Leading a four-game winning streak, the Cavaliers had the chance to move up to second in the Eastern Conference in a “four-point game” against the Bucks tonight.
During a half, everything went very well with an effective Garland-Mitchell duo, to the point of counting up to 16 points in advance. And then, on returning from the locker room, the Bucks have raised their level of play, and JB Bickerstaff’s players will explode. In eight minutes, they cash a 23-2, and they will register only 10 points in the quarter. The Cavaliers coach will multiply the time-outs, but there was nothing to do.
“They raised their defensive pressure. They took it to a level we hadn’t seen or experienced before.” Explain Donovan Mitchell. “It’s playoff basketball, and we have to realize that they will raise their physical level, and that everything will be more precise and sharp. We have to understand that this is the level we have to reach, and this is playoff basketball. That’s what they practiced for the entire second half. We have things to learn and improve, but we are not here to sulk. »
“They brought a physical dimension worthy of the playoffs to the game, and that’s what we have to learn to compete against them”
Unlike Donovan Mitchell, few Cleveland players have tasted the playoffs before, whether it’s Darius Garland, Evan Mobley or Isaac Okoro. That night, the presence of a Kevin Love would no doubt have been invaluable in calming everyone down and stopping the bleeding.
“It’s a very big lesson for us” also believes JB Bickerstaff. “We played against a confirmed team, with players who know where they are going, and who know what it takes to play at the next level. That’s what we learn. They brought a physical dimension worthy of the playoffs to the game, and that’s what we must learn to compete with them. »
But the Cleveland coach reassures his players: not everything is to be thrown away and the first half was of high quality. “We gave it our all, but it was like running in quicksand… It’s about gaining experience and being honest with ourselves. All of these leading teams have learned and retained the lessons. We’re a good basketball team, but they taught us a lesson tonight. »
| Shots | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | bp | Int | CT | party | Points |
| Donovan Mitchell | 16 | 37.8 | 50.5 | 42.3 | 87.2 | 0.8 | 3.4 | 4.2 | 5.7 | 3.3 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 2.6 | 30.1 |
| Darius Garland | 12 | 35.5 | 45.5 | 44.0 | 82.8 | 0.3 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 8.2 | 3.8 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 2.3 | 23.9 |
| Evan Mobley | 18 | 34.3 | 56.3 | 16.7 | 68.8 | 2.7 | 5.8 | 8.6 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 2.9 | 14.9 |
| Jarrett Allen | 16 | 33.2 | 59.5 | 0.0 | 80.0 | 3.1 | 8.2 | 11.3 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 14.3 |
| Caris Levert | 16 | 32.2 | 36.4 | 37.3 | 79.1 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 4.9 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 2.4 | 11.6 |
| Kevin Love | 16 | 20.7 | 41.8 | 40.4 | 86.1 | 0.8 | 6.4 | 7.2 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 1.4 | 10.6 |
| Cedi Osman | 18 | 21.8 | 46.8 | 39.1 | 72.4 | 0.4 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 2.2 | 9.2 |
| lamar stevens | 9 | 21.6 | 47.8 | 41.7 | 84.2 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 1.8 | 7.2 |
| Dean Wade | 12 | 22.4 | 53.7 | 48.6 | 72.7 | 0.4 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 2.3 | 7.0 |
| isaac okoro | 18 | 17.3 | 39.6 | 18.2 | 75.0 | 0.3 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 2.3 | 3.4 |
| Robin Lopez | 12 | 9.4 | 70.8 | 0.0 | 66.7 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 3.2 |
| Raulzinho Neto | 11 | 9.6 | 41.4 | 30.0 | 100.0 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 3.0 |
| Mamadi Diakite | 5 | 3.7 | 57.1 | 33.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 1.8 |
| Isaiah Mobley | 4 | 3.8 | 50.0 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 1.3 |
