MIAMI — The Cavs hit all-time low Sunday night time.
Embarrassed by the Miami Warmth, 121-84, Cleveland suffered its third straight loss and fourth within the final 5 video games. This was, by far, the ugliest of the 12 months — its most-lopsided defeat, even worse than the 33-point margin towards Miami in late November.
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“We’ve requested these guys to take action a lot,” Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff mentioned following the loss. “We’ve got requested them to hold a burden of all people having to do extra due to all of the accidents and the issues we’re going by means of. I believe it simply confirmed tonight. It caught up with us.
“I believe mentally and bodily, we’re worn. It’s on us all to determine it out. No excuses. It doesn’t get any simpler. I believe tonight was a kind of nights the place collectively it simply set in on us. It was uncharacteristic of this group. I believe we had a kind of nights.”
Sunday was speculated to be an thrilling night close to the shores of Biscayne Bay. Not simply because it was the finale of the favored and untamed Extremely Music Pageant that took over a lot of downtown. However as a result of it was the return of younger Cavs ahead Evan Mobley.
Apparently, Mobley can’t repair all of the workforce’s present issues. There are too many.
Mobley scored the primary factors of the sport — a clean 3-pointer from the left wing. That was the Cavs’ first, final, and solely lead of the night time. They obtained clobbered the remainder of the way in which, trailing for 46 whole minutes, by as many as 45 factors.
This wasn’t simply an off night time. It wasn’t solely about an unforgiving March schedule. It wasn’t solely about lacking star guard Donovan Mitchell (nasal fracture and knee bruise), marksman Max Strus (knee pressure) and versatile ahead Dean Wade (knee soreness) — though that trio would’ve helped. They’re three of the workforce’s prime 10 rotational items and a few of its most essential gamers.
Sunday was an atypical and unacceptable top-to-bottom no-show.
No struggle or effort. Missed layups. Comical turnovers (three of them within the first 5 possessions). Absurd fouls. An incapability to unravel the Warmth zone. Baffling lineups. Abysmal physique language. An general indifference towards a no-nonsense opponent that outclassed the Cavs in each method, sending one other clear message about their potential and knowhow with the playoffs simply weeks away. The Cavs regarded disinterested, distracted and exhausted.
By the tip of a listless first half, they trailed by 21 factors. It solely obtained worse from there.
After Miami opened the third quarter on an brisk 11-5 run, Bickerstaff pulled all 5 of his starters — Darius Garland, Caris LeVert, Isaac Okoro, Jarrett Allen and Mobley, wanting to save lots of their legs on the primary recreation of a back-to-back. The one one who re-entered was Mobley, as he clearly wants recreation reps and conditioning work following a nine-game absence due to an ankle harm.
Cleveland scored a season-low 84 factors on 41.7% taking pictures and 31% from 3-point vary. Just one starter — Mobley — hit the double-digit scoring mark. He completed with a team-high 15 factors on 4 of 6 taking pictures, 2 of two from past the arc and 5 of 6 from the foul line in 21 minutes.
“I’m not going to remove from what our guys have carried out to get us so far,” Bickerstaff mentioned. “It’s not who our workforce is.”
The balanced Warmth, taking part in with out Jaime Jacquez Jr., Kevin Love and Tyler Herro, had seven gamers in double-digits. Swingman Haywood Highsmith poured in a game-high 18 factors off the bench. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo had 15 apiece. Miami scored 35 factors off Cleveland’s 17 turnovers. It completed plus-14 on the glass. Had 29 assists on 43 made pictures.
The Cavs didn’t have solutions. For something.
“These video games occur within the NBA the place you simply get knocked out within the first half and you may by no means actually get again up and begin swinging,” Cavs veteran Georges Niang mentioned. “No one goes to really feel dangerous for us as a result of all people has needed to undergo the identical factor this 12 months. You simply must have amnesia and flush this one. There may be nothing that we are able to achieve from this.
“No one likes getting beat like we simply obtained beat. I believe we are going to bear in mind the sensation of what it felt wish to get whooped and struggle to by no means have that feeling once more.”
With 11 video games remaining, this group that considers itself an Japanese Convention contender all of a sudden has some soul-searching to do. Can the Cavs regroup and decide themselves up?
The Cavs will return residence for the second recreation of a back-to-back towards the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night time. Tipoff is ready for 7 p.m.