Three takeaways from Cavs win over Jazz
Cavs got their swagger back.
The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t make this one easy. A 3-of-25 three-point shooting performance in the first half made sure they wouldn’t coast to victory. But a commitment to playing the right way allowed them to prevail over a bottom-dwelling Utah Jazz team.
There’s no use in sugar-coating it. The Cavs shot horribly in the first half. Darius Garland air-balled a three-pointer while the starting lineup combined to go 1-15 from deep in the opening quarters. A night like this would have spelled trouble against any other opponent.
Thankfully, the Jazz shot 6-27 themselves from deep in the first half. Even in spite of Cleveland’s horrific shooting — the Cavs entered halftime with a six-point lead. This cushion allowed them to find a rhythm as the game went on.
Jarrett Allen finished the day with a game-high 18 points. That’s right, no one on the Cavs needed to score more than 18 today. That’s a nice change of pace to be on the right side of that for once.
De’Andre Hunter and Ty Jerome continued to showcase the power of friendship. They combined for 27 points on 5-10 shooting from deep. A punch like that on the bench was useful.
Overall it was a tale of two halves. The Cavs more than tripled their three-point total in the second half (finishing 11-48). They still ended with the worst percentages of their season overall but their performance was much stronger in the backend.
All that said, let’s get to the takeaways.
Donovan Mitchell is a man of his word
Mitchell spent most of last week struggling to score the ball. He then spent the rest of his time taking accountability for this shooting slump. He’s never been one to shy away from criticizing himself. But more importantly, when Mitchell tells you he’ll be better — he means it.
We didn’t see an offensive explosion from Mitchell. But we saw a steady, methodical approach that was a vast improvement from his previous outings. Mitchell’s shot selection had been lacking in recent games. It wasn’t just that he was shooting poorly, it was that some of his field goal attempts were questionable, at best. Today was much better.
The Cavs struggled to score early in this game. Mitchell was the first to find his touch with a game-high 13 points in the first half. He shot 5-11 from the floor during that half, still below what you’d like to see, but his overall decision-making indicated Mitchell was more focused than before.
Mitchell didn’t press the issue or freeze his teammates out of the offense. He picked his spots wisely and managed to have a somewhat efficient night despite going 0-5 from deep by shooting 5-of-8 inside the arc.
Attacking the basket is always good
It’s not uncommon for a team to go through a three-point shooting drought. Finding alternative solutions is the key to not letting those droughts define you. The Cavs have two bigs for a reason. They made use of that today.
Mobley and Allen didn’t have huge scoring nights but they set the tone with their opportunities in the paint. A few easy buckets around the rim feel huge when nothing else is falling. This was key to shifting the momentum of this game with his relentless attack on the basket. No one on the Jazz was successful in getting Allen or Mobley to shy away from the rim once they got themselves comfortable.
The guards got involved, as well. Mitchell and Garland both hit the accelerators a few times to get to the rim. Quality shots like this are crucial to establishing a rhythm. It’s no wonder the Cavs blew this game open once they finally started hitting deep shots.
The Cavs did a fine job adjusting rather than panicking. You don’t want to abandon the three-point line altogether but you have to find a way to win, one way or another.
This was a much-needed win
Getting back on track with a win was the goal. It didn’t matter how they did it. The first half of this game might have been a slog but they managed to trudge through the mud long enough to get their rhythm back.
A very min-Cavalanche in the third quarter put the Cavs where you want them. The defense was generating turnovers and collecting rebounds, all leading to transition opportunities that broke the monotony of their poor three-point shooting.
This was the first time in awhile the Cavs looked like themselves. Their energy on both ends of the floor returned as they controlled every aspect of the game in the second half. Joy and enthusiasm were on display from everyone on the roster.
No one is going to act like a win over the Jazz is monumental. But when you’ve lost your last four games and need something to feel good about — a win is a win. It looks the same in the standings whether it was over the Jazz or Oklahoma City Thunder.