After dispatching an undermanned Chicago Bulls squad on Wednesday, the Cleveland Cavaliers looked to continue their momentum, this time with a road matchup at the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Cleveland got off to a roaring start as the Wine and Gold rushed out to a 20-4 lead. By the end of the first quarter, the lead sat at 14 points as the Cavaliers managed to connect on 61 percent of their shots, including hitting 4-of-6 from beyond the arc.
Cleveland has had to learn how to maintain leads this season, something that hasn’t always gone well over the past few seasons. However, in the second quarter, Cleveland outscored Minnesota 31-24 to take a 21-point lead into halftime.
Overall, the Cavaliers hit 61 percent of their shots from the floor in the first half, including hitting 7-of-11 from three-point range. Meanwhile, the Cavs defense was on point for much of the first 24 minutes, as the Timberwolves shot just 33 percent overall and hit only 3-of-19 from beyond the arc.
After struggling to find his shot, Isaac Okoro had a nice first half, scoring 11 points, while Lauri Markkanen led all Cleveland scorers with 15 points as he connected on all five shot attempts, including 4-of-4 from three-point range.
Despite hitting just 43 percent in the third quarter, Cleveland’s lead held steady at 21 points. With the game no longer in doubt in the final 12 minutes, the Cavaliers reserves saw some meaningful minutes. It was vital for the Cavaliers’ starters to get a bit of rest as the Cavaliers are playing back-to-back.
It is tough to choose just one stud from this game, but one player truly impressed last night.