The Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off a nail-biting win in overtime against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Kenny Atkinson's team handed them their first loss of the season in a night Anthony Edwards couldn't miss.
Notably, the most important aspect of this win wasn't the final score or whether Edwards nearly put up 50 points on them. It wasn't even about watching seven Cavs players score in double figures in this one.
The biggest development of the night was watching Kenny Atkinson's closing lineup. Having James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Sam Merrill, Peyton Watson, and Evan Mobley close out the game worked like a charm.
The Cavaliers may have found the perfect closing lineup
Outside of Edwards, the Cavs actually did a pretty good job on defense. Holding LaMelo Ball to just 11 points on as many shots and Jonathan Kuminga to 10 points on 40 percent from the field was a positive development.
That closing lineup gives this team enough defense and shot-making to get by in situations like this, with Watson and Mobley being strong and versatile enough to anchor the paint, go out to the perimeter, or hold their own in the post.
Harden and Mitchell give the team one primary playmaker/ball-handler and an elite three-level scoring threat who can also get the ball up the court and dominate in isolation when it matters the most. As for Merrill, his improving defense is still a work in progress — though he's made strides on that end of the court — and he's probably the team's best three-point shooter.
Atkinson should shake things up a bit and test this lineup early and often. He can also probably test things out by swapping Merrill with Jaylon Tyson to get another ball-handler and stat-sheet stuffer who can do a little bit of everything and knock down shots from all over the court.
The Cavaliers have shown that they can hold their own against anyone in the league. Unfortunately, they've also been on the losing end of many blown leads, and that's primarily and undeniably on the coach.
By finding an ideal closing lineup, this team can finally prevent those late-game meltdowns and execution issues. They must play together to develop automatisms, know where everyone's supposed to be at all times, and trust one another.
It's still early in the season, so nothing's set in stone yet. Even so, this was an encouraging sign of what's to come.
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