that point. Jarrett is kind of to himself and all those things, mild-mannered, but … he’s gonna stand up for himself, he’s gonna stand up for his teammates, and his teammates know that, and they trust him and believe in him, and they’ve got his back too.”

The shorthanded Nets had their work cut out for them from the beginning. They were without Royce O’Neale and Spencer Dinwiddie – both traded – and newly acquired veteran Dennis Schroder was in street clothes. A fairly lengthy injury list included Cameron Johnson (13.9 points per game) and backup big Day’Ron Sharpe.

That said, the Cavs did not look like a team that was on the second leg of a back-to-back.

Donovan Mitchell set the tone early with 13 first-quarter points, including three triples. It marked the 13th time this season that Mitchell has scored 10 or more points in the first frame.

Dean Wade splashed three 3-pointers in the first half.

Overall, the Cavs shot 54% from the field, and the NBA’s No. 2-ranked defense held the Nets to 40% shooting. They finished with a 48-34 edge in rebounding.

Other than The Shove, Simmons was quiet with six points in 19 minutes and a plus/minus rating of minus 26.

Mitchell was outstanding, leading all scorers with 27 points.

The two-headed monster of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley combined for 28 points and 22 rebounds. Both players had double-doubles.

It’s Raining Triples

The Cavs were 15-of-37 from 3-point range.

The streaky Georges Niang warmed up the G-Wagon after a bit of a cold stretch, going 3-for-6 from 3-point range and chipping in 13 points.

Sam Merrill added nine points – all triples – and Isaac Okoro was 2-of-3 from 3-point range.

“I thought we got great looks,” Bickerstaff said after the game. “And to clarify it also, we’re not out here just jacking threes. What we’re looking for are quality shots and quality threes that are created by one another. I think in the first half we had 17 assists on our 22 field goals – that’s what we’re aiming to do. We’re trying to see how many layups, how many threes can we generate for one another, because we want to get the right ones and continue to play the game selflessly.”

Washington Wizards

Mitchell, Mobley Power Cavs to an Ugly Win in Washington

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The Cavaliers didn’t bring their “A” game, but they still got the “W” in the nation’s capital.

Cleveland opened a three-game roadtrip with a 114-106 win over the Wizards, who gave the Cavs everything they could handle for three quarters before the Cavs finally pulled away.

It was 27-27 after one quarter, and 57-57 at halftime.

“Give them credit,” Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of the Wizards. “They competed their tails off, played the game the right way, defended us extremely well, moved the ball offensively, so give them credit. But it was great to see our guys just figure out a way and come up with one.”

Donovan Mitchell did what he does, leading the Cavaliers with 40 points and eight rebounds. Evan Mobley chipped in 22 points on a hyper-efficient 9-of-10 from the field, and snagged eight rebounds. Showcasing a new dimension to his game since returning from knee surgery, Mobley was 2-of-2 from 3-point range.

With the win, the Cavs extended their NBA-best winning streak to seven games. They’re 20-4 since Dec. 16, and currently hold the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference standings. The Celtics beat Atlanta to maintain a five-game lead over Cleveland in the conference standings, while the fading 76ers fell to Golden State, looking lost without Joel Embiid. Milwaukee and New York were idle.

Fun fact: Kyle Kuzma, who had 28 points, would look dapper in a Cavs uniform.

Cavs Kings

Cavs Cruise to Win Over Kings, Leapfrog Bucks in Eastern Conference

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“The game of the night in the NBA is right here in downtown Cleveland,” Bally Sports play-by-play man John Michael declared prior to tipoff of the Cavaliers’ Feb. 5 matchup with the surging Sacramento Kings.

Heading into the game, the Kings had won six of their last seven, and were 5-1 on a seven-game roadtrip that concluded at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Meanwhile, the Cavs had won 13 of their last 14 games and 18 of their last 22 games, and were riding an eight-game home winning streak.

The first quarter seemed to portend a Monday-night shootout.

There were 14 first-quarter lead changes. The Cavs were 8 of 12 from 3-point range in the first period, while the Kings hit six 3-pointers. The Cavs led 39-34 after the first.

From that point on, it was clear that the Kings lacked the necessary firepower to hang with the Wine & Gold. That’s saying a lot, considering Sacramento had the top-ranked offense in the NBA last season, and the highest offensive rating in the history of the NBA.

The Cavs took a 74-59 lead at halftime, on the shoulders of Donovan Mitchell’s 19 first-half points. Max Strus chipped in nine points in the first half – all coming from 3-pointers.

The 74-point explosion was the Cavaliers’ highest first-half scoring output of the 2023-2024 season. At the break, the Cavs already had made 13 of 22 3-point attempts.

The onslaught continued in the second half.

Strus canned three more triples, finishing with 22 points and five rebounds. He was a scorching 6 of 10 from 3-point range.

The Kings cut the Cavs’ lead to 10 early in the fourth quarter. But the Cavs responded by reloading. With 10:07 left in the game, Evan Mobley overpowered a double-team in the paint to make it 108-96 Cavs. After the Cavaliers got a defensive stop, Dean Wade canned a 3-pointer on the next Cavs possession to make it 111-96.

The second of back-to-back triples from Caris LeVert made it 117-101 with 8:17 left to play.

Mitchell finished with a game-high 29 points.

Caris LeVert turned in another strong performance off the Cavaliers’ bench. The gluten-free LeVert had 17 points, six rebounds and seven assists.

Jarrett Allen had 19 points on a George Gervin-like 8 of 10 from the field. Evan Mobley finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds in his fourth game back from knee surgery.

Ultimately, the Cavaliers had seven players in double figures, including 11 each from Darius Garland and Isaac Okoro.

“When you get that many guys in double figures, that means the ball is moving at a rapid pace,” Austin Carr said on the Bally Sports telecast.

The Cavs were a torrid 23 of 41 from 3-point range. It was their 16th straight game with 12 or more 3-pointers – a franchise record.

The Cavaliers seem to be taking a huge step forward as a title contender. They’ve been handling their business against sub-.500 teams throughout the season. But lately, they’ve been getting the job done against some of the top teams in league, notching quality wins over Milwaukee, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Kings in recent weeks.

“I’m starting to feel a calmness about this team that I didn’t feel last year at this time,” Carr remarked. “They were jittery last year. Now this team plays with a confidence and a calmness that I didn’t see last season.”

With the 136-110 win over Sacramento, the Cavaliers vaulted into the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference standings on a percentage basis.

Jarrett Allen

Jarrett Allen Narrowly Misses 17th Straight Double-Double

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They say all good things must come to an end, but this one almost didn’t.

One night after Jarrett Allen set a franchise record with his 16th consecutive double-double, Allen appeared to notch his 17th straight dub-dub in the first half of the Cavaliers’ Feb. 1 matchup at Memphis. Allen went into the locker room with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

However, at the beginning of the third quarter, it was announced that the NBA had taken away one of those rebounds from Allen’s stat line.

Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reported that the Cavs contacted the NBA for an explanation.

“Even though the courtside statistician inside Memphis’ FedEx Forum awarded Allen with a rebound at the 5:02 mark of the second quarter, the stats crew in Secaucus, NJ, determined that Allen did not establish firm control of the board following Jaren Jackson Jr.’s top-of-the-key 3-point attempt,” Fedor wrote.

Unfortunately, Allen didn’t get much of a chance to officially haul in rebound No. 10.

With 9:33 left in the third quarter, Allen fell awkwardly after colliding with the Grizzlies forward Vince Williams Jr. Allen checked out of the game at the next timeout, and it was reported that he suffered a left-ankle injury on the play.

While Allen didn’t make it to double-double No. 17, his impressive run of 16 consecutive double-doubles remains etched in Cleveland Cavaliers history.

Photo by Erik Drost/Wikimedia Commons

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