The Cavaliers gave into their worst impulses in their streak-ending loss.
The Cleveland Cavaliers came out strong and built a double-digit lead early on. A poor close to the third quarter allowed the Orlando Magic to get back into the game. That’s all they needed to make it a rock fight in the fourth and come away with a 108-103 win.
The Cavs have had disappointing losses this year. They haven’t dropped one where they surrendered an advantage this big late.
This was an uncharacteristic defeat.
New year, same teams
Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley talked before the game about how you can’t help but think of last year’s playoffs when you come into this building even though both groups are “entirely different teams.”
Although that has proven to be true throughout the season, that wasn’t the case on Sunday afternoon. The Cavs couldn’t get outside shots to fall. Donovan Mitchell tried to put the team on his back to will them to victory. And the Magic’s ability to wall off the paint proved to be too much.
This felt like Game 8 of the 2024 first-round series.
For as far as the Cavs have come, this was a reminder that they can revert to the team they were last year when their outside shots aren’t falling and they give in to their worst habits.
It’s a make-or-miss league
Cleveland’s 10 made threes were tied for their fewest all year. It was also their second lowest percentage (25%) from outside the arc.
Their poor shooting was on display at the worst possible time. They missed four threes in the final minute that would’ve either tied or taken the lead.
That happens, but it’s something they’re willing to live with.
“That’s the name of the game,” Mitchell said when asked about the misses. “We got good looks.”
This included Hunter, who came into this game converting 51% of his corner threes since being in Cleveland (31-61), hitting the top of the backboard on a triple that would’ve likely won the game for the Cavs.
“I mean, that’s basically every game,” De’Andre Hunter said. “Who makes more shots? We went cold towards the end of the game.”
Orlando was the more physical team, especially in the second half when they made their comeback. Still, the Cavs were able to generate great looks like they did when they played a few weeks ago where they connected on a season-high 59.4% of their threes.
Even as bad as the shooting was, it wasn’t why they lost.
Turnovers cost them
The Cavs lost this game in the third quarter when they turned it over on three straight possessions. Two of which were in the backcourt. All of them led to points the other way.
Those seven points they gifted Orlando were the difference.
“I love the looks we got,” Mitchell said. “It’s really just the turnovers. That’s really it.”
Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Ty Jerome were the main culprits here. Each had more than three giveaways with Garland having five. All but one of these were in the second half. Overall, the turnovers led to 26 points for Orlando.
Your margin for error is considerably smaller when the outside shot isn’t falling. The Cavs were good enough on defense to get by, but you can’t throw in turnovers on top of missing open outside looks.
The Cavs aren’t the same without Evan Mobley
The Cavs have had 11 losses this year. Three of those have occurred when Mobley is out of the lineup like he was on Sunday. Another one was against the Miami Heat when Mobley left early.
“I’ve been trying to tell you that since the beginning of the year,” Mitchell said when asked Mobley’s importance afterward. “Hopefully y’all figure that out. But this is a game he would help big time.”
The Cavs both should’ve won without Mobley and needed the added margin for error he would’ve provided. Orlando was able to pack the paint and take away the rim in the second half. That would’ve been a much harder task if Mobley was on the court.
Additionally, going with a more five-out offense with Mobley and Hunter at the four and five would’ve neutralized Orlando’s ability to crowd the paint as easily as they did with Jarrett Allen on the court. That would’ve been tricker to do with Mobley, who is more of a threat on the perimeter.
Donovan Mitchell’s hero ball let them down
Mitchell went 3-12 from the field in the fourth quarter. This included going 0-6 in the final four minutes to go along with a costly turnover and a dumb foul with 31 seconds left that allowed Orlando to make it a three-point lead.
For as good as Mitchell has been throughout the season, this was one of his worst showings down the stretch. And it came at the expense of the rest of his teammates, including Garland, who attempted just four shots in the final period.
Mitchell has done a great job of walking the line between asserting himself as the team’s best scorer and taking a backseat to let the rest of the offense excel. That didn’t happen this afternoon. He played into his worst impulses and it backfired.