What We Learned: Cavs vs Nets
The Cavs were able to get back to their winning ways on Thursday night against the Nets. They were able to overcome a shaky start, to blow out the Brooklyn 117-92. Here’s what we learned from the win.
• Seven Cavalier players can score in double figures. The Cavs were able to get everyone involved in the scoring on Wednesday night, which is something they weren’t able to do Monday against the Heat. Cleveland showed that they can beat teams with a balanced attack, and not just when Kyrie and LeBron are scoring.
• The Cavs were able to put their bad shooting night behind them. The Cavs shot 55% from the field, and 52% from behind the 3 point line on Wednesday night. I like the way they made the extra pass and looked for quality looks against the Nets. I’m glad that they didn’t just settle for contested jumpers like they did against Miami on Monday.
• Kyrie can do more than just score. Irving didn’t have his best night scoring (only 12 points) but he was able to find other ways to impact the game. He showed that he can be the primary play maker for Cleveland and he finished with 10 assists. Kyrie’s best asset is scoring, but I also like seeing games like this where he takes on the role of being distributer.
• J.R. Smith can be the primary shooter. Smith finished with 17 points on 6 of 13 shooting including 5 of 10 from deep. He showed that he can carry the offense for stretches. You have to love how Smith has adjusted into his role on the team. You can’t overstate what he’s done for this team.
• The Cavs were able to put a sloppy opening 5 and a half minutes behind them. They looked awful to start the game. They committed 6 turnovers in that stretch, and were down by 9 as a result. Blatt called a timeout and was able to rally the troops. Cleveland was able to put that difficult stretch behind them, and played sound basketball for the remainder of the game.
• Timofey Mozgov can score as many points as minutes played. Mozgov had 17 points in 17 minutes of play. The Nets didn’t have an answer for him down low. Like Smith, Mozgov has fit into his role perfectly. I don’t believe the Cavs would be 18 games over .500 if Mozgov wasn’t on the team. He is the reason this team can win the championship this season.
Player of the Game: Timofey Mozgov (17 points on 7 of 8 shooting)
Cleveland will be back in action Friday against the Pacers. The Cavs have had a tough time with the Pacers this season.
Jackson Flickinger
pic credit Cleveland.com
About Author
