Dribbles: Cavs Offer More Evidence They Can Win, And Big, In Any Number Of Ways

Random dribbles following the Cavaliers’ convincing 118-92 home win over the Phoenix Suns on Monday. …Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers, Cavs, Suns, NBA

1. For the past two games, the Cavs have been money.

2. Actually, you could say that about the entire season. You don’t go 36-6 by fumbling around.

3. But for the past two, the Cavs have been without the injured Evan Mobley (calf) and Isaac Okoro (shoulder). For this one, they didn’t have Caris LeVert (wrist), either.

4. You could make a strong case that those are the Cavs’ top three defenders. Yet they stifled the Suns for most of the second half, showing that this is no ordinary team. You already knew that from their record. All this did was offer more evidence.

5. Coach Kenny Atkinson to reporters: “A night like tonight kind of proves that man we can go 11 deep, 12 deep. We had three rotation guys out. Normally in the NBA you’re like, ‘Man, this is going to be a real tough one.’ I did feel like that before, but this kind of reassures me that we can go deep, we can deal with injuries.”

6. That the Cavaliers can. Donovan Mitchell was the offensive star with 33 points. Darius Garland wasn’t far behind with 16 points and seven assists. But when it comes to this win, it was mainly the defense that did it. And everyone contributed.

7. There aren’t a lot of stats when it comes to defense. Steals and blocked shots, and that’s about it. But good defense is often about so much more than raw numbers. It’s about bending your knees, shuffling your feet and not getting caught out of position.

8. For most of the night, that was the Cavs. “To have our guys step up with an elite performance makes me feel real good about where we are,” Atkinson said.

9. Oh, rebounding is also a key stat, and with Mobley out, Atkinson had to turn to the likes of Tristan Thompson early. You remember Thompson? The lone member of today’s team from the 2016 championship squad?

10. Well, Thompson doesn’t play a whole lot these days. He’s an invaluable practice and locker-room leader — but his minutes usually come in garbage time. On this night, they came in the first quarter. And he gave a Herculian showing, finishing with 10 rebounds in 26 minutes.

11. But again, it’s about more than numbers, especially with Thompson. When he wasn’t grabbing rebounds or altering the occasional shot, he was mixing it up underneath and making the Suns’ lives miserable. It’s just The Thompson Way.

12. Atkinson was grateful. “I think he played 18 minutes straight, which is tough for anybody to do in this league,” he said of Thompson. “Part of the thinking was, ‘Man, if we could save (Jarrett Allen‘s) minutes, that would be really helpful.”

13. Thompson was asked if he needed a rest. “He’s like, ‘No, no, I’ll stay in,'” Atkinson said. “He loves to hoop. Whether we play 3-on-3, 1-on-1, 1-on-1 against the coaches. He just loves the game. … We love everything he brings to the table.”

14. Allen wasn’t too shabby himself, going for 12 points and 11 boards in 22 minutes. But yes, there were contributions everywhere — from Sam Merrill and rookie Jaylon Tyson (10 points apiece) to Max Strus (nine) to Dean Wade, Ty Jerome and Georges Niang (eight apiece).

15. Again, those are just the numbers. A win like this is accomplished via the things you can’t read. Loose balls, small plays, big shots, defensive stands. The Cavs did the last of those things while playing both man-to-man and zone. That’s just the way they roll.

16. Kevin Durant led the Suns (21-21) with 23 points, but Devin Booker was held to 15. The third member of Phoenix’s so-called Big Three, Bradley Beal, scored just five.

17. Things get a little tougher now, as the Cavaliers hit the road again, starting Wednesday against the rising Houston Rockets. They visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, before coming back on Saturday to face the Rockets again.

18. The statuses of Mobley, Okoro and LeVert are believed to be day-to-day, so there’s no telling who may return when. On the bright side, Atkinson and the Cavs seem to be innovative and motivated enough to keep this good thing going as is. Can’t complain about that.

 
 

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