Milwaukee Bucks

January 28, 2024

Ranking the top 5 most satisfying Cavs wins of 2023-2024

Josh Cable / Blog blog, Caris LeVert, Cavs, Cleveland Cavaliers, Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, LA Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, more, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers / 0 Comments

After the Cavaliers exacted some revenge on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Jan. 26 – an utterly satisfying win for Cavs fans – I thought it would be fun to look back at the most satisfying wins of the 2023-2024 season so far. The way the Cavs are playing, this list should keep growing.

5. Cavs 118, Clippers 108

Jan. 29, 2024

Anytime you can beat presumptive Hall of Famers Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, James Harden and Russell Westbrook on the same night, that’s inherently satisfying. But the context made this win even sweeter.

As Bally Sports play-by-play man John Michael said prior to tipoff, “This ballgame is rich with storylines.” The Los Angeles Clippers headed into this matchup as the hottest team in the NBA, riding a five-game winning streak that included an absolute thrashing of Boston at TD Garden – only the second time this season that the Celtics have lost on their home floor. The Clippers were 16-4 since Dec. 16, the best mark in the NBA. The Cavs were 9-1 in their previous 10 games, and back at home after closing out a four-game roadtrip with a signature win in Milwaukee on Jan. 26.

Donovan Mitchell turned in a Donovan Mitchell-esque performance, leading the Cavs with 28 points and 12, count ’em, 12 assists. Jarrett Allen extended his fro-nomenal, franchise-best double-double streak to 15 games, with 20 points and 17 rebounds. Isaac Okoro fired up the home crowd with 17 points – all in the first half – connecting on three of four 3-point attempts.

But the richest storyline was Evan Mobley, who returned to the lineup after missing 22 games due to knee surgery. Mobley shook off a bit of rust to add 10 points and nine rebounds, including several high-flying dunks. With Mobley’s return, the Cavs seem to have an embarrassment of riches. And with the win over the red-hot Clippers, the Cavs served notice to the rest of the league that they mean business.

Satisfying? Heck yes.

4. Cavs 115, Warriors 104

Nov. 5, 2023

This one was about exorcising demons.

After a back-and-forth first quarter, the Cavs pulled ahead late in the second – on the shoulders of Mitchell (who finished with 31 points and seven assists) and Darius Garland (24 points and seven assists) – and never looked back. Evan Mobley hauled in 16 rebounds, while Strus chipped in 15 points.

With the win, the Cavaliers snapped a 16-game losing streak against the Warriors, which included 12 regular-season and four playoff losses. I know the Warriors aren’t the team they used to be, but this one was satisfying nonetheless.

The icing on the proverbial cake: A week later, the Cavs notched the season sweep with a 118-110 win in San Francisco.

3. Cavs 95, Knicks 89

Nov. 1, 2023

This was the second night of a home-and-home back-to-back against the Cavs’ archnemesis, at Madison Square Garden.

On the previous night, the Knicks cruised to an easy victory in Cleveland, taking full advantage of the fact that Garland, Allen and LeVert were out. LeVert, however, returned to action in this one, and made a big impact with 19 points, six rebounds and five assists off the bench.

But the real story of the game was the Cavs’ defense. The Cavs held the Knickerbockers to 34.8% shooting from the field and 16.7% from 3-point range. After the game, Bickerstaff told reporters: “We showed our true grit.”

2. Cavs 112, Bucks 100

Jan. 26, 2024

Facing Milwaukee for the second time in three nights at Fiserv Forum, the Cavaliers had their work cut out for them after Giannis Antetokounmpo dominated in a 126-116 Bucks win on Jan. 24, snapping the Cavs’ eight-game winning streak.

The Cavs responded with a much better gameplan in the second matchup, and played with the kind of hustle, energy and intensity that has sustained them since losing Garland and Mobley in mid-December. They played with poise and cool, calm confidence, while the Bucks expended a lot of energy whining about the officiating (which made the win that much more satisfying).

Bobby Portis Jr. repeatedly slamming a basketball into his forehead after missing a contested layup – priceless.

The Bucks led 57-54 at halftime, and extended their lead to 63-57 with 10:51 left in the third. Then the Cavs went on a 17-2 run, punctuated by back-to-back 3-pointers from Dean Wade. Mitchell led all scorers with 32 points, and Allen was brilliant, posting his 14th straight double-double.

The Cavs flipped the script by out-hustling and out-muscling the Bucks, who were clearly fatigued in the second half. After Giannis gave the Cavs a thorough rogering two nights prior, this was an eminently satisfying win.

1. Cavs 122, Sixers 119 (OT)

Nov. 22, 2023

Let’s set the stage for this one.

Donovan Mitchell, Isaac Okoro and Caris LeVert were out. Philly was 10-3 heading into the game; the Cavs were above .500 for the first time since opening night. Due to the in-season tournament, the court at Wells Fargo Center was unsightly. Just awful to look at.

Darius Garland (32 points, eight assists) was sensational, slicing through Philly’s defense like a warm knife through butter. Jarrett Allen (26 points, 13 rebounds) was sublime. Max Strus logged a team-high 44 minutes and posted a 20/5/6 stat line.

Craig Porter Jr. – with 12 points and nine assists off the bench – was nothing short of a revelation.

The Cavs were up 65-53 at halftime, but you just knew that lead wasn’t gonna stick. The Sixers fought back as expected, leading to a wild final three minutes of regulation play – and overtime. The rest is history, because we know the Cavs are money in overtime.

Delicious Moments

A plethora of alley-oops from Garland to Mobley and Allen
With the shot clock expiring, Garland’s desperation heave and 3-point bank shot to put the Cavs up 106-104 with 1:41 left in regulation
Craig Porter Jr. driving into the chest of foul-riddled Joel Embiid with 54 seconds left in OT, hanging in midair and scoring to put the Cavs up 118-116

January 26, 2024

What’s the Gameplan After Giannis Bulldozed the Cavs?

Josh Cable / Blog blog, Cavs, Cleveland Cavaliers, Craig Porter Jr., Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jarrett Allen, Milwaukee Bucks / 0 Comments

Wednesday’s night “showdown” with the Milwaukee Bucks unfolded just about the way I expected it to unfold.

To be clear, I did not expect the Cavs to win that game.

After a 40-point loss on Jan. 17 in Cleveland, you knew the Bucks would be loaded for bear on their home court, with Giannis back in the lineup. And they were.

To add to the perfect storm, emotions were running high after Milwaukee fired Adrian Griffin on Tuesday.

Blech.

The Greek Freak (are we still calling him that?) was absolutely dominant, bulldozing to the basket regardless of how many hapless Cavs defenders had the misfortune to guard him. His final stat line: 35 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists.

As well as Jarrett Allen has been playing – and he was terrific Wednesday night, all things considered – the Cavs really missed Evan Mobley. It was encouraging to see footage of him running sprints prior to tipoff. Giannis and Brook Lopez might be the best frontcourt in the NBA, and Dean Wade was no match for either of them.

So what’s the next move for the Cavaliers?

For starters, I think they need to treat Friday night’s rematch as a must-win game. They need to approach it with the same intensity that they had in their overtime win in Philadelphia.

A win Friday night would even the season series with Milwaukee. But more importantly, it would be a statement win. Let’s face it: Even as the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Cavs aren’t a top-tier team. They have a lot of talent, but they have yet to prove that they can hang with the Bostons and Milwaukees of the NBA (the aforementioned win over the 76ers being one of the few exceptions). And they’re a combined 0-4 against Oklahoma City and Indiana this season.

Find a way to win.

What Happened to Craig Porter Jr.?

Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of personnel moves that J.B. Bickerstaff can make to shake things up Friday night. Mobley and Darius Garland are out; Tristan Thompson is serving a 25-game suspension; and Ty Jerome is sidelined with the worst ankle sprain in human history.

What about Craig Porter Jr.?

Inexplicably, Porter logged just one minute of playing time Wednesday night, and many fans on social media have wondered why Porter has fallen out of J.B.’s rotation over the past few games. Count me among them.

Porter is an unflappable rookie who can score, rebound and defend. Would Porter have changed the outcome of Monday night’s game? Probably not. But he might have provided a much-needed spark off the bench – especially considering that Caris LeVert has been dealing with wrist soreness and doesn’t appear to be 100%.

Also – and I can’t believe I’m saying this – how about giving Damian Jones more minutes? Jones chipped in five points in 10 high-energy minutes off the bench. Against the Bucks’ formidable frontcourt, it might even make sense to pair Jones with Allen for a few minutes to see what happens.

January 18, 2024

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

Josh Cable / News Cavaliers, Cavs, Cleveland Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell, Georges Niang, highlights, Jarrett Allen, Milwaukee Bucks / 0 Comments

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.”