Cavaliers lose late to Hawks 121-118

  The Cleveland Cavaliers led by fifteen points at halftime against the visiting Atlanta Hawks but it was not enough as the Hawks outscored Cleveland by eighteen in the third period and played them even in the final quarter to take a 121-118 win in Cleveland.

Kevin Love continued his recent resurgence with 35 points and eleven rebounds off the bench to lead the Cavaliers with Jarrett Allen scoring twenty-one in his return to the lineup.

The loss was Cleveland's third in a row without Darius Garland and dropped the Cavaliers to 20-16 overall.

Cleveland will host the Indiana Pacers on Sunday evening.

Swashbucklings

1) This game was very similar to the loss to the Pelicans in New Orleans (I missed the loss to Washington as due to blackout rules, I wasn't allowed to watch on League Pass replay and I didn't have the time to watch the games live) as the Cavaliers shot well in the first half and then just shot poorly in the second half.

2) Kevin Love is playing very well of late and some of it could be that as the Cavaliers have missed various players through the Covid protocol, Cleveland is funneling much of the offense through Love- especially since the loss of Ricky Rubio as the other option at point guard.

3) Using Love in that manner may be by need rather than choice as the Cavaliers have a lack of outside shooting with the losses of Collin Sexton and Ricky Rubio for the season and the temporary loss of Darius Garland and Cedi Osman.

Other than Love and maybe Lauri Markkanen, the Cavaliers have a distinct problem with their outside shooting until Garland returns but I do wonder why Dylan Windler, who is strictly a shooter, isn't getting more of a look with a roster that needs shooting.

Windler played three minutes against the Hawks and didn't attempt a shot.

4) Cleveland was forced to play Kevin Pangos twenty-four minutes at the point but Pangos didn't spend the most time at the position as recently signed Brandon Goodwin played twenty-five minutes in his first game on a ten-day contract.

Pangos finished with eight points and four assists with Goodwin winding the night up with thirteen points and six assists.

5) Cleveland attempted to fill the backup point guard vacated by the injury to Ricky Rubio by trading for veteran Rajon Rondo from the Lakers.

Cleveland traded veteran Denzel Valentine to the Lakers, who are expected to waive Valentine and create a little cap space for themselves.

Valentine was averaging less than ten minutes a night for Cleveland averaging 2.9 points per game.

Rondo wasn't playing much for the Lakers averaging only sixteen minutes a game in his eighteen games played and averaging three points and three assists but will play far more in Cleveland.

If I have time over the next day or so (unsure with the Rose Bowl and the Ortiz-Martin fight), I'll try to write a quick post on the acquisition of the veteran point guard.

6) Key in the defeat was Cleveland missing six free throws in the final period with Isaac Okoro missing three free throws in a row.

Free throws in the final period are always important but its just as important to hit them early as well.