The Cleveland Cavaliers took their first loss of the preseason in a 124-113 defeat to the Boston Celtics.
Donovan Mitchell, Jaylon Tyson, Peyton Watson, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen started the game for Cleveland. James Harden was ruled out with ankle soreness.
Boston was without Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, Peyton Pritchard, Mitchell Robinson, and Paul George.
This was Cleveland’s first chance to see what Watson could look like next to their other star players. He opened the game by defending Mike
Conley, taking on the challenge of protecting the point-of-attack. Watson’s perimeter defense will be key to his role in the starting five.
The Cavs trailed 32-29 after the first quarter as Boston nailed 6-of-17 three-point attempts.
Tyson led the Cavs in scoring during the first half. He scored 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting, making his way to the basket for a handful of easy buckets — including a hail-mary touchdown from Craig Porter Jr. in transition.
Kenny Atkinson said before the game that Cleveland’s starters would rest for the entire second half. He stuck to his word, starting Mario Hezonja, Tyrese Proctor, Meleek Thomas, Craig Porter, and Thomas Bryant in the third quarter.
This game had all the makings of preseason. Weird lineups. Half-hearted effort and a ton of three-point attempts.
But it also had some of that preseason strangeness that leads to fun as well.
Bryant stormed the floor for a deep seal in the paint within his first 10 seconds of being on the court. That’s what we’re all here for, right?
The second half was more enjoyable in terms of watching stuff that might actually matter. The rookie, Meleek Thomas, had a few standout moments that serve as brief flashes of what he could one day become. His on-ball creation is raw but entertaining. His defensive intensity could put him in the rotation ahead of schedule.
We also saw Hezonja thaw himself out in the third quarter after a frigid start to his NBA return. He felt slow in the opening minutes, losing the ball and missing the mark. It wasn’t until a quick stretch that included a three-pointer and a downhill dime that the picture of what Hezonja can be in Cleveland came into focus.
Still, Cleveland was downed by Boston’s sporadic three-point shooting. The Celtics finished with 17 three-pointers and handed the Cavs the loss.
