OKLAHOMA CITY – The Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder, two recovery teams, went on the offensive for the last time on Thursday. Didn’t look like it.
The Cavs won a fast-paced, frenetic, free-flowing matchup, 129-102.
It is their second win in a row – the first winning streak in more than a month. It is also victory number 19, which corresponds to the total winnings of the two previous seasons. Cleveland has 21 other games to beat this mark.
“That’s how we want to play,” said Cavs coach JB Bickerstaff after the win. “We want to diversify our offense, we want everyone to be involved. Our mission is to protect hard. We had to solve some problems to get here but the guys stuck to it, they went shopping. And we’re not done yet, we’ll keep getting better when the season ends here. We will find that continuity, bring everyone down to earth, and then see what we look like when we are whole. “
The Cavs picked up where they left off against San Antonio to start the week, pouring 65 points in the first half. At this end, too, Oklahoma City had few problems. Two of the NBA’s youngest teams, scoring 126 points and 14 points together, scored 3 points and raced up and down a rhythmic half with 13 leadership changes and eight draws.
Who would play defense first? This team would win.
It was the Cavs who clung to this end and increased their physicality early in the third quarter. Cleveland used an 11-0 sprint to take control from the locker room. He kept Thunder at 14 points over this dominant 12-minute stretch and annoyed young Thunder, who was playing without top scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (plantar fasciitis). Al Horford (inactive for the remainder of the season), Darius Bazley (shoulder contusion) and Lu Dort (concussion log).
“It was about the effort, it was about being in the right places, it was just about executing our system over and over and not thinking about the opponent,” said Bickerstaff. “It’s ‘What do we do when we play well?’ And I didn’t think we did that until the second half. The second quarter was fine, but the third quarter was a great example of who we want to be defensive. “
The offense clicked all night. All five Cavs starters achieved double digit results. Collin Sexton led by 27 points to 9-of-17 from the field and 9-of-10 from the foul line with four assists and three rebounds. Darius Garland, who had a career night against Spurs on Monday, scored 21 points, five assists and three boards in 32 minutes.
Kevin Love, who is still limited to minutes, posted a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds in 23 minutes. Rookie Isaac Okoro scored 15 points on 6-of-13. Dean Wade, kicked into a new grid because of Larry Nance Jr. (illness) and Jarrett Allen (concussion) still off the team, added 12 points.
Taurean Prince, who has sparked a spark since returning from a shoulder injury, finished the race with 22 points off the bench.
It is the fourth time this season that the Cavs have had three 20-point goalscorers in the same game. The last time was February 21st in a loss to Donner.
The Cavs shot 51.1% from the field and 35.1% from out of the bow, and had a season high of 35 assists from 48 brands.
“That’s excellent,” said Bickerstaff. “This is ball movement, this is execution, this is selfless game.”
During an injury-riddled season in which key pieces of rotation were lost for extended distances, questions about the Cavs’ direction and plan were raised. A game doesn’t make the difference between success and failure. But Thursday – only the second time in a row in franchise history he won street games with 20 or more points (November 2017) – was further proof that the rebuilding is working.
Birthday child
Cedi Osman turned 26 on Thursday and was serenaded by newbies with her own rendering of “Happy Birthday”. Osman, who was kicked out of rotation for ineffectiveness, received his second DNP in a row.
Work effectively
Since making his season debut last week, Matthew Dellavedova has shown why the Cavs lamented his long absence. Dellavedova served as a secondary ball handler and helped stabilize the mercury bank. Dellavedova finished with two points, seven assists and six rebounds.
In his first four games of the season, Dellavedova has 22 assists against zero turnover.
Next
The Cavs return for the first time against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night. The tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
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New Cavs Face Masks For Sale: Here, you can purchase Cleveland Cavaliers-themed face covers for coronavirus protection, including a single mask ($ 14.99) and a pack of 3 ($ 24.99). All NBA proceeds were donated to charity.
More coverage of Cavaliers
Players, coaches and staff received the COVID-19 vaccine in late March
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Nance Jr. “on the mend” after a week’s illness caused rapid weight loss
Garland finds voice – and confidence – in season two
Garland’s career night helps end his losing streak with a 125-101 win over Spurs
Okoro deserves Butler’s respect by losing: “His potential is out of this world.”
