Cavs Notes: Craig Porter Jr, Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, intangibles

The Cavaliers survived this one. That’s the right word.

Cleveland held on for a 113-108 win over a short-handed Nuggets, and while the result counts the same, the path there was anything but smooth.

This was a game full of loose threads, some encouraging signs, and more than a few reminders of where the Cavs still need to be better.

One of the more interesting developments continues to be Craig Porter Jr.. The undrafted guard is doing more than just filling minutes. He’s forcing his way into the conversation.

Coach Kenny Atkinson has leaned on Porter as the primary backup guard lately, and the trust is starting to show. Porter hit a pair of timely threes, attacked the rim with confidence, and once again made his presence felt without needing plays called for him.

The Cavs (20-16) challenged him over the summer to be tougher, scrappier, more physical. He’s answered.

Porter has grabbed 21 rebounds over the past three games, which tells you everything about the way he’s playing.

Defense. Turnovers. Well …

On the other end, Cleveland had real problems containing Jamal Murray, especially early. With Nikola Jokic out, the Cavs knew where the ball was going. It didn’t matter. Murray scored 28 points in the first half and got far too comfortable doing it.

The Cavs tried trapping him. They tried showing help. They tried switching.

Too often, the execution lagged behind the idea. Traps were late. Rotations were slow. Murray made the right reads, and Denver fed off it, especially during a third quarter that saw the Nuggets outscore the Cavs, 38-26.

Ball security didn’t help matters. The Cavs shot the ball well for most of the night, even topping 50 percent from three at one point in the third quarter. And yet, they found themselves trailing by double digits.

Turnovers were the culprit. Live-ball giveaways led directly to runouts, allowing Denver to neutralize Cleveland’s shooting with points off mistakes.

To their credit, the Cavs finally locked in when it mattered. The defense tightened in the fourth quarter, holding Denver to just 11 points on 4-of-20 shooting. They also did something that’s burned them plenty in the past. They won the possession battle.

Key Play

Late in the game, Donovan Mitchell missed a deep three, but the miss turned into chaos, then opportunity. Jarrett Allen secured the offensive rebound and kicked it back out, leading to a dagger that flipped a one-possession game into two.

The Cavs have been on the wrong side of those moments more than they’d like. Being on the right side of one felt fitting on a night when nothing came easily.

It wasn’t clean. It wasn’t convincing. But Cleveland made enough plays at the end to walk away with it. Sometimes, that has to be enough.