Halftime Dribbles: So Far, Cavs At Full Strength A Different Beast

Halftime dribbles on Game 3 between the Cavaliers and Pacers in Indianapolis. …

1. The Cavs are at full strength and their zone defense has made life incredibly difficult for the Pacers. We are also seeing how much the Cavs missed Darius Garland — though he had to sit early with four fouls. Two of them were bogus.

2. Cleveland burst to an 11-0 lead, then a 25-10 lead. Then the Pacers came back to tie it up at the end of the first quarter. But the Cavs keep coming at you in waves, and as good as their offense has been, the defense … wow. Right now, it’s Cavs up, 66-45.

3. I’m not trying to pick on anyone, but Ty Jerome has struggled mightily. Short-arming shots, dribbling the ball off his foot and out of bounds, getting beat baseline a few times in a row by Pacers reserve T.J. McConnell. Coach Kenny Atkinson has instead opted to go with Sam Merrill, who’s been pretty good. No surprise. Merrill has become Mr. Intangibles. It’ll be interesting to see if Jerome gets another chance.

4. Max Strus has been brilliant all series and this game is no different so far. You can tell he has big-game experience, starting for the Heat during a Finals run two years ago. High energy, yet very calm under pressure.

5. I knew the Cavs at full strength were a better team than Indiana. For two quarters, they’ve proven it. But I’d be stunned if the Pacers don’t make another major run. So despite the 21-point lead, Cleveland has lots of work ahead.

6. Finally, boy oh boy, is Evan Mobley‘s defense at the rim making a huge difference. He and Jarrett Allen have been very good on both ends, and that’s been an underrated difference. Donovan Mitchell, meanwhile, has forced very little and stayed within himself. Watch out if he explodes in the final 24 minutes.