Random dribbles following the Cavaliers’ 132-129 road loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday. …
1. Donovan Mitchell wore a stare of disgust on the bench in the final seconds, and all of Cavaliers Nation was right there with him.
2. For the second straight game, the Cavs failed to execute at crunch time. They had their chances, played relatively well, but just didn’t finish the job. The same thing happened at Houston the other night.
3. In that one, Darius Garland missed some critical free throws. In this one, Ty Jerome threw the ball over Mitchell’s head and right out of bounds. At the time, the Cavs trailed 129-126 with 9.4 seconds to go.
4. Ballgame. Again.
5. So for just the second time this season, the Cavs (36-8) have dropped two straight. They can’t focus on it though. But the time you read this, they’ll be getting ready for another game, Saturday night at home, against the aforementioned Rockets.
6. Jerome was otherwise brilliant with a career-high 33 points and a remarkable 8-of-8 shooting on 3-pointers. Mitchell was also masterful with a game-high 37.
7. The fateful inbounds play really was no one’s fault. Not Jerome’s, not Mitchell’s. It was just human error, a miscommunication. That happens. You just hope it doesn’t happen with the game on the line.
8. The Cavs still have the NBA’s best record, yes. Or at leat least tied for it with Oklahoma City. But they have to be better in the waning moments than they were in each of the last two. They say they know that.
9. Once again, a Cavs opponent shot out of their minds on threes. The Sixers (16-27) are nota good team from beyond the arc. Haven’t been all season. But they went 21-of-39 on this night for a season-high 53 percent. Good grief.
10. Some of that was the Cavs’ defense. It wasn’t totally locked in until the second half. But some of it was just opposing guys on 10-day contracts feeling good. Not a whole lot you can do about that.
11. Once again, the Cavs played very well in spurts and were clearly the better team. Yet, they lost. It’s nothing to fret over. It’s no reason to start wondering if something is amiss. It’s just another night in the NBA where not every last thing goes your way.
12. Garland was fantastic on his way to 26 points and seven assists. Jarrett Allen wasn’t bad with eight points and 10 rebounds. But it’s clear Allen is really missing the injured Evan Mobley underneath.
13. Opposing teams are just beating on Allen and he’s not getting a single call. I don’t know where this is coming from or why it’s allowed. If I’m the Cavs, I’m sending a highlight reel of Allen getting clobbered to the league office. It needs to be addressed.
14. Along with Mobley (calf), the Cavs were again missing Caris LeVert (wrist) and Isaac Okoro (shoulder). All remain day-to-day, but I’d be surprised if any of them played against the Rockets.
15. Meanwhile, the Sixers were missing six rotation players, including All-Star center Joel Embiid. Of course, that’s no shocker. Embiid has played in just 13 of their first 43 games.
16. Either way, you could see the puzzled look on coach Kenny Atkinson‘s face after Jerome threw the ball out of bounds. He entered the night unshaven, with messy hair, and looking like a guy who had “slept in his car,” as Brad Daugherty joked on Fanduel Sports Network.
17. After that inbounds gaffe, Atkinson looked a lot worse.
18. Paul George led Philadelphia with 30. It was a rare really good game from him in a Sixers uniform. Cavs-killer Tyrese Maxey scored 29. Kelly Oubre added 22. All of that is fine. It’s the other guys who barely play that somehow found a way to beat the Cavs.
19. Sometimes all you can do is shrug and say, Whatever, man. Just not our night.
20. But it should’ve been the Cavaliers’ night anyway. They know that. To their credit, they haven’t had many games like that this season. They just need to make sure they don’t have many more.
- Box Score | Sixers 129, Cavs 122
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PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE MID SEASON SLIDE DOWN, DOWN, DOWN. !
Almost to the TILT stage,,,, Extended Injuries, lackluster stupid turnover mistakes, streaky BAD shooting,
AND the most egregious,,,,, ref’s stupid erroneous calls, even when reviewed,,,
! ! ! Can’t have the smaller markets out lasting the BIG BOYS.
Cav’s can’t do battle with all this at once. Either they get over the stupidity plays & turnovers, start actually sinking MOST of their shots, like it was at the beginning of the season, & making you FREE THROWS, getting back to snappy correct passing assists, or it’s downhill from here…. because the officiating is also NOW eating them up when opponents can just throw players/bigs around with no calls on one end, and then call touch fouls with free throws involved for your opponents, that should tell you that THIS DECK IS STACKED !
& THE PARTY’S OVER. The first half of this season was really great to watch,,, BUT NOW,,, officials have changed. Pretty close to stop watching this slow motion train wreck.