Cavs show that they can win with defense in Game 3 rout

Cleveland’s an offensive-first team, but they still have the tools to be a devastating defense.

The Cleveland Cavaliers always give the generic answer that they’re still a defensive-first team whenever they’re asked about it. For some reason, no one in any sport wants to admit that they’re an offensive-first team, even if it’s clear that they are.

This has been an offense-led group all season. Head coach Kenny Atkinson was brought in to transform the attack, and he has. So much so that they went from a below-average offense to the best in the regular season.

This has come at a cost on the defensive end. Playing with more pace gives your opponent a chance to do so as well. That limits the amount you’re able to force the other team’s offense into playing against a set defense. That was likely some of the rationale behind former head coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s refusal to go all in on playing fast in previous seasons.

That said, the defensive talent that made the Bickerstaff teams so good on that end is still present. That was on display during their one-sided 124-87 Game 3 win over the Miami Heat.

Cleveland took control of Game 3 on the defensive end. They weathered Miami’s initial burst and then responded with an 18-0 run that was primarily fueled by over four minutes of stout defense.

No matter the level of basketball, there’s something demoralizing about not being able to establish a consistent offense for that long of a stretch.

Let’s take a look at how the Cavs were able to short-circuit Miami’s attack.

Only 27% of Miami’s shot attempts came at the rim (29th percentile) and they converted just 52.6% of them (10th percentile). Those are exceptional numbers for the Cavs' defense. They forced the Heat to be a jump-shooting team. And more importantly, the shots came from guys they were okay with giving jumpers to.

This run started with a midrange shot from Kel’el Ware (49% from the midrange), a 17-foot jumper from Davion Mitchell (14% on long twos since joining Miami), and a corner three from Ware (20% on corner threes).

Defense isn’t just about contesting shots. It’s about making the offense take the shots you want them to.

The Cavs scored after all three missed baskets. But the run started in earnest after Miami turned it over on the four ensuing possessions.

Ty Jerome was credited with the steal on the first turnover, but Jarrett Allen was the one who created it.

Cleveland played great defense and forced Bam Adebayo into needing to create something late in the shot clock. Allen walled him off and halted any momentum to the basket. Dean Wade and De’Andre Hunter sensed that and converged on Adebayo. This hurried Adebayo. He turned it over before getting a shot up over Allen.

This sequence ended with a transition three from Hunter.

The stat sheet doesn’t show it, but this was a great defensive game from Wade. The play below is an example of what makes him so good on that end.

Wade has strong defensive instincts combined with exceptional lateral quickness, strength, and wingspan. Those traits were on display in the next clip.

Wade navigated the somewhat weak screen from Adebayo and stayed connected to Wiggins. He was in front of him and used his strength to wall off the basket. This forced Wiggins to abort the shot attempt which resulted in a travel.

Wiggins turned it over again on the ensuing possession by passing the ball out of bounds.

The final turnover of the run came from Tyler Herro trying to attack Evan Mobley off the dribble. Herro didn’t have anywhere to go and eventually just lost the handle. This resulted in another basket for Hunter in transition.

The Cavs' great defense extended well beyond this first-quarter run. They kept Miami under 25 points each quarter despite them shooting the ball pretty well from three (16-34 on 47.1%).

It’s fair to acknowledge that the Heat aren’t a good offensive team. But the Cavs have turned up the defensive intensity for stretches of this first-round series that make you believe that they can be a devastating defense when they need to be.

Offense wins championships in the NBA. That has proven to be true for the better part of the last two decades. But defensive performances like we saw in Game 3 make offense easier and provide a greater margin for error.

The Cavs turned in a championship-caliber defensive performance on Saturday. We’ll see if this is something they can continue throughout the playoffs.