Cavs look like a team with clarity in dismantling of Timberwolves

Saturday afternoon offered a reminder of what the Cavaliers are supposed to look like when things line up.

A 146-134 home win over the Timberwolves didn’t just split the two-game set. It felt corrective. The Cavs (22-18) cleaned up several of the issues that doomed them two nights earlier and, for long stretches, looked like a team that knows exactly how it wants to play.

The biggest difference showed up before the ball even went up.

Thursday’s starting group was a problem, and Kenny Atkinson wasn’t about to repeat it. Craig Porter Jr. went back to the bench, Sam Merrill stepped in, and the impact was immediate. Atkinson never pinned the previous loss on Porter, but Merrill’s skill set was clearly a better fit against Minnesota’s size and pressure.

Merrill delivered. He scored 20 points and knocked down five three-pointers, but the shooting was only part of it. His off-ball movement opened the floor, pulled defenders out of help position and allowed the offense to breathe.

Instead of getting buried early again, the starters flipped the script, winning their minutes by eight after losing them by nineteen on Thursday.

Once the spacing settled in, everything else followed.

Donovan Mitchell led the way with 28 points, steady and assertive without forcing the issue. Darius Garland was surgical, finishing with 22 points on 10-of-13 shooting and six assists, doing his best work alongside the hybrid bench units.

Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen controlled the interior, with Mobley scoring 24 on efficient looks and Allen adding 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Also, Jaylon Tyson continued his strong stretch, pouring in 23 points off the bench and hitting all four of his attempts from deep. His confidence has become a real factor for a second unit that badly needs consistency.

Overall, the Cavs’ offense simply hummed. Thirty-six assists on 55 made shots told the story, along with 15 three-pointers at a 50 percent clip. The ball moved, decisions were quick, and Minnesota was constantly scrambling.

The Timberwolves (25-14) shot well themselves, but turnovers proved costly. Fifteen giveaways erased the benefit of their hot shooting and prevented them from fully capitalizing. Anthony Edwards scored 25, Julius Randle had 22, but Cleveland never completely lost control once momentum swung.

The encouraging part is that this wasn’t a fluke opponent. Minnesota is one of the league’s better teams, and over two games, the Cavs showed they can contend when the details are right.

Now comes the harder part — doing it again.

The Cavs return to action Monday at home against the Jazz, another chance to prove Saturday wasn’t just a response, but a standard.