Dribbles: Cavs win, but perimeter defense remains reason for alarm

Random dribbles following the Cavaliers’ 142-126 road win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.

1. This was one of those good news, bad vibes nights. The good? The Cavs got win No. 50. They secured a top-four playoff seed. (We had reason to worry about that for a minute.) They also didn’t allow Memphis’ record-setting night to derail them.

2. Yes, these Grizzlies had a record-setting night, burying a franchise-high 29 threes. And these weren’t actually the Grizzlies. They looked more like the Sioux Falls Skyforce, with half of their regular guys on the injured list. 

3. The Cavs (50-29) shouldn’t be giving up 29 threes to anyone. Certainly not to this rag-tag bunch. Certainly not to an organization that cares considerably more about ping-pong balls than victories. And it’s happening way too much lately.

4. It’s true that the Cavs won by 16 and I’m still complaining. But this isn’t about what worked in Memphis. It’s about what carries over when you’re facing an actual NBA team.

5. The answer? Well, it’s the same as it always is with these Cavs. They can just outscore you. They did it on this night, and they did it without the star backcourt of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, who were held out on the second night of a back-to-back.

6. This team will put up points. Evan Mobley did it with the greatest of ease, scoring 24 points on 9of-11 shooting. Dennis Schroder filled in admirably in the backcourt, scoring 22 (8-of-12 shooting) with 11 assists. Definitely one of his better nights as a Cav.

7. Others stuffed the stat sheet. Sam Merrill scored 21, Keon Ellis had 19. Jarrett Allen went for 13 points and nine rebounds. Craig Porter Jr. offered a major lift with 11 points, eight boards, six assists, two steals and two blocks. Nae’Qwan Tomlin and Larry Nance Jr. made hustle plays and scored 10 apiece.

8. Those are the positives. The other positive from the night came when New York beat Atlanta. That guaranteed that the Cavs wil finish no worse than No. 4 in the Eastern Conference. That’s not nothing, especially since the Cavs have three games left — and two are against the Hawks.

9. Long story even longer, the Hawks entered the night as winners of 18 of 20. They’re in the No. 5 spot. Had they defeated the Knicks, their upcoming games against the Cavs would’ve been a big deal — for both the Cavs and the Hawks (and perhaps even the Knicks). Now? They don’t mean a whole lot.

10. Some will tell you the No. 4 seed is the sweet spot. The Knicks sit third, one game ahead — effectively two, since they hold the tiebreaker. So catching them isn’t likely.

11. Prediction time. The Cavs stay at No. 4 and draw the Hawks in the first round. If seeds hold, that likely means a second-round matchup with top-seeded Detroit, while New York and Boston Celtics go at it on the other side.

12. Of course, predicting anything in today’s NBA is risky business. No one had Indiana the Finals to Game 7 last year. No one had Denver vs. Miami two years before. Not one person.

13. What we do know is this: The Cavs have to defend the three-point line a whole lot better. They’ll tell you the same. The playoffs are less than two weeks away. That’s when it has to show up.

14. Three games left — vs. Atlanta (Wednesday), at Atlanta (Friday), vs. Washington (Sunday). The results won’t matter much. The habits will.