CLEVELAND — Random dribbles from the Cavaliers’ 135-131 home loss to the Houston Rockets on Saturday. …
1. The Cavaliers are riding the struggle bus right now. It’s just that simple.
2. Up until about two weeks ago, they both played well and got some breaks. Now, it seems they are playing just OK and getting zero breaks.
3. But as they say, sometimes you gotta create your own breaks. But enough about breaks. The Cavs’ defense will have to put the other kind of brakes on their opponents at some point. That is to say, the defense has not been good lately.
4. It’s now three straight losses for the first time in the Kenny Atkinson era. This was also one of the few games where the opponent was mostly in control the entire time.
5. Interestingly, Atkinson predicted this way back at training camp. He insisted then that every team hits a speed bump, a lull in the season. What’s important, he said then, is how you come out on the other side.
6. And there will indeed be another side. The Cavs (36-9) still have 37 to go. That’s half a regular season. And they still have a nice cushion no matter what happens next.
7. Atkinson on Saturday: “These three games we’ve lost by eight points total. This is our first patch of adversity. This is the NBA. It’s tough. … It’s good for our guys. We’ll bounce back.”
8. His point is well-taken. If you’re gonna hit a rough patch (and you are), it’s better to hit it now than two or three months from now.
9. They’re not the only contender struggling at the moment, either. That’s also something Atkinson mentioned. The reigning champion Celtics entered Saturday as losers in five of their last 10. Same with the Knicks. The Thunder are 2-2 since beating the Cavs.
10. Meanwhile, the lowly Trail Blazers had won for straight. This is nothing new in the NBA. January can be a month when good teams struggle and non-playoff teams perform their best. That’s not just this season. That’s history.
11. More Atkinson: “Let’s see how we respond. We need to regroup. But I don’t see slippage in chemistry or leadership. Those are the important things.”
12. As for the defense, yeah, the slippage is evident. What gives?
13. Atkinson was asked. He first cited the absences of the injured Caris LeVert, Isaac Okoro and Dean Wade — all strong perimeter defenders. “That’s a little bit of it,” he said. The rest is inconsistency in all areas, out beyond the 3-point line and down around the basket.
14. But while fans are anxious and maybe panicked, the Cavaliers are not. “Life isn’t always happy,” said Evan Mobley, who made his return from a calf injury. “You just gotta take the adversity, learn from it and get better.”
15. As for the game, the Cavs trailed by 14 points at halftime and 17 at the end of the third quarter. They seemed totally out of it. But these are this year’s Cavs and we know that’s never true.
16. Instead, the Rockets (30-14) had to hang on for dear life for the second time in two games vs. the Cavs.
17. Cleveland’s run really picked up steam on a three from Georges Niang with 4:20 to go to cut the deficit to 121-115. Niang was overall fantastic in scoring a season-high 21.
18. A steal from Donovan Mitchell and ensuing feed to Darius Garland cut it to 121-117. Rockets guard Fred VanVleet hit a three (because of course he did), then Niang followed with a three of his own. Moments later, Mitchell scored off a drive.
19. After that, Garland buried a pair of free throws to make it 124-all with 1:51 to go. But the Cavs would never lead, or even tie, again. Houston made all the right plays down the stretch.
20. The best chance was when Mitchell missed a 3-pointer with 34 seconds left and the Cavs trailing 129-126. He got a good look. It just didn’t drop. That’s just the breaks, and yeah, there’s that word again.
21. So the Cavs have kept it remarkably close in these three losses. But unlike earlier in the year, they’re not finishing the job. At least, not this week. “We’re scoring 130 points, but it seems like (opponents) are consistently now in the 130s,” Atkinson said. “We’re leaking in too many places.”
22. Garland continued his run of being flat-out amazing, erupting for games-highs of 39 points and nine assists. Mitchell went for 33 points and seven assists. Max Strus added 14 on 6-of-8 shooting.
23. Jarrett Allen struggled, though, with eight points and four rebounds. Atkinson suggested Allen would never admit it, but he may be suffering from a bit of fatigue. “Jarrett hasn’t missed a game,” Atkinson said. “We need a day off.”
24. Houston is a much-improved, physical and wildly athletic bunch this season. These teams could meet again in the Finals. Seriously. Alperen Sengun finished with 26, as did Jalen Green. For some reason, Sengun is allowed to be the league’s most physical (and sometimes downright dirty) big man.
25. Anyway, Garland on the Cavaliers’ so-called adversity: “We know it’s gonna come. And we know we have to be better. It has to start defensively. … We just gotta get back to the basics.”
- Box Score | Rockets 135, Cavs 131
- More Cavaliers | All coverage from Hoops Wire
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