Dribbles: Opponents can reach, but right now, it’s rolling Cavs who teach

CLEVELAND — Random dribbles from the Cavaliers’ 118-108 biggie of a home win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.

1. The Cavaliers just got it going on right now. There’s no other way to describe it.

2. They beat the Bucks in Milwaukee. They beat the red-hot Clippers in Cleveland. They’ve won 10 of 11 overall. They’re doing it with ball movement and defense and resembling a team in every sense of the word.

3. If the Cavs (28-16) play like this in the playoffs, they’re going places. That’s a ways off, obviously. So what matters now is that you build habits and see what works. These Cavs are doing exactly that.

4. Evan Mobley returned from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, playing his first game since Dec. 6. And guess what? Jarrett Allen was as good as ever, maybe better. A lot of people wondered whether Mobley’s return would negatively impact Allen. I’m not sure why that was, but the questions were obvious.

5. Well, all Allen did was rise up against the league’s hottest team (OK, second hottest) with 20 points and 17 big rebounds. Maybe having Mobley back actually made life easier for Allen. and maybe that will continue. Maybe fans don’t need to panic that the pairing still works, after all.

6. Hey, we gotta find something to worry about, right?

7. But these Cavs sure are making that difficult. They may not be as talented as some other teams in the East, when you’re talking about players one through 15. But they are plenty talented and have been making up for anything they’re missing by — you guessed it — playing smart, playing hard and always believing.

8. The Clippers (30-15) had won five straight and 13 of 15. They are coached by old friend Tyronn Lue, and for the first time in forever, have been mostly healthy. I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect the Cavs to win. Of course, that’s often when they’ve been at their best this season.

9. I read a lot of comments during the Cavs’ eight-game win streak that claimed, “They didn’t play anybody.” Well, happy yet?

10. Yes, there also has been some wailing and gnashing of teeth over the returns of Mobley and Darius Garland, who’s on track to return from a broken jaw Wednesday vs. Detroit. I’ve predicted all along that the Cavs will be more formidable — and not worse. They seem to get it now. They understand what it takes to win. They’re enjoying the rewards that it brings. They’re not gonna let anyone mess it up.

11. I chalk up the sudden surge more to them getting accustomed to each other and figuring out their roles. Newcomers Max Strus and Georges Niang are key parts of the rotation and needed time to adjust. Sam Merrill came out of nowhere. Allen was injured early. Heck, it seems as if everyone was injured early.

12. Cleveland is just coming together at the right time. It’s really that simple. While so many others are fretting about their next move with the looming Feb. 8 trade deadline, the Cavs just do … well, nothing. Just keep doing what they’re doing.

13. As for this particular game, the Cavs never relented against the likes of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and James Harden. They never panicked when they fell behind by seven. They didn’t cower when LA clipped away at their 12-point lead.

14. Isaac Okoro was brilliant in the first half with 17 points. He didn’t score in the second but his defense and hustle remained. He played to his strengths. Donovan Mitchell, of course, led the way with 28 points and 12 assists. He has been a major reason that this team is sharing the ball better than ever.

15. And no, I’m not the least bit worried about Garland doing anything but adding to that. Sorry.

16. Strus scored 14 and grabbed seven rebounds, Caris LeVert added 13 points and yet another shot to beat the buzzer (at the end of the third quarter), and Niang and Mobley added 10 apiece. Mobley also had nine boards in 21 solid minutes.

17. More impressive than the scoring may have been the defense. Leonard scored 30, but George had just 13 points on 3-of-11 shooting. Harden was equally miserable with 10 points on 3-of-8 shooting. When you contain the opposing team’s stars, you give yourself a pretty good chance.

18. Not surprisingly, the Clippers became considerably more physical the further they fell behind. A lot of teams do that to try to get back in the game. The Cavs barely noticed. “Our guys are learning how to defeat that physicality,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said.

19. Allen on the recent hot streak: “It’s a testament to our team, a testament to JB and just the organization. They got guys who are willing to buy in. Kudos to everybody.”

20. Kudos, indeed. These Cavs have never been better since landing Mitchell at the start of last season.

21. Finally, loved this line from Mitchell: “The Cavs are winning because of Donovan Mitchell. That’s the easy thing to say for people who don’t watch us play.”

Cavs halftime dribbles …

1. The Cavs have won 9 of 10, the Clippers 13 of 15. Something's gotta give.

2. For a while, that looked like it might be the Cavs. Then they turned up the defense. They even forced the Clippers into an eight-second violation at the end of the half.…

— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) January 30, 2024