Last week, the Cleveland Cavaliers were in the midst of a five-game losing streak. Less than a week later, the Cavaliers have rattled off three straight wins and are back to playing their brand of basketball.
Last night the Wine and Gold welcomed the Atlanta Hawks to town, the team that ended their season just a season ago in the NBA Play-In Tournament.
Just like the Play-In Game, Cleveland’s offense got off to a quick start as the Wine and Gold’s dynamic backcourt duo combined for 24 points. In the opening quarter.
Overall, Cleveland shot 71 percent from the field in the first quarter, limiting Atlanta to just 41 percent shooting and led by 12 points.
Cleveland’s offense dipped a bit in the second quarter but shot over 50 percent from the floor. Atlanta’s shooting improved to 57 percent in the quarter and cut into Cleveland’s lead, partly due to the Cavaliers committing six turnovers, which led to 10 points for Atlanta.
The turnover problem continued for Cleveland into the third quarter, as they committed eight turnovers in the period, leading to nine points for Atlanta. However, Cleveland was able to limit the Hawks to just 36 percent shooting in the third.
In the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers cut down on the turnovers and forced the Hawks into seven of their own turnovers. In the end, the Cavaliers were able to extend their lead in the final quarter and would win their third straight game, 114-102.
While Trae Young led Atlanta with 25 points, Cleveland held him to 1-of-8 shooting from three-point range. The Cavs defense also defended Dejounte Murray well all game, as he connected on just 4-of-17 shots and finished with just 11 points.
It was a total team effort for the Wine and Gold Monday night, so let’s get to the stud from the Hawks win.
Cavaliers stud: Cedi Osman
While Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell combined for 55 points and 18 assists, Cedi Osman played a critical role in last night’s win.
Osman’s minutes took a dip at the beginning of this month, and he barely saw the floor in a few games. He even played just seven minutes in last Friday’s double-overtime game against the Charlotte Hornets.
This was an odd move from head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, as Osman proved he was a vital member of the Cavs bench bunch last season.
To Osman’s credit, he stayed ready, and Osman delivered when he was called upon on Sunday night against the Miami Heat.
In 37 minutes of action, Osman scored 20 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and had a game-high plus-minus rating of +39. His effort was key on Monday after Cleveland was without Caris LeVert due to an ankle injury, too; that is not considered serious, as an aside, though.
In any case, for Monday, Osman was ready to roll last night with LeVert out. Of the four players that came off the Cavaliers bench last night, Osman logged the most minutes (29) and was right behind Garland and Mitchell with 23 points.
More impressively, 10 of Osman’s 23 points came in the fourth quarter, including a stretch where he made two free throws off a clear path foul call and then, on the ensuing possession, hit a corner three to put Cleveland up 110-99 with just over two minutes left.
On a game-by-game basis, players such as Garland, Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen are expected to produce. But what will truly make the Cavaliers a contending team in the East is a legitimate bench, and Osman is a crucial part of that second unit and can definitely provide a spark when his opportunities come.
However, not everyone had their best performance against the Hawks on Monday night.
Cavaliers dud: Isaac Okoro
To say the 2022-23 season has gotten off to a rough start for Isaac Okoro might be an understatement.
Okoro did have 13 points on Sunday against Miami, which was the first time he topped 10 points all season.
But, last night Okoro came up with just four points on three shots. He also got into early foul trouble trying to guard Trae Young, which led to more minutes for Cedi and Lamar Stevens.
Okoro had an up-and-down season a year ago but showed flashes on the offensive end of the floor, and his defensive game got him drafted fifth overall back in 2020.
Granted, the makeup of this Cavs team has changed since Okoro joined the Wine and Gold. At the time of drafting him, Okoro was considered a key rotational piece for a rebuilding team.
Now, with Mitchell and Garland doing the heavy lifting on the offensive end, the addition of LeVert and the emergence of Dean Wade on offense has shifted Okoro’s role on that side of the floor.
So, Okoro shouldn’t be relied on to score double digits consistently. That’s not his role on this team. But he needs to be able to knock down the occasional corner shot because he will be on the floor for his defensive skill, and those shots will be there for him with the likes of Mitchell and Garland on the floor.
The Cavaliers will try to extend their win streak to four games on Wednesday night as they welcome in the Portland Trail Blazers.