Cavs: Three players to watch in third 2019-20 game vs. Bucks
By Dan Gilinsky
The Cleveland Cavaliers face the Milwaukee Bucks for the third time in the 2019-20 season on Saturday. We’ll look at a few players to watch in that one.
This week has been better, one could say as compared to the previous few weeks, for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland did lose to the Boston Celtics 110-88 on Monday, but the Cavs did have some very good stretches in that one, but clearly, Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum and the ever-versatile C’s were just too much.
From there, Cleveland lost to the Houston Rockets 116-110 on Wednesday, but led by their bench and a career-high 24-point effort from Kevin Porter Jr., the Cavaliers were right in that one. James Harden‘s 55-point display, where he hit so many difficult shots throughout and including down the stretch, though, led to a tough loss which our own Tyler Marling hit on in his player grades.
It was good for the Cleveland Cavaliers to get a win on Thursday, too, on the second night of a back-to-back and in overtime on the road, even, against the San Antonio Spurs 117-109.
Cleveland still had some head-scratching moments in that one, and committing 18 turnovers, including in some key spots from the likes of Jordan Clarkson, for instance, I’m sure was annoying for head coach John Beilein.
In that one, though, Clarkson had 25 points, Collin Sexton had 28 points, and Kevin Love had a big night with 30 points and 17 rebounds, as noted by ESPN. His game-tying three-pointer with 7.5 seconds left ultimately put the game in overtime, and the Cavs took the momentum back after Love’s J there and ran with it in OT, leading to the road win.
There was a strange exchange in that one with Thompson seemingly yelling at Beilein, and Thompson was benched from that point in the third and did not play in the fourth quarter and OT. As Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor pointed out, however, Thompson seemed fully engaged in that time on the bench and was encouraging his teammates, so I wouldn’t think there was much to that, other than a heat-of-the-moment thing.
You guys seeing how #Cavs Tristan Thompson has responded since being pulled? Sitting in one of seats closest to coaching staff. On his feet, celebrating every big play, including Love’s huge 3. One of first to greet John Henson after late stop. Offering encouragement and advice.
— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) December 13, 2019
Along with that, as Cleveland.com’s Joe Noga noted, Thompson was one of the players that defended Beilein recently after multiple players reportedly were said to be essentially tuning out Beilein.
Next up on Saturday for the Cavs?
The Milwaukee Bucks for the third time in the 2019-20 season. Let’s look at a few players to watch in that one.