Cavs Game vs. Jazz Delayed By Hoop Malfunction

The Cavaliers’ home game against the Utah Jazz on Monday night didn’t exactly start as planned, thanks to an unexpected hoop malfunction that delayed tipoff.

But alas, the engineers played the role of Santa and managed to set up another one.

The scheduled 7:10 p.m. start was pushed back when it was discovered that one of the rims Utah used during warmups was out of level.

Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse technicians tried to adjust it — but when that didn’t work, the decision was made to swap out the entire hoop and stanchion.

While the delay might have frustrated some fans, it did provide a bit of entertainment. Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen, always willing to keep the energy up, took matters into his own hands.

Along with the team’s mascot, Moondog, Allen began attempting backward half-court shots. After a few misses, Allen finally nailed his third try, causing the crowd to erupt in approval. It was a lighthearted and perhaps needed moment in the middle of a minor disruption.

Despite the hiccup, there’s a reason NBA teams have contingencies for situations like this.

The league mandates that every team store a full backup hoop and stanchion at their arena, ensuring that any issues with the equipment can be addressed quickly.

It’s rare for something like this to happen, but it’s also a reminder that even in a multi-million-dollar operation, things don’t always go smoothly.

Eventually, the hoop was replaced, and the game was able to get underway. It wasn’t exactly how anyone drew it up, but in the end, it was just a small blip on the radar.

For the Cavaliers and jazz, it added a bit of excitement to a run-of-the-mill regular-season game on Christmas Eve Eve.

• More Cavaliers | All coverage from Hoops Wire