The state of grace is over in Ohio. The Cavaliers remain league leaders after their thunderous start to 15 wins and no losses. Since then, it's been a different story, that of a solid team, but no longer untouchable. Like last night in Miami, where the second part of the back-to-back ended with a logical defeat on the Heat floor (122-113).
Praised by their ability to find solutions whatever the scenario of the meetings since the start of this exercise, the Cavaliers did not have the parade this time.
Cleveland was however successful at 3-points with a nice 14/33 (42.4%). And with seven players above ten points, the “role players” like Georges Niang or Ty Jerome responded. But this time, it would have taken more to falter a Heat team finally launched on a good dynamic.
“ We left too many cuts behind our defenders, too many offensive rebounds, and we let Robinson and Herro loose from far away » lamented Kenny Atkinson facing the 55 points at 9/15 from far accumulated from the Miami back base. “ It wasn't a great defensive performance on our part. We showed heart, we fought to stay in the match. We have to take our hat off to Miami, it's as if they had more energy, more toughness. They've been in the fight with us and we've been pretty passive. They have been the most aggressive and the most aggressive team always has the advantage. »
Evan Mobley in the infirmary?
Should there be some letting go or a little ease in Cleveland? In the ranks of the Cavaliers, we brush aside this hypothesis, Caris LeVert shouting after the match that the Cavs are “ always the same team » than the undefeated one at the start of the season.
“ We know that no team has gone 82-0, that there are ups and downs in a season and that all that matters is remaining consistent. Never in euphoria, nor in discouragement. It's only mid-December. We're still not playing our best basketball. »
This Sunday, it was all the more complicated to do it for the Cavaliers as they lost Evan Mobley in the first period. The inside, coming out the day before his career high, twisted his ankle when he landed on the foot of former Cleveland player Kevin Love. Evan Mobley tried to continue through gritted teeth, before failing to return to the game after the break.
“ Evan is in the top five defensemen in the league, when you lose a guy like him… » Kenny Atkinson could only observe. “ We were forced to play small with Dean Wade at post 5 and he did the job. But it was especially the Heat who did it tonight. They dictated their law. »
Kenny Atkinson was not more worried about his power forward, believing that it was not “ a big sprain“. The medical assessment will be one to watch, while Cleveland has so far (for once) passed between the drops, with only one missed match for Evan Mobley, Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland or Jarrett Allen. A first possible little blow as a new test to find out more about the ceiling of this team.
The Cavaliers at least have the advantage of not playing again before Friday and the reception of the Wizards, a welcome break after a hot start to the season.
| Shots | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Bp | Int | Ct | Party | Pts |
| Donovan Mitchell | 24 | 31.9 | 45.1 | 41.1 | 80.7 | 0.6 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 2.3 | 23.7 |
| Darius Garland | 24 | 30.3 | 48.8 | 42.3 | 94.4 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 6.5 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 2.5 | 20.5 |
| Evan Mobley | 24 | 30.7 | 55.8 | 40.0 | 79.6 | 2.3 | 6.8 | 9.1 | 2.7 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 18.3 |
| Jarrett Allen | 25 | 29.8 | 68.3 | 0.0 | 73.8 | 2.3 | 8.1 | 10.4 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 13.4 |
| Caris Levert | 19 | 24.5 | 53.7 | 48.5 | 69.6 | 0.5 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 4.1 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 11.8 |
| Ty Jerome | 24 | 18.4 | 55.1 | 47.1 | 91.1 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 3.5 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 1.6 | 11.3 |
| Georges Niang | 25 | 20.6 | 46.2 | 36.0 | 76.9 | 0.6 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 2.2 | 8.4 |
| Sam Merrill | 21 | 19.9 | 39.7 | 34.9 | 91.7 | 0.3 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 2.0 | 7.1 |
| Jt Thor | 3 | 5.3 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 6.3 |
| Isaac Okoro | 21 | 20.9 | 47.9 | 46.3 | 64.7 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 6.0 |
| Dean Wade | 17 | 22.1 | 36.0 | 32.9 | 42.1 | 0.6 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 1.5 | 5.5 |
| Tristan Thompson | 8 | 7.2 | 68.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 3.3 |
| Craig Porter, Jr. | 16 | 9.4 | 58.1 | 45.5 | 60.0 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 2.8 |
| Jaylon Tyson | 14 | 7.7 | 44.4 | 27.3 | 50.0 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 2.1 |
| Luke Travers | 6 | 6.9 | 42.9 | 0.0 | 100.0 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.3 |
