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Bulls Cavs Double OT

Why the double-OT loss in Chicago was noteworthy for the Cavaliers

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The Cleveland Cavaliers have been in a bit of a funk since the All-Star break.

After getting a win in Detroit Friday night, they’re 3-3 since play resumed, which isn’t bad. But the Cavs set the bar high after a torrid stretch in which they were 18-3 from Jan. 1 up to the All-Star break.

They’ve also set the bar high in overtime play over the past few seasons.

The Cavaliers’ Feb. 28 double-overtime loss in Chicago snapped their 11-game overtime winning streak. With that mark, Cleveland had been tied for the second-longest OT winning streak in NBA history.

New Orleans holds the NBA record with 13 straight overtime victories from 2006-2008.

The Cavs got their 11th consecutive overtime win on Dec. 18, against the Rockets. In that one, Donovan Mitchell had 37 points and Sam Merrill had 19 off the bench, including five points in OT.

The Cavs were 7-0 in overtime last season, and 2-0 during the 2021-2022 season, when the streak started. Even before that, the Cavaliers had been excelling in the extra session, posting 4-1 and 3-1 overtime records, respectively, in the previous two seasons.

Put another way: With the Feb. 28 loss in Chicago, the Cavaliers are 18-3 in overtime since the 2019-2020 season.

That’s a cool stat that overlaps with most of J.B. Bickerstaff’s tenure as head coach. The Cavs promoted Bickerstaff to the position in February 2020 after John Beilein resigned.

JB Bickerstaff

Bickerstaff’s comments on Cavs’ depth ring hollow after double-overtime loss in Chicago

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The Cavaliers just completed their second of seven back-to-back matchups in the 29 games on the post-All-Star-break schedule.

They’re 1-3 in those back-to-backs so far.

After the Cavs’ 132-123 loss in double overtime at Chicago, I’ve been thinking back to some comments that coach J.B. Bickerstaff made in a Feb. 21 press conference.

The topic: depth.

“I think it’s important to just continue to focus on our depth,” Bickerstaff told reporters, when asked about the seven back-to-backs on the schedule. “Being able to go 10, 11 men deep gives us an opportunity to not kill anybody.

“Obviously, you’re gonna play and do what you gotta do to win the games. But understanding how you manage first halves versus second halves where you don’t have to just put a ton of pressure on one guy to play a ton of minutes because of the depth that we have – that’s been our message to our guys is embrace the depth, embrace the opportunities for your teammates to be successful, and at the end of the day that’s all that matters.”

The Cavs showcased their newfound depth in the six weeks or so that Evan Mobley and Darius Garland were out of the lineup.

When Bickerstaff was forced to turn to his bench, guys like Sam Merrill, Craig Porter Jr. and even Damian Jones got playing time, and they seized the opportunity, for the most part. Tristan Thompson was a big part of the equation as well.

It seemed like depth was becoming a strength of this team. And Bickerstaff – who favors tight, playoff-style rotations throughout the season – sure seemed like he was beginning to see the light, based on his comments.

To be fair, nine- and 10-man rotations are the norm in the NBA. Still, with a brutal schedule on the docket – including five games in seven days twice – you’d think this would be the perfect time to mix things up and capitalize on the Cavs’ depth.

Evidently not.

The Feb. 28 double-overtime loss in Chicago is a great example. On the second night of a back-to-back, Bickerstaff employed a nine-man rotation. (Bulls coach Billy Donovan used a 10-man rotation.)

Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland each played 44 minutes. The previously minutes-restricted Evan Mobley played 42 minutes. Caris LeVert – who had a terrific game – logged 39 minutes off the bench.

Merrill played zero minutes.

Porter played zero minutes.

On a night when the Bulls outrebounded the Cavs 74-39 – and Jarrett Allen’s legs looked heavy – the 6-10 Jones played zero minutes. Jones has provided a spark in the few opportunities that he’s had this season.

In the previous night’s win over Dallas, Bickerstaff employed a nine-man rotation as well, opting not to use Merrill or Porter.

And let’s be honest: Some guys had zero chance of playing.

Barring a rash of injuries or illnesses, the 6-11 Pete Nance will never play a single minute of meaningful (non-garbage-time) NBA basketball.

Same goes for Sharife Cooper and Zhaire Smith.

Isaiah Mobley has played a total of 14 minutes this season – all garbage time. The 6-8 Mobley has good size and a strong pedigree, but many fans speculate that he’s only on the roster to keep his brother happy. We may never get to find out one way or the other.

Again, this is not unique to Bickerstaff. Tight rotations are an NBA paradigm. Coaches are focused on maintaining continuity and chemistry, and that comes with guys being on the court together on a regular basis.

Still, when it seems obvious that starters and regular rotation players are on wobbly legs, it’s tempting for fans like me to wonder why coaches are so stubborn with their rotations.

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.”

 

Sharife Cooper

Cavs sign G League standout Sharife Cooper to 10-day contract

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

The 6-1 guard is averaging 18.5 points, 7.1 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.47 steals in 34 minutes per game for the Cleveland Charge, which is the Cavs’ NBA G League affiliate.

Cooper has appeared in 19 games – all starts – for the Charge this season.

Cooper also was a member of the Cavaliers 2023 Summer League Championship team, appearing in four games (all starts). He averaged 13.5 points, 3.3 assists and 2.3 rebounds in 21.5 minutes.

During the 2022-2023 season with the Charge, Cooper was named All-NBA G League Second Team and a 2023 NBA G League Next Up Game selection as part of the NBA All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City. He finished the season averaging 21.3 points, 6.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 0.84 steals in 32.4 minutes over 25 games (all starts).

The Atlanta Hawks selected Cooper as the 48th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. Cooper played in 13 games as a rookie with the Hawks during the 2021-2022 campaign.

During his lone collegiate season at Auburn (2020-2021), Cooper appeared in 12 games – all starts – with averages of 20.1 points, 8.1 assists, 4.3 rebounds and one steal in 33.3 minutes and was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team.

JB Bickerstaff

Bickerstaff not satisfied After Cavs’ come-from-behind win over Wizards

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Heading into the All-Star break, the Cleveland Cavaliers were the hottest team in the NBA. The Cavs were 18-3 since the turn of the calendar year, a torrid stretch punctuated by eight-game and nine-game winning streaks.

If you thought the final two months of the NBA season would be a mirror image of the previous two months, the past week has been the equivalent of a cold shower.

The Cavs resumed action with back-to-back losses. As for which one was more troubling, you can take your pick.

In a 116-109 loss to Orlando, Mo Wagner was flexing his muscles like Hulk Hogan and the Magic reserves outscored the Cavs’ bench 63-24. The next night in Philadelphia, the Sixers beat the Cavaliers 104-97 without Joel Embiid – again.

Sunday night in Washington, it looked the Cavs might be headed for their third straight loss.

The Cavs went into the fourth quarter with an 87-80 lead, only to watch the Wizards go on a 14-0 run that gave Washington an 88-94 lead with 9:17 left. Darius Garland stopped the bleeding with back-to-back triples, and the Cavaliers had to gut out a win over the 9-48 Wizards.

After the game, a hoarse Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff was not in a good place.

“Again, we just need to be better,” Bickerstaff told reporters. “I don’t think we played to our standard tonight. I expected more fire from our group, after losing two games in a row and having an opportunity to play another one.

“We’ve got to get back to playing with that spirit, the way we played before the break. We’ve got some tough stretches coming up here. But we’ve got to be better. I’ve got to do a better job of getting guys ready to play, and our players have to do a better job as well.”

The Cavaliers are 24-7 since Dec. 16, but they’ve lost three of their last five. Their two wins have come against Chicago and Washington, and the win over the Bulls was a nail-biter.

In some respects, the Cavs are a victim of their own success. They’ve played so well over the past two and half months that they’re on everybody’s radar now – and the scouting report is out. Teams are finding success by playing tight, physical defense on the Cavs and pushing the tempo, which has forced the Cavs to rush their offensive sets and commit a lot of turnovers.

In the Magic’s Feb. 22 win in Cleveland, the Cavs turned the ball over 19 times, which led to 28 Orlando points.

While it’s been a tough stretch, the Cavs still hold the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. (At this same juncture last season, the Cavs were the No. 4 seed.) Nevertheless, they’re going to have to dig deep to stay there.

The post-All-Star-break schedule includes six more back-to-backs; a nine-game West Coast trip; five games in seven days – twice; and two games each against Minnesota, Phoenix, Miami and Indiana.

How can the Cavaliers maintain the proper mindset for such a treacherous schedule?

“It’s a focus on our habits right now,” Bickerstaff said. “Defensively, [it’s] understanding personnel, strengths and weaknesses, and forcing people to their weakness. Executing our coverages, being more physical, all those things. I think we have to continue to build those habits to get us where we want to go eventually.”

Pete-Nance

Cavs sign forward Pete Nance to 2-way contract

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The Cleveland Cavaliers have signed 6-11 forward Pete Nance to a two-way contract, the team announced.

The Akron, Ohio, native – the third Nance to don a Cavaliers jersey – played in two games for the Cavs this season after signing a 10-day contract with the team on Jan. 18.

Nance also appeared in 29 games (24 starts) this season for the Cleveland Charge of the NBA G League, averaging 13.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.34 blocks in 31.5 minutes.

On Jan. 10, Nance posted the first Charge triple-double in more than two years at Indiana, finishing with 27 points, a career-high 12 assists and 10 rebounds in 40 minutes.

Nance went undrafted after one season at the University of North Carolina (2022-2023) and four seasons at Northwestern University (2018-2022), averaging 9.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 25.3 minutes in 137 games (104 starts) during his collegiate career.

Last season at UNC, Nance started all 30 games and averaged 10 points, six rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.13 blocks in 30 minutes, while leading the team in blocks (34), finishing second in free-throw percentage (.816) and ranking third in 3-pointers made (32).

Nance also was a member of the recent Cavaliers 2023 Summer League Championship team, appearing in all six games. Nance averaged 7.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 20.4 minutes.

If Nance is able to earn any playing time, he would add some depth to a frontcourt that’s without Tristan Thompson until mid-March.

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.

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