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CLEVELAND, Ohio – The hype in the Cleveland Cavaliers arena saved Kevin Love for last.
As Love’s name was announced in the starting lineup, fans inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse exploded – a mix of excitement for his comeback and pent-up frustration from Love’s injury season. Love then led the pre-game reunion, broke the squad and received a playful hug from starting point keeper Darius Garland, who spoke enthusiastically of Love’s return earlier in the morning.
Love was back. His fifth game of the season. The first at home since Dec. 27 – a night he grabbed his right calf and hobbled off the pitch towards an uncertain future. Even Love’s return couldn’t get Cleveland out of its current funk, losing to the shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers 114-94. That’s five losses in the last six games.
The Cavaliers’ $ 120 million man was sidelined for 33 straight games earlier this season. He finally returned in March after the All-Star hiatus. But it was a brief comeback, playing chunks of two games before worsening the calf injury again and missing the next eight games. Love tried to make up for lost time early on. He helped the Cavs get started quickly, scoring 13 of the team’s first 15 points while splashing 3s and throwing dimes. But love has faded. And the team followed.
“In the second half they beat us, they got shots, the shots didn’t fall for us,” Cavs coach JB Bickerstaff said after the loss. “We didn’t have the same gas, the same fuel that we had in the first half of the year and they took advantage of that.”
As usual, it started in the third quarter – Cleveland’s Achilles heel all season. Led by just two points at halftime, Philadelphia beat Cleveland, 27-17, in the third. The 76ers, playing without Joel Embiid again, pushed that lead to 26 at one point in the second half, before qualifying for their first win in the last three games. They dominated the Cavs 56-38 in the second half. Cleveland has made 12 turnovers in the past two quarters after making just six mistakes in the first half.
Love scored 13 points – all in the first quarter – of 4 of 10 from the field, including 3 of 6 of 3 points to go with four rebounds and three assists in 20 minutes.
“Kevin is a very good player and not just for himself, but he’s improving his teammates and they’re not even used to playing with him yet,” Bickerstaff said. “The more comfortable they are with him, I think the better he will be and we will be as a group. But his versatility, inner ability and ability to share the ball make everyone better.
Collin Sexton led the way on offense, amassing 24 points to go with three assists and three rebounds. Dean Wade, starting alongside Love, contributed with 16 points and eight rebounds. New acquisition Isaiah Hartenstein, making his second appearance since joining the team in a mid-season trade from Denver, added 12 points and seven rebounds off the bench.
Shake Milton of Philadelphia scored 27 points, the game’s high, leading an explosive offense that saw five players double. Seth Curry burned the net, totaling 19 points and drilling five triples. Dwight Howard made his way to the basket, scoring 18 points off the bench. Tobias Harris finished with 12. Danny Green had 11.
The Cavs were hoping Love’s return, combined with Matthew Dellavedova’s season debut, would give the young team the veteran support that was sporadically lacking throughout the year, forcing Bickerstaff to mix up the rosters, using his 23rd group. different Thursday night. But Cleveland’s pair of battle-tested champions can only provide limited support.
The Cavs have felt the loveless impact throughout the season. He was instrumental in their 17-31 record. They received a reminder of how he can help in the extension – if he can stay healthy.
With Love on the field Thursday night, the Cavs were competitive, only getting beaten by two points in those 20 minutes.
The other 28 minutes was the problem.
Start of the season
Dellavedova had not played all season due to a severe concussion and appendectomy. It registered for the first time in nearly 13 months at 3:55 of the first quarter. Dellavedova also received a nice ovation. In his first move since March 10, 2020, he helped stabilize the second unit, organize the team’s attack, and lead the team-oriented, pass-first approach. As usual, a fan favorite Dellavedova brought in the energy, diving to the floor for loose balls and struggling with a few opponents.
Although he failed to score, Dellavedova contributed five assists in 16 minutes.
Back in the rotation
After two consecutive DNPs, Cedi Osman was called off the bench midway through the first quarter. Back in Bickerstaff’s good graces, Osman scored six points.
next
The Cavs will begin a three-game road trip on Saturday night against the Miami Heat. The tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.
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New Cavs Face Masks For Sale: Here’s where you can buy 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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