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Max Strus

With long-distance buzzer-beater, Cavs-Mavs becomes Max Strus appreciation night

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When the basketball “experts” debate whether the Cavaliers can make a deep postseason run, the conventional thinking has been that the Cavs will only go as far as the “Core Four” will take them.

Assuming that the future rests squarely on the shoulders of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley isn’t a hot take. It’s a quick, superficial take that discounts the contributions of role players such as Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, Dean Wade and Sam Merrill – not to mention the fifth starter, Max Strus.

Strus showed just how valuable he is Tuesday night against Dallas when he singlehandedly rescued the Cavs in a game that was slipping away.

The Mavericks took a 108-98 lead with 4:38 left when Luka Doncic Kyrie Irving Maxi Klieber connected on a 3-pointer.

Soon after that, Strus went to work.

In the final 3:42, Strus drained five, count ‘em five, 3-pointers to will the Cavs to an improbable 121-119 home victory. He finished with 21 points (all 3-pointers), four rebounds and four assists.

The final half-minute of the game was pure madness.

With 23.8 seconds to go – and the Cavs clinging to a 118-117 lead – J.B. Bickerstaff called timeout after Irving hit a floating jump shot. Cavs ball.

Then, as the Cavaliers tried to play keep-away, Mavs forward Josh Green wrestled Garland to the floor. Inexplicably, there was no call, and the Cavs were forced to burn their final timeout with 9.2 seconds left.

“Beyond me how that’s missed at that point in the game,” Bickerstaff told reporters afterward.

In the absolutely nerve-racking sequence that followed, Mobley deflected Klieber’s inbounds pass but Doncic scooped up the ball, and Mobley and Isaac Okoro lunged for a potential steal. This freed up Doncic to drive toward the basket and dish to P.J. Washington, who seemingly iced the win for Dallas with a layup.

With 2.6 seconds left, Strus inbounded to Mobley, who immediately passed it back to Strus. Then, the Miracle of Rocket Mortage FieldHouse happened.

With exactly one second left on the clock, Strus – who hadn’t even advanced past half-court – launched a prayer of a shot that was nothing but net, giving the Cavs a 121-119 win.

Reportedly, the 59-footer was the second-longest game-winning shot of the 3-point era, dating back to the 1979-1980 season.

‘Absolutely Ridiculous’

After the game, Strus got doused with bottled water – and some well-deserved accolades.

“He was the guy, and that’s one of the things that we’re fortunate with this group is on any given night, we’ve got a guy who can step up and make huge plays,” Bickerstaff told reporters. “And what he did tonight was absolutely ridiculous.”

While Strus is known as a 3-point shooter, Bickerstaff emphasized that there are many other facets to Strus’s game that have been additive to the team.

“It’s as simple sometimes as chasing down a loose ball, or making an extra rotation,” Bickerstaff said. “Max never quits. We were down, and he had the same mentality. He wasn’t going to quit, and just kept making play after play after play on both ends.”

And then there are the intangibles that Strus brings to the table.

“The way that he plays the game with a determination, a never-give-in mentality and attitude, that inspires his teammates every single day,” Bickerstaff said. “When he chases a loose ball, makes another rotation, runs into an action, doesn’t get it, runs back into the action, doesn’t get it, he just is relentless, and that elevates his teammates.”

 

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.

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.”

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.

Cavs Spurs

Cavaliers’ Bigs Upstage Wembanyama, Spurs Buckle

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Rookie of the Year frontrunner Victor Wembanyama has been the talk of the NBA since San Antonio drafted him with the No. 1 overall pick last June.

For the most part, Wembanyama has lived up to the hype, averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds per game in his rookie campaign. The 7-foot-4 Frenchman leads the NBA in blocks – which you’d expect – but his skill set goes much deeper than that. He can run the floor like a guard, he can make 3-point shots and his passing acumen is off the charts.

All the hype seemed to add some extra juice for Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. The recently reunited Cavaliers frontcourt was dominant in a 117-101 Cavs win in San Antonio.

In just his third game back from knee surgery, Mobley had 28 points and 10 rebounds, and took a page out of Wembanyama’s playbook by connecting on all three of his 3-point attempts.

Allen had 26 points and 16 rebounds in what is turning into a career year for the affable center.

Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 31 points.

There wasn’t much intrigue in this one – that is, until Mitchell and San Antonio’s Zach Collins were ejected with 54.7 seconds left in the game.

Mitchell took umbrage to Collins elbowing him in the face on a moving screen, and went after the San Antonio center. Although Mitchell was merely standing up for himself, both players received Flagrant 2 penalties and were ejected.

While San Antonio fell to 10-40 with the loss to the Cavs, Wembanyama kept the home fans entertained with some high-flying dunks.

Cavs Orlando Magic

Sam Merrill Unleashes a Torrent of 3’s on Upstart Magic

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The Orlando Magic came into Monday night’s matchup with the Cavs feeling pretty good about themselves.

With their season-opening starting lineup back together for the first time in 2 ½ months, the Magic eviscerated Miami the night before. They were playing at home against a team they’re chasing in the Eastern Conference standings – a Cavs team that they bested 104-94 on Dec. 11.

“Any time they play the Cavaliers, they see themselves as parallel in talent and ability,” Cavs legend Brad Daugherty said on the Bally Sports Ohio telecast. “And this is the litmus test.”

The Cavs quickly turned that confidence into self-doubt.

By the time Sam Merrill entered the game with 6:00 left in the first quarter, the Cavs already had built a comfortable lead. It only took Merrill 4 seconds to hit his first 3-pointer.

He hit his second 3-pointer with 2:10 left to make it 30-16 Cavaliers.

Fast-forward to the second quarter. With 8:51 left, Merrill drained his fifth 3-pointer to make it 48-27 Cavs. He was 5-for-5 from 3-point range at that point.

Merrill finished with 26 points in 31 minutes off the bench.

I can’t get enough of that guy.

Another Fast Start

The Cavs sprinted to a 52-27 lead with 8:08 left in the second quarter, en route to a season-high 72 points at halftime. Yes, the Magic were on the tail end of a back-to-back. But fast starts have been a hallmark of the Cavs’ NBA-best eight-game winning streak.

“In the past, those fast starts would kind of deteriorate,” Daugherty observed. “But this Cavaliers team has figured out a way to maintain and sustain throughout 48 minutes of basketball. It’s been just an absolute treat to watch as a Cavs fan.”

Cry Me a River

Orlando jumped out of the gate as one of the hottest teams in the NBA. The Magic were 13-5 at the end of November, before the injury bug reared its ugly head.

Center Wendell Carter Jr. missed 26 games, point guard Markelle Fultz missed 31 games and Franz Wagner missed eight games with an ankle sprain.

With Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, Caris LeVert and Ty Jerome on the bench Monday night, the Magic will get little sympathy from Cavs fans.

Fro-mentous Achievement

Jarrett Allen set a franchise record with his 12th consecutive double-double, logging 14 points and 11 rebounds in the victory over Orlando.

Cavs Bucks

Cavs Defense Keeps Hawks Grounded, Bucks Loom on the Horizon

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On a brisk Saturday night in Hot-lanta, a monthlong reprieve in the schedule came full circle for the Cavs.

Flashback to early December (caution – the following content might be painful for some fans). The Cavs were 13-9 and recovering from a slow start to the 2023-2024 season. They were riding a three-game winning streak that included quality wins over Orlando (Dec. 6) and Miami (Dec. 8).

Then came the no-good very-bad really-very-bad week.

It started on Monday, Dec. 11, with a 104-94 loss to the upstart Magic, and went from bad to worse with their fateful trip to Boston. On Dec. 15 – the day after Darius Garland fractured his jaw in a crash with Kristaps Porzingis – the Cavs announced that Garland and Evan Mobley would miss a significant chunk of playing time.

But then the basketball gods took mercy on the hard-luck Cavaliers, with a favorable stretch of schedule that was just what the doctor ordered for a team that was nothing short of shellshocked.

It all started with a 127-119 win over Atlanta that tipped off a three-game homestand. Since that Dec. 16 win over the Hawks, the Cavs are 11-3, which is the best record in the NBA over that timeframe.

Make that 12-3 since Dec. 16.

With the Cavs’ easy 116-95 victory on Jan. 20 in Atlanta, they also own the NBA’s longest current winning streak at seven.

What a difference a newfound identity and a compassionate schedule make.

Playing Washington twice in the same week – at home – was karmic repayment for the Boston debacle, in my opinion. Playing Chicago twice – nice.

Playing the Hawks on the second night of a back-to-back (for them) – we’ll take it.

The soft patch in the schedule came at the perfect time, giving the Cavs a nice opportunity to recalibrate and try to rebuild their fro-mentum. They’ve done both, and then some.

They’re doing it the right way – with hustle and defense – and lead the NBA in rebounds, defensive rating and several other categories since Dec. 16.

As Brad Daugherty says early and often on recent Bally Sports telecasts, “It’s been fun to watch.” It’s about to get real, though.

Tough Test Ahead

The Cavs’ four-game roadtrip continues with a trip to Orlando on Monday and then to Milwaukee, for two games in three nights against the Bucks.

The Magic will be on the second night of a back-to-back, so the Cavs have that going for them. Which is nice.

Assuming Giannis is back in the lineup, the Bucks will be out for blood Wednesday night, after the Cavs’ 40-point win in Cleveland. But maybe, just maybe, the Cavs could eek out a Friday-night win at Fiserv Forum in Mee-lee-wah-kay, which is Algonquin for “the Good Land.” That would be fun to watch.

High Praise for Double T

Tristan Thompson isn’t going to stuff the stat sheet on most nights, but he did generate four points, three rebounds and two assists in his first six minutes of action Saturday night in Atlanta. He finished with six points and five rebounds in 14 minutes off the bench.

When the Cavs signed Thompson in the offseason, it was an immediate upgrade over Robin Lopez. But for some of us – who maybe didn’t realize Thompson still played in the NBA – we didn’t know what the Cavs were getting beyond that.

Thompson has exceeded expectations, consistently flashing vintage Double T and being just a pest in the paint.

“He’s so hard to box out,“ Daugherty said on the Bally Sports telecast. “Offensively he’s just a nightmare because he will not stand still. … He’s excellent; one of the best offensive rebounders I’ve seen.”

Fro-nomenal

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Jarrett Allen’s franchise-record-tying 11th consecutive double-double. Allen had 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Worth noting that Allen set the tone in the Dec. 16 win over Atlanta with a fro-nomenal 25 points and 14 rebounds that night.

G Wagon

G-Wagon Finds Another Gear, Cavs Rout Giannis-Less Bucks

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At full strength, the Milwaukee Bucks should’ve been the ultimate heat check for the Cavaliers.

The Cavs were riding a five-game winning streak. Sans Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, the Cavs were 10-3 since Dec. 16, showcasing a new identity – predicated on passing, defense and a nightly barrage of 3-pointers – in the face of two devastating injuries.

But alas, the Cavs didn’t play the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.

With Giannis Antetokounmpo nursing a banged-up shoulder ­– and sporting a business-casual look on the bench – the Bucks who visited Rocket Mortgage Field House on Jan. 17 were a sad shell of the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Without their superstar, the Bucks, um, looked like deer in the headlights. (Sorry – needed to get that out of my system.)

The Cavs pounced, racing to a 22-2 lead midway through the first quarter. And when the Bucks started showing some signs of life toward the end of the first frame, Georges Niang took a souped-up “G-Wagon” out of the garage.

Niang came into the Bucks game averaging 9 points a game off the Cavs’ bench. While Niang is a streaky 3-and-D guy – when he misses, he really misses – he brings a much-needed burst of tenacity and attitude to an otherwise mild-mannered Cavs bunch.

Against the emasculated Bucks, G-Wagon was hitting on all cylinders.

Niang finished with a career-high 33 points on a ridiculous 13-of-14 from the field. He made five of his six 3-point attempts.

With Niang – who looks more like a stationwagon than a souped-up hot rod – there’s more to his game than meets the eye. Yes, the 6-foot-7 Niang is a career 39.8% 3-point shooter, according to ESPN. But he is deceptively crafty in the paint, with the ability to periodically create his own shot and score in a variety of ways.

His entire portfolio was on display Wednesday night, and it was  a lot of fun to watch.

With G-Wagon behind the wheel, the Cavs cruised to a 40-point win over the G-League version of the Bucks. A win is a win, and the Cavs will take it.

Big picture: The Cavs won their sixth straight, and, as of Jan. 20, are the No. 4 seed in a hypercompetitive Eastern Conference. The Knicks, the Heat and the Pacers are breathing down their necks, and I don’t see any of those teams going away anytime soon.

So, whether they’re playing the woebegone Wizards, the sadsack Spurs or the G-League version of the Bucks, the Cavs need to keep stacking up wins in these winnable games.

Because there’s a real heat check on the horizon.

After traveling to Orlando on Jan. 22, the Cavs will be in Milwaukee for two games on Jan. 24 and Jan. 26. And assuming Giannis is back in the lineup, you can be sure the Bucks will be loaded for bear.

Fro-mentum

While G-Wagon gets the headline in the Jan. 17 win over Milwaukee, it shouldn’t diminish the importance of stellar performances from Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen.

Mitchell chipped in 31 points and continues to make a strong case for an all-star bid. Same goes for Jarrett Allen, who notched his 10th consecutive double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds.

As Lou Brown would say, “There could be two or three potential all-stars on this team.”

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