The Cleveland Cavaliers showed signs of life as they picked up a 113-101 statement win over the San Antonio Spurs. This victory doesn’t overwrite what has been a terrible month of basketball, but it does give
them something to build off of.
The Cavs were able to once again get back to their defensive-first roots. They went all in on stopping Victor Wembanyama and what has been a dynamic Spurs offense. They started Dean Wade at the three alongside a front court of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. The added size with Wade allowed them to switch three through five much easier and send additional help defense Wemby’s way.
This extra attention on the defensive end contributed to an uncharacteristically off night for Wembenyama. He supplied 26 points and 14 rebounds while shooting an inefficient (by his standards) 7-16 from the field.
The Cavs’ defense didn’t just hold Wemby in check. San Antonio converted just 55.2% of their shots at the rim (13th percentile) and registered an effective field-goal percentage of 42.8% (4th percentile). This all led to their lowest point total of the season.
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The defense was a team-wide effort, but it’d be difficult not to single out Allen for his contributions on that end. He did an excellent job controlling the paint defensively, while aggressively attacking on offense. He finished the night with a game-high 27 points on 11-21 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds and a steal.
Mobley also brought it on that end. He provided three blocks while providing 16 points and seven rebounds.
The Cavs were able to come away with a much-needed win even though Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland didn’t have their best scoring nights. Mitchell finished with just 10 points on 3-12 shooting while Garland had 15 points on 5-13 shooting.
The guards made up for it by getting the bigs involved. Mitchell had seven assists while Garland had 11.
The Cavaliers benefited from good bench contributions from Jaylon Tyson (11 points), De’Andre Hunter (nine rebounds), and Craig Porter Jr. (three offensive rebounds and a block). It’s worth pointing out that Lonzo Ball was a healthy scratch tonight.
This was a much-needed win that brightened up what was a difficult three-game road trip for the Cavs. They’ll return home to take on New Year’s Eve when they take on the Phoenix Suns at 3:30 PM.
