Through the Cleveland Cavaliers’ first 30 games, they hold a 19-11 record and are the third seed in the Eastern Conference. Of all the squads in its conference, the Cavs have the best home record by a half-game, at 13-2. The next group on their level in their building is the Milwaukee Bucks, who have just as many wins but have lost three times at Fiserv Forum.
Securing home court is only half the battle when it comes to earning the status of a great team. The Cavs are in the middle of a back-to-back set with another match at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Saturday against the Dallas Mavericks.
Below are my five takeaways from the win on Friday versus the Pacers.
No. 1: Excellent ball protection
The hosts committed only eight turnovers, but none came in the fourth quarter as they dug away at the opponent’s double-digit lead. The league average for turnovers is 14.9 giveaways a night, per Basketball Reference.
Taking care of the ball at this level ensures the Cavaliers are not beating themselves, at least on the offensive end.
No. 2: Poor defensive pressure
It was like a trip to the shooting range for the Indiana Pacers. In the first half, they fired well from the top of the key and made one of two baskets from the left corner. What’s more problematic is that the road team was getting into the lane too easily and finishing inside as well.
The Cavs’ backline defenders often have too much extra ground to cover when its smaller guards are beat up top. If the backcourt plus Lamar Stevens and Cedi Osman can’t stop the ball at the first line of defense, Cleveland will routinely run into trouble against the smarter and more experienced teams when it comes to paint protection.
In the Cavaliers’ two-possession win at home (118-112), Indiana scored 62 points in the paint. Five Pacers scored at least eight points in the square, per NBA Stats.