Dribbles: Cavs Let It Get Downright Ugly, Then Finished With Just Enough Of Winning Touch

December 13, 2024

Random dribbles following the Cavaliers’ 115-105 home win over the Washington Wizards on Friday. …

1. The Cavaliers were the team that couldn’t shoot straight for most of the night. They weren’t overly dominant on defense, either. Lucky for them, they were playing the Wizards.

2. This was the Cavs’ first ugly game of the season. Here’s one thing I can almost guarantee — they will have more. But as long as you win them, or most of them, well, who really cares?

3. It’s hard to really know if having three days off impacted the Cavs (an NBA-best 22-4). It probably didn’t help that they were matched up with the league’s worst team, at home. They had just played the Wizards 10 days ago. The Cavs blew them out.

4. This is the NBA. It’s hard to pummel a team two consecutive times. At least, that’s often the case. This isn’t intended to excuse the Cavs’ ugly night. It’s only meant to try to make sense of it.

5. Anyway, the game marked the worst shooting performance of the season for Cleveland. It’s true, as they clanked their way to just 39.6 percent from the field.

6. Oh well. It happens. Coach Kenny Atkinson has been predicting it might.

7. Also, Darius Garland played like a champ most of the night, a night when few others could get anything going. He finished with 24 points, eight assists, and five rebounds. He didn’t shoot great (6-of-17) but he made winning plays, and it’s the second part that counts.

8. Donovan Mitchell tallied 20 points, six rebounds, and six assists, while Jarrett Allen stepped up in the absence of Evan Mobley (ankle), adding 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting and 11 rebounds.

9. Caris LeVert tacked on 14 points, Isaac Okoro scored 13 and Georges Niang had 10. Each Okoro and Niang went 4-of-8 from the field.

10. Allen was honest in his assessment after the game. “Just keep improving on the little things,” he told FanDuel Sports Network. “I still think we have a long way to go to be the team we want to be.”

11. Mobley’s ankle injury isn’t expected to keep him out long. Also, this isn’t any inside information, but I suspect Max Strus (ankle) will make his season debut on Monday at Brooklyn. Several reports had him playing Friday. It was not to be.

12. Dean Wade and Sam Merrill have done a nice job of doing the little things, but man, those guys need to start knocking down wide-open shots. Wade went 1-of-8 from the field, including 0-of-7 on threes. Again, many were good looks. Merrill went 3-of-9 shooting.

13. Overall, this was hardly a resounding victory against an opponent that’s struggling mightily. But it was a victory, and that’s all anyone will notice when they look at the standings.

14. Given the performances of both teams, I’m a little less sad I was unable to attend. Clearly, I need to be there for the Cavs to be something close to their best. That’s a joke … but it wouldn’t be the first time I took part of the blame for a poor showing from a Cleveland team. It’s fine. Comes with the territory.

15. Bilal Coulibaly led the Wizards with a game-high 27 points. He was fantastic. They were missing Kyle Kuzma, Malcolm Brogdon and Corey Kispert, out with various injuries. You can’t blame the Cavaliers if human nature kept them from getting “up” for this game. Fortunately for them, it didn’t result in anything but a so-so evening.