CLEVELAND, Ohio – This is not how you start. That’s how you finish.
The month of February was not pleasant. It has a losing streak of ten games and nine double-digit losses due to a horrific piece studded with play-off caliber mines. But the Cavs knew they had to endure the storm. They did so and won a second game Wednesday night against the Houston Rockets, 112-96.
With the end of the month over the weekend, the Cavs temporarily reversed their fate.
The Cavs are a carbon copy of the victory they achieved Tuesday night, and the Cavs started quickly, avoiding the deep early hole that had haunted them the past few weeks. A ten-point lead has evaporated thanks to a sloppy second quarter with repeated defensive interruptions from the offense, allowing Houston drivers to get in the paint.
But Cleveland did not crack. When they regrouped their halftime, the Cavs came to the fore with the intensity that head coach JB Bickerstaff demanded before the game.
The league’s weakest third quarter team outscored the Rockets 34-24 in those 12 minutes. The Cavs did not disappoint in the fourth series and won that period by eight points. Overall, the Cavs won the last 24 minutes, 64-46.
Jarrett Allen abused Houston’s undersized interior. With the Rockets’ highest starter being just 6 feet-6, Allen threw 26 points on 10-of-11 from the field to go with 18 rebounds and four blocks in 37 striking minutes. Allen even had a one-handed dunk from coast to coast – a highlight that aroused the crowd.
Collin Sexton returned from a terrible first half, adjusting a few locker rooms and hitting the point for the seventh consecutive point by 20 points. Sexton – who had just seven points on 2-of-9 from the field at halftime, looks frustrated by Houston’s physicality – finished with 23 points and buried seven of his ten shot attempts in the second half. Darius Garland also found his rhythm and scored a double-double with 11 points and 10 assists.
Dylan Windler’s hot perimeter shooting was carried over from Tuesday. After being 5-out-5 from deep in the win over Atlanta, Windler drained all four of his bombs, the longest series triple by a Cavalier since Kyrie Irving in 2015.
On the other hand, the Cavs shot the Rockets up to 40% and 30.3% from the 3-point range, showing signs of their early season. This is the first time an opponent has been kept below the 100-point mark since February 1st.
Two in a row. A win over Philadelphia in the February final will make it three. This is called a finish line. This has happened before.
Just not since January.
Get stuck
The front office had to decide on Dean Wade by 5pm Wednesday night. If he was on the list outside that stage, his contract would be fully guaranteed. Not only did the Cavs keep up with Wade, but they put him in the starting lineup for a second consecutive game. Wade finishes with a career high of 11 points on 4-of-4 shooting and 2-of-2 from outside the arc.
Following
The Cavs have two days off before heading to Philadelphia for a game on Saturday night. Tipoff is set for 19:00
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