The Cleveland Cavaliers apparently weren't satisfied with giving their fans one fourth-quarter nightmare to begin the season.
Two days after blowing a 29-point lead against Philadelphia, Cleveland nearly surrendered a 22-point fourth-quarter advantage against the Brooklyn Nets. The Cavaliers escaped with a 125-121 victory, but the closing minutes were disturbingly familiar.
James Harden finished with just 12 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, making him an obvious target for criticism.
However, blaming Harden for another near collapse overlooks something important. Cleveland didn't need a dominant performance from him to establish its lead. The Cavaliers nearly lost because they couldn't protect the basketball when it mattered.
Cleveland's turnovers nearly handed Brooklyn the game
Cleveland led 104-82 early in the fourth quarter and maintained a 17-point advantage with four minutes remaining. By the final 8.1 seconds, Brooklyn had cut that lead to 123-121.
The Cavaliers committed eight turnovers in the fourth quarter alone, repeatedly giving the Nets opportunities to extend possessions and close the gap. Donovan Mitchell, Mario Hezonja and Peyton Watson each committed two turnovers during the period.
Mitchell's mistake with 3:36 remaining led to a Michael Porter Jr. three-pointer, helping Brooklyn continue its comeback. Watson then committed an offensive foul with 26 seconds remaining, giving the Nets another opportunity when Cleveland desperately needed to protect its advantage.
Egor Dëmin scored 15 fourth-quarter points as Brooklyn outscored Cleveland 41-29. Sam Merrill's late free throws ultimately secured the victory, but the Cavaliers had already allowed what should have been a comfortable win to become unnecessarily dramatic.
Cleveland finished with 23 turnovers. That's an extraordinary number of wasted possessions for a team with championship expectations.
James Harden wasn't responsible for the fourth-quarter meltdown
You all know I don't hesitate to call out James Harden. But last night showed a collective issue that the Cavs need to correct. Harden's performance deserves criticism, as 12 points on horrible efficiency isn't what anyone was expecting.
However, there's a difference between acknowledging an underwhelming performance and assigning responsibility for a collapse he didn't cause. Harden committed zero fourth-quarter turnovers against Brooklyn. He also contributed late free throws that helped Cleveland preserve its narrow advantage.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers had already generated enough offense through Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen to build a commanding lead.
Harden's limited scoring wasn't preventing Cleveland from winning comfortably. The Cavaliers were already in control before their careless possessions allowed Brooklyn to regain momentum.
It's reasonable to demand more offensive production from Harden. It's considerably harder to argue that his 12 points explain why Cleveland repeatedly gave the basketball away during the most important minutes.
Those are separate problems, and treating them as interchangeable prevents an accurate assessment of what went wrong.
The Cavaliers have a much bigger problem to solve
Saturday's performance becomes especially troubling when considered alongside Cleveland's opening-night defeat. Against Philadelphia, the Cavaliers surrendered a 29-point advantage and were outscored 69-37 in the second half.
Against Brooklyn, they nearly wasted another enormous lead through turnovers and poor late-game execution. Through two games, Cleveland has been outscored 73-45 in fourth quarters. The similarities are difficult to ignore, particularly after the Cavaliers surrendered a 22-point fourth-quarter lead against New York in Game 1 of last season's Eastern Conference Finals.
These aren't identical games, but they raise the same fundamental question. Why does Cleveland repeatedly struggle to maintain control when opponents increase their pressure? Kenny Atkinson must address the decision-making, offensive discipline and composure that have allowed manageable scoring runs to become serious threats.
The Cavaliers cannot expect to compete for a championship while repeatedly creating opportunities for opponents to erase substantial deficits. Harden needs to improve, and Cleveland should expect more from him moving forward. However, identifying one disappointing box score won't solve a problem affecting the entire team.
With Minnesota, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia and New York approaching, the Cavaliers must demonstrate that they can protect possessions and finish games without unnecessary drama.
The Cavaliers didn't nearly lose because Harden scored only 12 points. They nearly lost because they couldn't stop giving the basketball away.
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