Hoops Wire

Tag: Derrick White

  • Dribbles: Cavs Put It All Together, Blast Boston, And Now It’s All Tied Up

    Dribbles: Cavs Put It All Together, Blast Boston, And Now It’s All Tied Up

    Random dribbles following the Cavaliers’ beauty of a 118-94 road romp over the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of their second-round playoff series on Thursday. …Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA

    1. It’s official. The Cavaliers have their biggest playoff win since You Know Who was here.

    2. It also just happened to be their first playoff victory on the road since, yes, LeBron James was on the team. That also just happened to take place in Boston (Game 7, Eastern Conference Finals).

    3. But hey, what do you know? The Cavs finally put together a complete game. And these are the types of things that can happen when they do.

    4. For starters, the defense was as good as ever. The Cavs were flying all around the floor. That’s really been the case for the majority of the playoffs. But they took it to another level in this one.

    5. Offensively, wow. That was about as good as it gets. I don’t know if we’ve seen that from the Cavs since … what? January? That right there was what coach J.B. Bickerstaff means when he talks about “Cavaliers Basketball.”

    1. It was the opposite of Game 1 in Boston and all those ugly losses at Orlando in the first round. “We were extremely confident, even after Game 1,” Donovan Mitchell told ESPN. “Now just continue to build on it and protect home court.”

    2. Yep, Mitchell is right. We’re tied at 1-all and headed back to Cleveland for Game 3 on Saturday night. Think The Rock will be a-rockin’?

    6. This one was again a whole lot of Mitchell (29 points, seven rebounds, eight assists), but plenty of the other guys. For instance, Evan Mobley was fantastic in the first half on his way to 21 points and 10 rebounds. He finally seemed to be in something resembling a real offensive flow, despite needing to fight off some foul trouble.

    7. Then there was Caris LeVert, who the Cavs really need to be a spark off the bench. He lived and breathed that role on Thursday, going for 21 points and six rebounds.

    8. Darius Garland (14 points, seven boards), Max Strus (12 points, six boards) and Isaac Okoro (12 points, 5-of-6 shooting, tons of defense) all gave underrated and vital performances as well.

    9. Oh, and let’s not forget Tristan Thompson. He played 10 minutes and scored one point. Not exactly a banner night if you’re just reading the box score. But man, he had the Celtics seeing Green — as he filled in for Mobley and fought for every inch near the hoop.

    10. For the first time this postseason, the Cavs had six players in double figures. They outscored the Celtics by a whopping 60-44 in the paint. And the 94 points scored by the Celtics were their second-fewest of the year, regular-season included (they had 91, April 9, at Milwaukee).

    11. By the way, Mitchell joined James as the only Cavaliers with five straight playoff games of at least 25 points.

    12. Meanwhile, Jayson Tatum (25 points) and Jaylen Brown (19) each went 7-of-17 from the field. So the Cavs made sure the two Celtics stars had to work to get on the scoreboard. Also, so much for Derrick White turning into the next Stephen Curry — as White finished just 1-of-8 on 3-pointers after lighting it up.

    13. By the way, word is that Dean Wade should be ready to go for Game 3. And if not Game 3, then Game 4 on Monday. Wade last played His best game of the year came in the Cavaliers’ one regular-season win over the Celtics.

    14. Anyway, Mitchell never gets too down after the losses, and he stayed even-keel after this big win. “This game means nothing if we don’t take care of home court,” he told reporters.

    15. Yes, he’s right about that one. “We have a group that sticks together and believes in each other,” Mitchell said. “We’ve been through so much, so why stop now?”

    16. So, yeah, the Cavs may have found something here. Many of us already had written them off. But this is why you play the games. They came out, they were aggressive, they took what they wanted. Still, without the injured Jarrett Allen to boot. And after two games, perhaps surprisingly, we now have ourselves a series.

    17. Bickerstaff with the final word: “Our focus was we needed to be better than we were the first game. Our guys took that to heart. I thought our guys executed our game plan tonight to a T.”

  • Dribbles: Cavs Look A Lot Like They Did In First Round, Except These Are The Celtics

    Dribbles: Cavs Look A Lot Like They Did In First Round, Except These Are The Celtics

    Random dribbles following the Cavaliers’ 120-95 Game 1 road loss to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday. …

    Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers, Jrue Holiday, Boston Celtics, NBA

    1. Man, I just don’t know. There are no easy answers here. The Celtics turned that into about 36 minutes of garbage time.

    2. If the Cavs are going to pull an upset in this series — and it would indeed be a major upset — every last player has to bring their “A-game” on the road. 

    3. Instead, nobody did.

    4. The Cavs can’t fart around like they did in the Magic series and expect to survive. They need to move the ball, make shots, and play a sharp and crisp brand of basketball. 

    5. They did none of that.

    6. Otherwise, Boston is going to make you wish you could just call it a night — like, in the third quarter. That pretty much sums up Game 1. 

    7. With 9 minutes left in the fourth, I found myself wishing for a running clock. I think that describes both teams as well. This almost felt like a scrimmage.

    8. Also, I don’t know that Jarrett Allen (ribs) will be able to play in this series. The Cavs don’t have much of a chance even if he does. But if he doesn’t, it very well could be a sweep.

    9. Listen, I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer here, and I intend to watch and write about every game. I’ve also been covering the NBA long enough to know that one game doesn’t make a series. Neither do two. Then again, three can if a team goes up 3-0. 

    10. Anyway, my point is this — with great production and a little dumb luck, anything can happen. But trust me when I say the Cavs will need plenty of both to get out of this series alive.

    11. Again, on Tuesday, none of that happened. The effort was there, but why have the Cavs looked so lost offensively in eight playoff games? It’s like they’re just seeing each other for the first time in a game of shirts and skins.

    12. Stats in this game are meaningless because very few of them (OK, none) translated to keeping it close. Donovan Mitchell led the way with 33 points, and I could watch that man play every minute of every night. But I also know that man needs some help.

    13. Evan Mobley had 17, though most came when the game was way out of reach. Offensively, he’s just sort of been hanging around. He continues to do an excellent job defensively and in rebounding (13 vs. Celtics). That’s not enough. Darius Garland scored 14, Isaac Okoro had 11.

    14. Max Strus was 2-of-8 shooting, Caris LeVert 2-of-6, Sam Merrill 0-of-5. Not going anywhere with any of that.

    15. Again, the Cavaliers aren’t as talented as the Celtics. Not many teams are. Boston finished with the league’s best record (64-18). Jaylen Brown was fantastic with 32 points and Derrick White went for 25 on 7-of-12 shooting on 3-pointers. Jayson Tatum added 18. It was just an utterly dominant showing through and through.

    16. Now, here’s where I’ll offer a single excuse: The Cavs just played an intense Game 7 two days before this one. (Of course, that was much of their own doing — as they dug themselves an 18-point hole.) So, there was highly likely some fatigue.

    17. I get that. But why do the Cavaliers look worse in the playoffs than they did in the regular season? That I don’t get. And yes, I know, they could be maddening in the regular season, too. Whatever it is, they’d better leave it in the dust real fast and find some extra resolve. Otherwise, this series will remain every bit this ugly, and that much I can promise.

  • Celtics Say They’re Well Aware That Cavs Don’t Go Down Easily, Citing ‘Ability To Go On Runs’

    Celtics Say They’re Well Aware That Cavs Don’t Go Down Easily, Citing ‘Ability To Go On Runs’

    For the Cavaliers and Celtics, the second round of the NBA playoffs has finally begun.Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA

    This is the latest starting second-round series because it took the Cavs seven games to rid themselves of the Orlando Magic, despite being heavy favorites. This time, it’s Boston that is expected to run away with things.

    But Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla also knows that the Cavs have Donovan Mitchell and that Mitchell is one of the game’s brightest stars. Mazzulla also is well aware that Mitchell scored 89 points in the final two games of the series vs. the Magic — 50 in a Game 6 road loss, and 39 in the series-clinching win in Cleveland on Sunday.

    “So you saw in Game 6 it was a 50-point performance in a loss,” Mazzulla told reporters, via Jay King of The Athletic. “And you saw in Game 7 that he had (39 points and five assists) in a win. So you have to pick your poison. It’s gotta be disciplined.”

    The Magic tried to defend Mitchell one-on-one a lot — using either guards Jalen Suggs or Gary Harris, and occasionally pulling from their catalog of big men. It worked in Game 6, as Mitchell scored each of the Cavs’ final 18 fourth-quarter points in Game 6 — but no one else got anything going. So the Magic finished the series with the mindset, “Let Mitchell go nuts and shut down everyone else.”

    Everyone else finally stepped up — or at least helped — in Game 7. Nonetheless, the Celtics could try a different approach, aiming to make slowing Mitchell and Darius Garland their top priority.

    “When you’re playing against guys like (Mitchell) and a team that has dynamic guards it usually comes down to the other things,” Mazzulla said. “It comes down to the impact that (Caris LeVert), (Max Strus), (Evan Mobley), (Isaac Okoro), those guys have. Transition defense, offensive rebounds, turnovers. Just really all of the details in the margins that we talked about in the last series kinda go under-shadowed when you see a caliber player like a Garland or a Mitchell. It still comes down to the margins and the details in this one.”

    Boston won the season series, 2-1, with the Cavs’ lone victory being a 105-104 thriller in which Dean Wade (now injured) scored 20 points in the fourth quarter. It snapped an 11-game winning streak for Boston. It also came without Mitchell.

    The Celtics expect to see that type of determination again and used the Cavs’ Game 7 win over the Magic as an example.

    “Down 18 points, and they just never blinked,” Celtics guard Derrick White said, via King. “They just keep competing. We learned that first-hand when we played them in the regular season. They never give up, they’re always competing, and it’s going to be a fun challenge.”

    Mazzulla added: “One of the things they do well is an ability to go on runs. Just kind of with their talent and also their effort and their defense.”

  • Cavs Advance To Eastern Conference Semis, Without LeBron, For First Time Since 1993

    Cavs Advance To Eastern Conference Semis, Without LeBron, For First Time Since 1993

    The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Orlando Magic 106-94 in Game 7 to win a first-round playoff series, without LeBron James on the roster, which hasn’t been done by the franchise since 1993.

    Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers, Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic, NBA

    In a winner-take-all elimination game, Magic’s up-and-coming star, Paolo Banchero didn’t go down without putting up a fight, as he contributed 38 points (10-for-28 FG), 16 rebounds, and three steals, however, that was still not enough to win on the road in Cleveland; each team playing on their home court this series won every game in the first-round matchup.

    In his first ever playoff series, the 2022 first-overall pick averaged an impressive 27.0 points (45.6% FG; 40% 3PT), 8.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.1 steals.

    “It was a hell of an environment and probably the most intense game I’ve ever played in my life,” Banchero said. “Every possession, the toll it takes on your body and your mind is immense.”

    The Cavs defense stepped up in a big way, as the Magic’s second and third-best scorers Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs were held to a combined 3-of-28 shooting from the field. Moreover, as a team, in the second half, the Magic shot 11-for-43 from the field (25.6%) and 3-for-15 from deep (20%). 

    The Cavs trailed by as much as 18 points in the second quarter, but were ultimately saved by Donovan Mitchell once again, as he followed up his 50-point performance from last game with 39 points, nine rebounds and five assists in Sunday afternoon’s closeout game. With this in mind, it would be nice if Mitchell, who scored all 18 of the Cavs 4th quarter points in Game 6, got some help in the scoring department from his teammates. To note, Mitchell’s counterpart Darius Garland had just 2 points on 1-of-10 shooting prior to the 4th quarter.

    After the game Mitchell was asked by reporters on what he said to his backcourt partner, “I told him, I don’t give a damn what happened in the past quarter and a half, you trust your work, I mean trust what you’ve done, trust who you are… I understand what he was feeling, you know it’s like ‘I can’t get anything right.’… We trust you, believe in yourself. And you know there’s been moments where he’s done the same to me. You know we have that relationship.”

    The pep talk seemingly worked, as halfway through the fourth quarter, Garland sank a second-chance corner three to put the Cavs back up by double-digits, which made the crowd erupt. In view of his teammates’ encouragement, Garland found his groove, scoring 10 of his 12 points in the last six minutes of the game.

    “To see him respond like that when he hit that three, I knew like he’s back.” Mitchell said on Garland.

    In the last two games, Mitchell, who they call “Spida,” is averaging 44.5 points, and noticeably has given it all he’s got, while physically beat up from driving to the basket.

    Notably, in a Game 6 loss, Mitchell also broke a record, as he had 36 points in the paint, which is the most paint points by a guard in a playoff game in the last 25 years, since Kobe Bryant (30). 

    “I’m tired of losing in the first round,” Mitchell stated postgame. “You work too hard. We work too hard. That was my mindset… for me, just be in attack mode. I’m battling through what I’m battling through, but I could battle through it and figure it out, or rehab it for the next three or four months. That’s where I’m at mentally.”

    Throughout the game and much of the series, Mitchell has been seen walking with a slight limp, as he has reportedly dealt with lingering soreness from a knee injury for much of the season. Not to mention, although it hasn’t been diagnosed by a doctor, the superstar probably is dealing with back pain, which may be a result of “carrying the team.” 

    Mitchell has now led the Cavs to move onto the Eastern Conference semifinals round, where they will face the first-seeded Celtics (64-18), who had the best record in the NBA this year and also led the second-seeded Knicks by more than 14 games in the standings. 

    With 57 seconds left, the Cavs were up 104-92, and the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse crowd started chanting “we want Boston,” in which Mitchell quieted the crowd saying “no not yet.” 

    To emphasize the Celtics’ dominance this season, they won more games by 40+ (4) and 30+ points this season (10) than they had 10 point-deficit losses (2), that is to say, they also matched those two losses, by winning two games by more than 50, including a 62-point victory over the Warriors (140-88, March 3), third-largest victory in franchise history.  To point out, what makes the Celtics so hard to beat, is their efficiency on both ends of the floor. During the regular season, the Celtics offense ranked 2nd in points per game (120.6), while also being 5th in opponents’ points per game (109.2). This led to the Celtics having a league-best scoring margin average of +11.4. 

    Important to keep in mind, the Celtics may be without a key part of their team for this second-round series, as Kristaps Porzingis is dealing with a soleus strain in his right calf that he sustained during Game 4 of the first-round series vs. the Heat. Porzingis is averaging 20.1 points (51.6% FG; 37.5% 3PT), 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.9 blocks in 30 minutes per game this season.

    The Latvian big man is still expected to travel with the team, “There’s no specific date, obviously,” Porzingis stated when talking about his return to the court. “It’s still pretty early. I think it will be clear once I start doing more stuff… But yeah. Not super close yet.” 

    That is to say, even without their 7-foot stretch forward, the Celtics still have two prolific scorers in Jayson Tatum (26.9 ppg) and Jaylen Brown (23 ppg) to carry the load. Not to mention, guard Derrick White has proven himself to be a reliable third option, stepping up in a big way in his seventh-season, in particular, he has averaged 31.5 ppg (59% FG; 52% 3PT) the past two playoff games when Porzingis was injured.

    The Celtics and Cavs frontcourt may both be short-handed heading into the next round, as Center Jarrett Allen missed the past three games vs. the Magic with bruised ribs, after taking an elbow to his rib cage during game 4.

    Coming off a disappointing first-round playoff series last year vs. the Knicks, Allen has averaged 17.0 points (67.6% FG), 13.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 blocks in four games this postseason so far. In regards to how Allen’s injury may affect the Cavs moving forward, the team may lean more heavily on Evan Mobley, who put up 11 points and 16 rebounds in a Game 7 victory. With Allen off the floor, Mobley has been the anchor defensively for the Cavs, as he recorded five blocks in each of the last two games. 

    The Cavs’ defense all year has proven to be tough, but the Celtics’ offense certainly has a whole lot of firepower, scoring a league-best 49 points off of 16.5 three-pointers made per game this season. With considering this, the Cavs are top-10 in the NBA in least amount of 3’s yielded to opponents per game (12.5), while also giving up the seventh-least amount of points per game to opponents this season (110.2). 

    As already highlighted, the last time the Cleveland Cavaliers advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals without LeBron, was 1993, a year when the Cavs won 3-2 in a best of 5 first-round series vs. the New Jersey Nets. Then in the next round, that Cleveland team went on to face Michael Jordan and the Bulls, in which they ultimately got swept 4-0 by Chicago, who would later go on to be crowned NBA champions for the third straight year.

    The Cavaliers are hoping for a different result 31 years later, as they will take on the Celtics next round; Game 1 will be played in Boston, Tuesday May 7 at 7:00 pm ET. 

  • East Notes: Bucks, Damian Lillard, Magic, Celtics

    East Notes: Bucks, Damian Lillard, Magic, Celtics

    Bucks

    No Giannis Antetokounmpo, no problem for the Bucks in a rematch of two franchises that met in the Finals in 2021.Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers, Milwaukee Bucks, NBA

    Somehow, someway, the Bucks did in fact beat the Suns in Milwaukee on Sunday, despite Antetokounmpo being a later scratch with a hamstring issue.

    Damian Lillard and Bobby Portis led the way with 31 points apiece. Lillard also collected 16 assists, and Portis had 10 rebounds. 

    By the way, that made Lillard the first player in Bucks history with a 30-point, 15-assist outing.

    “I just wanted to come out and be in attack mode,” he told reporters. “I didn’t really think to myself I’m going to have to score a bunch of points. I just knew I had to be a problem for the defense.”

    • Antetokounmpo missed just his fourth game of the season. “It’s not an injury, we were just concerned a little bit,” coach Doc Rivers said. “Plus, when you look at the schedule, you have one, two, three, four, five days off. We planted it in him and he had to do it. We’re happy that he decided to do it.”
    • It helped that Khris Middleton returned and scored 22 points in his first game in more than a month. Our Ashish Mathur has more on Middleton right here.

    Magic

    Don’t look now, but the Magic have won eight of 10, capped by Sunday’s blowout win over the Raptors.

    “Every game is not going to be high-flying,” coach Jamahl Mosley told reporters. “Our guys are finding ways to win and that’s important in this league. Even when the games aren’t pretty you find ways to win.”

    • The Raptors lead the NBA in fast-break points but the Magic held them to just 16 on Sunday. Orlando also helped Toronto without a field goal for nearly four minutes to start the second half.
    • Said forward Franz Wagner: “I think defensively we’re really good. We have a lot of guys that take a lot of pride in that side of the floor, and we have really smart players, too. That’s always a good combination.”

    Celtics

    The Celtics had little trouble with the lowly Wizards on Sunday, despite the fact Boston was without starters Jaylen Brown (ankle), Derrick White (hand) and Kristaps Porzingis (hamstring).

    Jayson Tatum did his usual thing with 30 points, and Sam Hauser added a career-high 30 of his own off 10 3-pointers.

    “That’s why we have that stay-ready group, frankly, for days like this,” Tatum told reporters. “We can just plug in certain guys in certain positions and moments. And the expectation is that we don’t skip a beat.”

    • Coach Joe Mazzulla on Hauser: “I loved his confidence, I loved his aggressiveness. I loved how guys looked for him. He got his shots within the flow of our execution. And that’s the weapon that he is.”
  • East Notes: Celtics, Jayson Tatum, Sixers, Bucks

    East Notes: Celtics, Jayson Tatum, Sixers, Bucks

    Celtics

    The Celtics were missing the injured Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis, but Jayson Tatum (38 points) and Derrick White (24) made sure they had no issues in an easy road win vs. the Jazz on Tuesday.Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics, NBA

    For starters, Boston shot a sizzling 41 percent on 3-pointers.

    “The law of averages, you play so many games you won’t be perfect every night. You have to stick with it and trust that you’re going to have more good days than bad,” Tatum told reporters.

    • In the process, the Celtics became the first team this season to record 50 wins.
    • The Celtics have also won three straight to finish their five-game road trip with a flurry. They’re an impressive 9-2 on the second game of back-to-backs.

    76ers

    All-Star Tyrese Maxey returned after missing four straight games with a concussion, but it did the Sixers little good in their blowout road loss to the Knicks on Tuesday.

    But hey, at least Maxey is back and said he’s feeling good — as Philadelphia continues to hold out hope that fellow All-Star Joel Embiid will play again before the playoffs.

    “I felt pretty good. I was definitely tired when I came out the first time, my wind,” Maxey told reporters. “It’s kind of difficult because only so much you can do while you’re in the protocol. But overall, it was all right.”

    • Coach Nick Nurse was not pleased with the Sixers’ effort at the start of the game, calling a timeout just a little more than a minute into the game. “Their speed, they were moving faster than we were,” Nurse said of the Knicks. “Their physicality, I thought on the ball, was a big difference on both ends.”

    Bucks

    The Bucks finished just 1-3 on their trip out West, getting run out of the gym by the Kings on Tuesday.

    “We deserved it tonight,” coach Doc Rivers told reporters. “It’s my fault. I didn’t get them prepared the way I should mentally. At shootaround, guys were talking about planes leaving.

    “As a staff, we talked about it after shootaround that if our focus is not better than this morning, it’s going to be a long day. And it was a long day. So that’s on us.”

  • East Notes: Knicks, Jalen Brunson, Sixers, Celtics

    East Notes: Knicks, Jalen Brunson, Sixers, Celtics

    Knicks

    Point guard Jalen Brunson said he had a great time accumulating 21 points and 12 rebounds in the Knicks’ big win in his hometown of Philadelphia on Thursday.Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks, NBA

    “Playing here in college, growing up in south Jersey for a little bit, it definitely is fun playing here,” Brunson stood reporters. “I really enjoy it.”

    Along with the victory, the Knicks increased their cushion over the 76ers for fourth in the Eastern Conference. That’s despite the fact they are still without injured forwards Julius Randle and OG Anunoby and center Mitchell Robinson. 

    “We’ve got to get people back,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “It’s not going to happen overnight. There’s an urgency to this. We can keep talking about kicking it down the road. We can’t keep kicking it down the road. We’ve got to be ready now.”

    76ers

    The Sixers fell to 6-15 without center Joel Embiid entering Friday’s home game vs. the Cavaliers.

    In Thursday’s loss to the Knicks, All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey (35 points) had little help — a regular occurrence with Embiid out.

    “Early, we didn’t communicate in certain spots, we didn’t follow the game plan,” Maxey said. “We didn’t follow what coach was telling us what to do.”

    • Point guard Kyle Lowry checked in late in the first quarter, his first time since being signed last week. Her received a standing ovation from his hometown crowd.
    • The AP reports: “Lowry’s homecoming was short-lived — he took an inadvertent elbow to the face on a driving layup from Knicks forward Jericho Sims. Lowry, who finished with 11 points in 25 minutes. buried his face in a towel and went straight to the locker room. He received stitches and returned with an adhesive bandage on his forehead in the third quarter.”

    Celtics

    The Celtics have won seven straight, downing the Bulls in Chicago on Thursday.

    “I thought the (All-Star) break was nice,” guard Derrick White told reporters. “I think we were all just ready to get back to it. Just a big opportunity for us to be playing our best basketball going down the stretch. The break was nice. We just got to pick up where we were and try to keep getting better each day.”

  • Dribbles: Cavs flat start proves costly vs. Celtics, but return home will tell us more

    Dribbles: Cavs flat start proves costly vs. Celtics, but return home will tell us more

    Random dribbles following the Cavaliers’ 116-107 road loss to the Boston Celtics on Thursday.Donovan Mitchell

    1. On the bright side, the trip is over. The Cavs now have four straight and five of seven at home. We can make a better big-picture assessment after those.

    2. Frankly, I didn’t think the Cavs had much of a chance after watching them two nights ago in Boston. The Celtics are already bigger and extremely dangerous when it comes to scoring at the rim. Not having Evan Mobley (knee) makes the latter significantly more difficult to contain.

    3. Still, that doesn’t explain how the Cavs came out kind of flat. It was as if they had spent two days on a jet — except they spent the previous two nights in Boston. 

    4. This sort of reminded me of the first-round playoff series vs. the Knicks. Even when the Cavs cut the deficit to three at the end of the third quarter (90-87) … well, it still didn’t feel like they had a real shot to win.

    5. Right now, Boston is the Beast of the East. But I think the Cavs can beat anyone when they perform better than they did Thursday. I also wonder why Tristan Thompson only played three minutes despite the Cavs getting killed underneath. That was especially the case when Jarrett Allen took a breather. I thought the Cavs could’ve used considerably more of what Thompson brings — defense, rebounding and tons of hustle.

    6. That’s not to question coach J.B. Bickerstaff or say that more Thompson would’ve meant winning the game. I just found the decision to keep him on the bench somewhat curious.

    7. Donovan Mitchell led the way with 31 points on 12-of-24 shooting, with eight rebounds and six assists. Caris LeVert came to life by scoring 26 off the bench and helped keep Cleveland in it during the third quarter. Darius Garland added 19 points — but had just three assists, compared to five turnovers. Can’t be sloppy with the ball against a team like Boston.

    8. No one else did squat.

    9. There was just too much standing around on offense for Cleveland and too many drive-bys for easy baskets for Boston. The Cavs battled in spurts — but not so much in others. They were totally there physically, making an effort. But lots of silly mental breakdowns.

    10. Look, the Celtics will do this to people on their floor. They may be the best team in the NBA right now and are particularly lethal at home (12-0). I know fans want to react and be ticked off, and that’s OK. But I don’t see any team in the league coming into Boston and winning a game without their starting power forward. Not when the Celtics are entirely healthy.

    11. Yes, the Cavs (13-12) are just a game over .500. Yes, they really need to luck into a stretch of total health for their starters. And yes, they could also use some time back at home to try to correct things. That last part is about to happen.

    12. The Celtics (18-5) outrebounded the Cavs by a 44-39 count. That’s not that bad, all things considered. But what killed the Cavs was the second-chance points. It seemed like every time the Cavs started to get close, the Celtics would miss a shot, get the rebound, then score. That, friends, is just deflating.

    13. Bickerstaff to reporters: “We just had a hard time finishing possessions. They ended up getting some second-chance points — points that were point-blank and at the rim. But I thought our guys did a phenomenal job of making them take tough shots.”

    14. Then the Celtics got the offensive rebound and were able to try to score all over again. Oftentimes, they did. That’s what Bickerstaff meant when he said the Cavs didn’t “finish possessions.”

    15. The Celtics (18-5) were led by the usual suspects. Jayson Tatum scored 27, Jaylen Brown went for 22, Kristaps Porzingis had 18, and Jrue Holiday and Derrick White added 15 and 14, respectively. So far, the offseason trades for Porzingis and Holiday are paying huge dividends, especially defensively.

    16. Also, I really don’t think the Cavs are that far from becoming the team they think they can be. I don’t fault them for not winning at Boston (or even at Orlando). They do need some lucky breaks to start bouncing their way. But they also need to start making their own breaks.

    17. No reason to panic. I know you want to, but don’t do it. Not yet. If the Cavs get/stay healthy, they will be at their best when it means the most. I truly believe that. Next up: Atlanta in Cleveland on Saturday.

    18. Finally, trade season unofficially starts Friday. What might the Cavs be thinking? I wrote a column about exactly that earlier. You can check it out here.

  • East Notes: Celtics, Derrick White, Sixers, Knicks

    East Notes: Celtics, Derrick White, Sixers, Knicks

    Celtics

    It took everything they had, but Jayson Tatum, Derrick White and the Celtics fought their way to an impressive road win over the 76ers on Wednesday. This despite the fact Jaylen Brown (illness) and Kristaps Porzingis (bruised knee) were out.Derrick White, Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid battle for a loos ball

    Tatum scored 29 points and White had 27, including 14 in the fourth quarter.

    “Everyone has to step it up a little bit,” White told reporters. “Obviously, guys like J.B. and K.P., you can’t do what they do. But you have to step it up just a little bit and I think that a lot of guys stepped up tonight.”

    • Coach Joe Mazzulla also had plenty of praise for Jrue Holiday, who finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds. “Jrue, I told him before the game, ‘I watched you on film take things over when guys on the Bucks team were out, and you won games because of what you did on both ends,’” Mazzulla said, via Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe. “So, he was able to do some of that tonight.”

    76ers

    The Sixers were playing the second game of a back-to-back and third in four nights in the loss to Boston. It may have caught up with them in the second half.

    “The physicality on the ball, we were not able to get into things as crisply as we would like to,” coach Nick Nurse said. “It’s not always easy coming off a back-to-back like that and it took us a minute to get into the game. I think that we gave up some easy offense and dug ourselves a hole.”

    Knicks 

    Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle came up big in Wednesday’s road win over the Hawks, as Brunson hit a pull-up jumper with 18 seconds to go. New York claimed a 116-114 victory.

    “We showed a lot of toughness — more mental than physical — and found a way to win,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau told reporters.

    • Thibodeau added that Brunson in particular showed some stick-to-itiveness in a close game and came through when they needed him most. “He couldn’t find his rhythm early,” Thibodeau said. “But he just kept working the game, working the game, working the game.”
  • East Notes: Sixers, James Harden, Celtics, Al Horford, Cavs

    East Notes: Sixers, James Harden, Celtics, Al Horford, Cavs

    76ers

    • Guard James Harden intended to travel with the Sixers to their games in Milwaukee and Toronto, but the Sixers though he might serve as a distraction, per Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports.
    • So, as we relayed here, Harden will stay back in Philadelphia, working out at the practice facility in Camden, N.J., for at least the first two games.
    • Harden requested a trade to the Clippers and it appears the Clippers are now all in on acquiring him. But still, Los Angeles and Philadelphia are no closer to a deal.
    • Former Sixers coach Doc Rivers said that not making the All-Star team last season really bothered Harden, and that may be where the issues with the Sixers actually began.
    • Harden was not among the players putting up shots after Wednesday’s practice, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

    Celtics

    Cavaliers

    • Point guard Darius Garland (hamstring) went through shootaround on Wednesday and “all signs point” to Garland playing vs. the Nets, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Garland entered the opener listed as questionable.
    • I have plenty more on the Cavs and what to expect for the season (or at least what I think) in my opening day dribbles. You can check them out here.
  • NBA Notes: Mavs, Luka Doncic, Celtics, Derrick White, Pelicans

    NBA Notes: Mavs, Luka Doncic, Celtics, Derrick White, Pelicans

    Mavericks

    Star guard Luka Doncic is expected to miss the Mavericks’ preseason finale with a mild left calf strain, coach Jason Kidd told reporters.

    Kidd added that Doncic “will be reevaluated later this week.”

    Meanwhile, Marc Stein of The Stein Line suggested the Mavs don’t suspect the injury is serious and the team is “optimistic” Doncic will be good to go for the season opener on Oct. 25.

    • In case you missed it, Dallas has signed guard Taze Moore to its preseason roster. We have that full post here.

    Celtics

    The Celtics and guard Derrick White have been discussing a contract extension in recent weeks, per Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe.

    The sides have a week to decide, and it may take that long. Since White has two seasons remaining on his current contract, he can only be extended through the end of the offseason.

    One thing’s for certain — he may become more important this season, as the Celtics traded away both Marcus Smart (Grizzlies) and Malcolm Brogdon (Trail Blazers).

    • New senior consultant Jeff Van Gundy was spotted at practice on Monday, talking with team president Brad Stevens. (Picture via Souchi Terada.) We have more on Van Gundy’s arrival and coach Joe Mazzulla‘s thoughts here.

    Pelicans

    • The Pelicans have waived Landers Nolley II and signed guard Izaiah Brockington, the team announced in a press release.
    • Brockington is getting a second chance with the Pelicans — and G League’s Birmingham Squadron — after being forced to sit out last season with a torn ACL. He played for New Orleans in Summer League in July.
    • Nolley went undrafted out of Cincinnati this past summer. He too is likely headed to Birmingham.
  • Spurs Sign Devin Vassell to Five-Year Extension

    Spurs Sign Devin Vassell to Five-Year Extension

    Spurs guard Devin Vassell is signing a five-year, $146 million extension, his agents at CAA Sports told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.Devin Vassell

    This rookie-scale contract extension cements Vassell as one of the Spurs’ foundational pieces on their young, rebuilding roster alongside No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama, 2022 No. 9 overall pick Jeremy Sochan, and 2019 late first-round pick Keldon Johnson. 

    Vassell, out of Florida State, was drafted with the No. 11 pick in the 2020 draft, and in 38 games last season averaged 18.5 points (43.9% FG, 38.7% 3P), 3.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.1 steals.

    The 23-year-old showcased his talent in a breakout year before sustaining a knee injury in January, which caused him to have surgery and miss two months of action. While Vassell missed time, he proved himself to fit the mold of a Spurs’ prototypical corner piece, as an athletic, talented scorer who can be a difference-maker on both ends of the court.

    The Spurs are known for signing their first-round picks to extensions, including notable Spurs players in recent years such as Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, and Johnson.

    Vassell will join the company of five other NBA players from his 2020 NBA Draft class to sign an extension — the Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards, Hornets’ LaMelo Ball, Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton, Pistons’ Isaiah Stewart, and Grizzlies’ Desmond Bane.

  • East Notes: Celtics, Derrick White, Pistons, Cade Cunningham, Bucks

    East Notes: Celtics, Derrick White, Pistons, Cade Cunningham, Bucks

    Celtics

    The Celtics will need to find a replacement for starting guard Marcus Smart, traded to the Grizzlies as part of the Kristaps Porzingis deal with the Wizards.

    And per Sherrod Blakely of Full Court Press, guard Derrick White will likely get the first crack.

    “(Smart’s) departure leaves a gaping hole, not only in terms of what he brought to the table talent-wise, but more specifically what his presence meant to this team both in terms of a playmaker and an elite defender,” Blakely wrote. “While it’s to be determined who will replace him, it’s clear as day that first up to do so will be Derrick White.”

    Blakely then takes a deep dive into what the Celtics might look like and expect with White as the starter. You can read the full newsletter here.

    Pistons

    Guard Cade Cunningham will need to stay healthy and take the next step for the Pistons to improve on last season’s 17-win season and start to show promise, wrote Sam Vecenie of The Athletic.

    “It’s 100 percent right that Cunningham’s play this season is the critical factor for the Pistons,” Vecenie wrote. “We have extremely positive signs about how that is going to go following his performances at Team USA camp this summer. But Cunningham is the centerpiece of the rebuild, and the NBA is a star-driven league — and has arguably never been more star-driven than it is now. It’s hard to find teams that don’t have a proven star or a potential star. For the Pistons to make that leap, Cunningham needs to be the guy.”

    Added James L. Edwards III of The Athletic: “There can’t be 17 wins again. A budding star needs to make himself known. Youth is still prevalent on the roster, but that didn’t stop other organizations from taking a leap last season. Detroit, a legacy franchise, must plant the seeds this season for a better life moving forward.”

    Bucks

    Is it time to start over for the Bucks? David Thorpe of True Hoop attempted to answer that question with his thorough examination of Milwaukee’s roster and future.

    Thorpe’s post was based on recent comments made by star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.

    “There will never be hard feelings with the Milwaukee Bucks. […] I believe that we’ve had 10 unbelievable years, and there’s no doubt I gave everything for the city of Milwaukee,” Antetokounmpo said, via Tania Ganguli of the New York Times. “Everything. Every single night, even when I’m hurt. I am a Milwaukee Buck. I bleed green. I know this.

    “This is my team, and it’s going to forever be my team. I don’t forget people that were there for me and allowed me to be great and to showcase who I am to the world and gave me the platform. But we have to win another one.”

    You can check out Thorpe’s full breakdown here.

  • Celtics Notes: Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Jayson Tatum

    Celtics Notes: Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Jayson Tatum

    When you are the Celtics, it so often comes down to the 3-pointer.Jaylen Brown

    These Celtics did it again in their 110-97 home win over the Heat in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, burying 16 threes as a team.

    Boston is now 8-1 in the playoffs when making at least 15 from beyond the arc.

    “I was confident that we’d come back and just compete … we’ve been doing that for these last two games, guard Derrick White told reporters.

    The Heat still lead the series, 3-2. But the Celtics trailed 3-0, and no one has ever come back from that deficit. Boston is making a case, with Game 6 set for Saturday at Miami.

    • Coach Joe Mazzulla indicated he learned a lot from a member of his coaching staff. “One of our assistants put it in great perspective,” Mazzulla told reporters of the 3-0 deficit. “The season’s nine months long and we had a bad week.”
    • Meanwhile, guard/forward Jaylen Brown put out a stern warning to the Heat. “They let us get two, so don’t let us get another one,” Brown said on TNT.
    • Jared Weiss of The Athletic broke down the shift in momentum in the series. “Jayson Tatum finally solved Miami’s defense and looks so comfortable drawing doubles and finding shooters,” Weiss wrote. “The team is moving the ball with speed and decisiveness and the defensive pressure has been just right without overextending themselves.”