[ad_1]
SALT LAKE CITY – The Cleveland Cavaliers have 17 wins, are 13th (of 15 teams) in the Eastern Conference and are in their third year of a rebuild. The Utah Jazz have the league’s best record and championship aspirations.
Monday night’s game was over when the charter flight from Cleveland touched down in Utah.
In a complete mismatch, the under-equipped Cavs were blown away by the Jazz’s surge in Monday night’s road trip finale, 114-75.
Cleveland has lost three straight games after opening the four-game trek with a win over the Chicago Bulls. A pair of clunkers and a heartbreaking last-second defeat mingled. Utah have pulled off six straight games, winning those games by a total of 116 points.
As if Monday wasn’t going to be tough enough, Larry Nance Jr. woke up ill Monday morning and was unable to participate in the shoot. Nance was ruled out with an illness unrelated to COVID-19. Jarrett Allen also missed the roadie’s last two games with a concussion suffered in the loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. Without Nance – the undersized emergency center – and Allen, the Cavs were forced to pitch Isaiah Hartenstein in his team debut. Not ideal against All-Star center Rudy Gobert. Welcome to Cleveland.
Hartenstein, acquired from Denver Thursday as part of the JaVale McGee trade, has yet to practice. He met his new teammates in Sacramento after a long cross-country flight hours before Saturday’s game. He joked earlier today about not having enough underwear since he was sent to Cleveland for his physique and his papers in the middle of a road trip to the Nuggets. Hartenstein doesn’t know anyone, having only one shoot to learn the terminology and try to build some semblance of chemistry.
Still, he was there in the starting lineup, the 22nd different starting group that the injury-plagued Cavaliers were forced to use this season. And there he was at the heart of Cleveland’s offensive attack.
It helps show what the Cavs faced on Monday. Beyond, of course, the best of the NBA.
The 7-foot rookie, who will be Allen’s main replacement in recent weeks, has scored five points to go with 14 rebounds and seven assists in 26 minutes. The Cavs weren’t planning on using it that much. They wanted to integrate it slowly. Plans change. They had no other choice.
It looked ominous at first as Hartenstein made his way to the bench 38 seconds into his debut after picking up a pair of fouls. But he bounced back and was given the kind of playing time that wasn’t available with the Nuggets competing for the playoffs.
Collin Sexton scored his team’s best 20 points. Darius Garland contributed with 18.
The Jazz used a balanced attack led by Donovan Mitchell, who scored 19 points in 25 minutes, resting for a majority of the second half. Mike Conley and Gobert added 18 points each.
Monday was one of those nights. There were a lot of them. There has never been a path to Cleveland in competition. Not against this team. Not in its current state.
Happy to see you again
Taurean Prince has returned from a 10-game absence due to a sprained shoulder. Coming off the bench, Prince scored five of 2 of 9 points from the field in 18 minutes.
next
The Cavs will return home and have a few days off before facing the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night. The tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
–
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.
More Cavaliers coverage
Andre Drummond signs with Lakers 2 days after Cavaliers bought him out
Larry Nance Jr. continues to validate Cleveland Cavaliers’ decision to reject trade offers for him
Cleveland Cavaliers lose heartbreak to Sacramento Kings, 100-98
Why couldn’t the Cleveland Cavaliers find a job for André Drummond?
[ad_2]
Source link