The Cleveland Cavaliers just didnt have it tonight. They lost 126-113 to the Toronto Raptors, dropping to 8-5 on the season.
Porter has hit his stride as of late. He was a huge contributor in Clevelands surprise win over Miami and continued his success in the second night of a back-to-back. Porter had the Cavaliers offense moving with intention, throwing a handful of cross-court passes that took Torontos defense by surprise.
The Raptors are a team that youd expect to bother Porter. Theyre a rangy, athletic team that makes it difficult for a player like Porter to have an impact without being a perimeter scoring threat. But Porter used his handle and downhill speed to send Toronto into rotation multiple times tonight.
Porter finished with 10 points, 4 assists and a steal in 22 minutes. He shot 4-6 from the floor.
Hustle can take you far in the NBA. Especially if youre a two-way player fighting to earn minutes. Tomlin has taken it upon himself to simply never stop hustling. He churns his feet and attacks the glass on every Cavalier field goal attempt. This persistence led to 5 offensive rebounds in 21 minutes. Each one energized the Cleveland crowd in a game where they didnt have much to get excited about for most of it.
Tomlin has a long road ahead of him before earning a standard contract. He has to prove he can score and defend with consistency before taking that next step. But for now, there isnt much to complain about. Tomlin has made the most of his opportunities and is showing he has a legit motor.
Nances homecoming was a heartwarming story. And, he had the physical tools this team had been missing on the bench. A 69 forward who can add versatility to the second unit as a mobile big. This hasnt translated to the actual games yet. Nance has looked a step slower than we expected. He was a -13 in seven minutes tonight, recording only an assist and a foul. This resulted in Thomas Bryant and NaeQwan Tomlin playing in his place for the second half.
Nance entered this game averaging 4.4 points on 34% shooting from the floor. Hell have to turn some things around to remain in the rotation.
The Cavs have had a difficult time containing the three-point line this season. Theyve found themselves on the wrong end of some three-point barrages early on. Tonight was no different. Toronto shot 9-16 from deep in the first half, erasing Clevelands 10-point lead from the first quarter and entering the second half with a 13-point advantage.
I dont have to tell you how impactful the three-point line can be in todays NBA. The Cavs right now are playing with fire every time they fail to rotate and cover the perimeter. Most of this stems from poor point-of-attack defense, and its something that they cant afford to continue.
On the other end, Cleveland is probably taking too many three-pointers. They are both giving up too many and attempting more than youd like. The Cavs entered this game leading the NBA in three-point attempts, taking nearly three more per game than the next most.
There are a few reasons for this. Not having Darius Garland, one of the teams best at generating points in the paint, is one. Having the teams next best driver, Donovan Mitchell, prioritize his health by not attacking the basket as often as before is another. You cant blame Mitchell for wanting to protect his body and stay fresh for the entire season. But its obvious how this has impacted the team in the short term. Mitchell began tonights game 0-6 from deep and 3-4 from everywhere else.
In fairness, Mitchell began to put his head down and attack the rim with authority in the second half. I guess its hard to keep a highly competitive athlete restrained when the game is on the line even if he wants to take it easier this regular season. Mitchell also took 17 free throws tonight, a bulk of which he expertly drew on jumpshot attempts.
Sorry, Evan. We dont have to criticize Mobley often on this blog. But tonight was genuinely one of the strangest games hes ever played. His energy level was off from the start, missing defensive rotations and looking disinterested on offense. He finished with only 7 field goal attempts, the sixth most on the team, and fewer than rookie Tyrese Proctor.
Every player is allowed to have off nights. This certainly was one of them for Mobley. But the early portion of the regular season is for building habits. This type of lackluster effort isnt something we want to see from the franchise cornerstone. Fortunately, we rarely see a game like this from Mobley. Still doesnt feel good.