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INDIANAPOLIS – Shortly before the reveal, about 10 hours before the New Year’s bell ringing, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach JB Bickerstaff censored himself during the 2020 wrap-up.
The condensed version without swearing: luckily, it’s over.
Before saying goodbye to a tough year that challenged him and the entire organization, unexpectedly, the Cavs had one last shot to end on a high note. Not enough. Not in 2020. The Cavs lost their second straight game, 119-99, to the Indiana Pacers on Thursday afternoon.
“There was a doubt. There was self-doubt. There was a doubt as a unit. There was a doubt as a team. You can’t survive playing against good teams without that belief, ”Bickerstaff said after the game. “We have good players. They are extremely talented. They wouldn’t be here if they weren’t. When they play together, with confidence and conviction, they can be a great basketball team. And that’s what we have to get to. But it takes time. It takes experience. You have to go through these things and times because it’s so new.
After an exciting three-game winning streak, fueled by lively ball movement, team-first play and smothering defense, the Cavs suddenly disappear. They are also frustrated.
These emotions boiled over at various times throughout Thursday morning, as Cedi Osman, Andre Drummond and JaVale McGee were all hit with technical fouls for arguing with the referee team. Drummond and McGee, struggling most of the game, couldn’t get into a rhythm. Osman’s shooting difficulties carried over to Tuesday night’s loss, scoring just three of 1 of 8 points from the field and 1 of 5 of 3 points.
“I will take responsibility for it. We shouldn’t have three techniques in a game, ”Bickerstaff said. “The calls may not go our way. But, being here for a while, being veterans in this field, we cannot afford to acquire these techniques. They are momentum changers. There is a time and a place, but we have to make sure we keep our cool so that we can go out and get the job done.
Playing in a town affectionately known as “Naptown,” the Cavs started off slow, trailing 11 points by the end of the first quarter.
They fired back with a good second, punctuating those 12 minutes with a 7-2 push to give them new life – and only a six-point deficit – entering the locker room at halftime. But the third trimester was like the first. Indiana took control thanks to their 31-point offensive explosion and faulty Cleveland shot.
“The first quarter I felt like the offense was stagnating, not going according to our principles and we were splitting the ball and feeding the post every time Dre ran to the edge,” said Collin Sexton. “It pretty much worked from a lot of picks and rolling and pretty much just not playing together. First of all, we weren’t playing together.
For the second game in a row, the Cavs were forced to play from behind – an unenviable task against the one-loss Pacers. They made a few split runs, reaching 11:29 of the fourth quarter. Instead of another valiant impetus, there were a few untimely defensive mistakes and empty possessions that dashed all hope of it.
Sexton scored 28 points, a game-high, 12 of 19 from the field. His backcourt mate Darius Garland added 21 points, including five career best 3 points. Drummond finished with 11 points and 13 rebounds, his fifth consecutive double-double to open the season.
The Pacers’ balanced attack, with all five starters scoring in double digits, was led by Domantas Sabonis. The 24-year-old tall had 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Malcolm Brogdon played with 17.
Over the past year, the Cavs have made a change of coach – Bickerstaff taking over from beleaguered John Beilein – saw their positive momentum halted by the COVID-19 pandemic that froze the NBA in March, was one of the eight teams dismissed by the league. and excluded from the Disney bubble, and were beset with injuries to key players.
There were certainly silver liners in 2020 too. Bickerstaff found these positive points. But not Thursday.
It was a fitting end to 2020. Good riddance.
Windler to re-evaluate
Young swingman Dylan Windler, who is accompanying the team on this trip, will be reassessed in the coming days. Sidelined with a fractured left hand, Windler is not expected to appear in any of the six road games, including that trip’s final on Jan.9 against the Milwaukee Bucks. Ahead of Thursday’s game in his hometown, Windler was doing some one-on-one conditioning work – whatever he could do during that recovery.
Bad problem
With Drummond struggling early on, picking up his second staff at 5:36 of the first quarter, McGee came in – and made a difference right away. In his first two minutes, McGee grabbed five offensive rebounds and changed a few shots on the other end of the field. But like Drummond, McGee quickly racked up the whistles against the Pacers’ beefy frontcourt. His fifth foul in the middle of the third quarter was followed by a technical foul.
McGee only played 14 minutes, scoring seven points and posting 13 rebounds.
That problem led to the meaningful opening minutes of the season for Thon Maker, who played eight minutes, scoring six points to go with a rebound and a block.
Range change
As Larry Nance Jr. left an injured Kevin Love again, Bickerstaff went with Dante Exum instead of Osman as his replacement small forward. Okoro, recently enrolled in the league’s COVID-19 health and safety protocol, missed his third in a row with a sprained foot. Exum scored seven points and grabbed four rebounds.
next
The Cavs will continue their road trip on Saturday against the Atlanta Hawks. The tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
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New Cavs Face Masks For Sale: Here’s where you can purchase Cleveland Cavaliers-themed face coverings for coronavirus protection, including a single mask ($ 14.99) and a 3-pack ($ 24.99). All NBA profits have been donated to charity.
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