Watching the Market: Cavs at Pacers
Caris LeVert’s 23 points and 11 assists allowed the Cavs to win an ugly game in Indianapolis.
The short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers came away with a much-needed win after looking lifeless through the first quarter and a half. The victory gives them the tiebreaker over the Milwaukee Bucks which could prove helpful at the end of the season.
STOCK UP
Caris LeVert had it going on a night they desperately needed one of their guards to get downhill and provide a scoring punch. This was especially true considering the rough game Darius Garland was having from a scoring perspective.
LeVert was the best offensive player on the court in a game that featured four former All-Stars. His 23 points and 11 assists provided just enough offense for a team that had more than a few rough stretches on that end.
Getting into late-game offense early has been an issue for the Cavs. They fall into the trap of using too much of the shot clock to the point that they don’t get a good look.
On Monday, that changed. The Cavs kept trying to find the look they wanted on the most important offensive possession of the game. In the end, they got a clean look at the rim for Isaac Okoro. It was a look they wouldn’t have gotten if they waited longer to get into their offense.
Like how the Cavs kept working to find as the Pacers were trying to deny. Garland gets it, two on the roll, Allen gets it in the pocket. Haliburton steps up all the way, Okoro with a nice backdoor cut. pic.twitter.com/LfJoCGmAc5
— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) March 19, 2024
Jarrett Allen is typically at the center of the biggest wins this season. That was the case again as his relentless attack of the paint allowed him to go 5-7 in the restricted area and get seven points from the line. His rim pressure forced Tyrese Haliburton to step up leading to the game-sealing basket for Okoro.
Tristan Thompson flipped the momentum of this game with his play in the second quarter. The Cavaliers were allowing the Pacers to grab 46.7% of their misses according to Cleaning the Glass through a quarter and a half. Thompson put an end to that.
His energy in the second quarter helped Cleveland erase a 15-point deficit in that frame. They were a +13 in the second with Thompson on the floor.
The Marcus Morris Sr. signing is already bearing fruit. He made an immediate impact after not playing an NBA game in a month and a half. Morris finished with 14 points on 5-7 shooting with 4 boards in 20 minutes.
STOCK DOWN
Scoring droughts have been an issue for the Cavs. They went four and a half minutes in the first quarter without scoring after tallying seven points on their first four possessions. They went on a similar stretch in the fourth which allowed the Pacers to nearly erase a double-digit lead.
The Cavs haven’t been a great defensive team during this injury-riddled stretch. But even if they were, you can’t go that long without scoring against an offense as high-powered as the Pacers and expect to remain competitive most nights. The Pacers’ uncharacteristically poor three-point shooting (23.7%) allowed them to get away with it.
Darius Garland’s finishing at the rim has been an issue since the All-Star break. He’s converted just 44% of his shots at the rim since the break which is the lowest percentage for a point guard during that span.
Garland’s unconscious three-point shooting has masked some of these issues. But, on a night he didn’t have his shot falling, those issues quickly rose to the surface. Garland ended with 13 points on 5-18 shooting with seven assists.
Jarrett Allen converting lobs seems to be more of an issue now than it ever was before. Maybe its because this has become more noticeable since the missed alley-oop from Garland at the end of the Phoenix Suns game. Either way, Allen missed two more tonight after seeming like he always converted those opportunities when he got a hand on the ball.
HOLDING
Georges Niang’s starting lineup luck hasn’t been great. He keeps drawing incredibly tough when he’s pressed into this role. In the last seven days, he’s been asked to start the game guarding Kevin Durant, Zion Williamson, and Pascal Siakim on Monday.
Niang has done an admirable job when he’s drawn an unfavorable matchup. Siakim led the Pacers in scoring, but Niang’s defense down the stretch forced Siakim into a costly turnover. Niang also had another solid showing on the other end with 13 points on 5-8 shooting.