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CLEVELAND, Ohio – This is not how we start. This is how you end up.
February was not a pleasant month. It featured a 10-game losing streak and nine double-digit losses thanks to a gruesome streak studded with knockout-caliber landmines. But the Cavs knew they had to weather the storm. They did, winning a second straight game Wednesday night against the Houston Rockets, 112-96.
As the month draws to a close this weekend, the Cavs have temporarily reversed their fortunes.
A carbon copy of Tuesday night’s unprecedented victory, the Cavs got off to a quick start, avoiding the early deep hole that had haunted them in previous weeks. A 10-point lead evaporated thanks to a botched second quarter with repeated defensive failures at the point of attack, allowing the Houston drivers to step into the paint.
But Cleveland has not cracked. Regrouping at halftime, the Cavs emerged with intensity head coach JB Bickerstaff demanded before the game, removing any thought of tired legs during the second of a back-to-back.
The league’s worst third quarter team outscored the Rockets 34-24 in those 12 minutes. The Cavs didn’t give up in the fourth, winning the period by eight points. In all, the Cavs won the final 24 minutes, 64-46.
Jarrett Allen abused Houston’s undersized interior. With the Rockets’ tallest starter measuring just 6-foot-6, Allen tallied 26 of 10 of 11 from the field to go with 18 rebounds and four blocks in a punchy 37 minutes. Allen even had a one-handed dunk from coast to coast – a jaw-dropping highlight that energized the crowd.
Collin Sexton rebounded from a horrendous first half, making some adjustments in the locker room and hitting the 20-point mark for the seventh straight game. Sexton – who was just seven of 2 of 9 from the field at the break, looking edgy at Houston’s physics – finished with 23 points, burying seven of his 10 second-half attempts. Darius Garland also found his rhythm by recording a double-double with 11 points and 10 assists.
Dylan Windler’s hot perimeter shooting was postponed from Tuesday. After going 5 out of 5 from the deepest victory over Atlanta, Windler drained all four of his bombs, the longest treble run by a Cavalier since Kyrie Irving in 2015.
On the other hand, the Cavs kept the Rockets at 40% shooting and 30.3% from a 3 point distance, showing signs of their fiery early in the season. This is the first time that you have kept an opponent below 100 points since February 1.
Two in a row. A win over Philadelphia in the February final would make three. It’s called a winning streak. It’s already arrived.
But not since January.
Stick around
The front office was due to make a decision on Dean Wade before 5 p.m. Wednesday night. If he was on the list beyond that point, his contract would be fully guaranteed. The Cavs not only bonded with Wade, they put him in the starting lineup for a second straight game. Wade finished with a career-high 11 points on 4 of 4 and 2 of 2 from beyond the arc.
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The Cavs have two days off before heading to Philadelphia for a Saturday night game. The tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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