One stud and one dud for Cavs in big win over Nets

Cavs stud: Defensive execution at the end of the game

Sure I could be cliche here and say the whole starting lineup deserves the stud award from this past afternoon. To tell you the truth, I thought the same thing until the game started to wind down. We’ve seen the Cavs blow leads throughout the season, as it is a trait of a young team. However, down the stretch, the Cavs defense was stifling.

Other than an easy Kyrie Irving layup with around 55 seconds to remain in the game, the Nets were scoreless for the final minute. The key moment in the game came with about 24 seconds left in it. Lauri Markkanen played great defense on James Harden, forcing him to give it up to Irving. And from there, Markkanen’s pressure forced an errant pass that was picked up by Okoro and slammed home at the other end. It wasn’t the only moment of some great defense, but it was the most important.

While the Cavaliers have dipped in their overall team defense, they still sit at ninth place in the NBA, which is a hell of a lot higher than they were finishing out last season. Even still, when it comes to defensive rating, the Cavaliers sit behind only the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns. Their rating is 105.0, which is 1.4 points more than the fourth-place team.

Outside of the rating, the Cavs are an above average team in terms of blocks and steals. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has preached defense the entire season, and it looks like it’s continuing to pay dividends.