INDIANAPOLIS – Cleveland Cavaliers head coach JB Bickerstaff censored in the new year shortly before tipoff, about ten hours before the new year.
The abridged, explicitly free version: fortunately it’s over.
Before the Cavs said goodbye to a difficult year that challenged him and the entire organization in unexpected ways, the Cavs had one last shot to end on a high note. Not quite. Not in 2020. The Cavs lost their second game, 119-99, to the Indiana Pacers on Thursday afternoon.
“There was doubt. There was self-doubt. There was doubt as a unit. There was doubt as a team. “You can not survive playing against good teams without that conviction,” Bickerstaff said after the game. “We have good players. They are extremely talented. They would not be here if they were not. If they play together with confidence and conviction, they can be a great basketball team. And that’s what we need to get to. But it takes time. It takes experience. It’s going through these things and these moments because it’s so new. ”
After an exciting three-game winning streak, one fueled by funny ball movement, team-first play and suffocating defense, the Cavs suddenly fade. They also get frustrated.
These emotions boiled over at various points on Thursday’s matinee, as Cedi Osman, Andre Drummond and JaVale McGee were all beaten with technical fouls for arguing with the crew member. Drummond and McGee, who were difficult for most of the match, could not end up in a rhythm. Osman’s shootouts carried over from Tuesday night’s loss and scored just three points on 1-out-8 from the field and 1-out-5 in the three-point series.
“I take responsibility for it. We don’t have to have three techniques in a game, “said Bickerstaff. ‘Calls may not go our way. But because we’ve been here a while, and that we’ve been veterans in this, we can not afford to get the techniques. These are momentum changers. There is a time and a place, but we must keep calm so that we can do the work. ‘
The Cavs play in a city lovingly known as “Naptown” and start at the end of the first quarter with 11 behind.
They fought back with a strong second and scored the twelve minutes with a 7-2 rise to give them new life – and only a six-point deficit – in the locker room of the break. But the third term looks like the first. Indiana seized control thanks to its 31-point offensive and Cleveland’s foul shooting.
“The first quarter, I felt that the offense was stagnant, not going according to our principles and that we were sharing the ball and leading the post when Dre ran to the edge,” Collin Sexton said. ‘It just worked a lot out of a very picky role and just just did not play along. It’s in the first place that we did not play together. ”
For the second consecutive game, the Cavs were forced to play from behind – an unenviable task against the Pacers with one loss. They made a few separate runs and came within 11 of the fourth quarter from 5:29. Instead of another brave push, there were some untimely defensive errors and empty possessions that dispelled any hope of it.
Sexton scored a game-high 28 points at 12-of-19. His full-back, Darius Garland, added 21 points, including a top five points list in his career. Drummond finishes with 11 points and 13 rebounds, making it his fifth consecutive doubles start to the season.
The Pacers’ balanced attack, with all five beginners in double figures, was led by Domantas Sabonis. The 24-year-old big man had 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Malcolm Brogdon beat 17.
Over the past year, the Cavs have made a coaching change – Bickerstaff taking over for John Beilein – halted their positive momentum through the COVID-19 pandemic that froze the NBA in March. and excluded from the Disney Bubble, and was hit by injuries to key players.
There were definitely silver linings in 2020 as well. Bickerstaff found that positive. Just not Thursday.
It was an appropriate end of 2020. Good release.
Windler needs to be re-evaluated
Young swingman Dylan Windler, who is with the team, will be judged again in the coming days. With the broken left hand, Windler is not expected to be played in any of the six road games, including the final game on Jan. 9 against the Milwaukee Bucks. Before the game Thursday in his hometown, Windler did individual conditioning work – all he could do during this repair work.
Dirty trouble
While Drummond was in trouble early on and picked up his second person at the 5:36 mark in the first quarter, McGee came in – and immediately made a difference. In his first two minutes, McGee grabbed five offensive setbacks and converted a few shots on the other side of the floor. But just like Drummond, McGee quickly spotted the whistles against the Pacers’ chunky front yard. His fifth offense halfway through the third quarter was followed by a technical offense.
McGee played just 14 minutes, scoring seven points and grabbing 13 rebounds.
That bad trouble led to the first significant minutes of the season for Thon Maker, who played eight minutes and scored six points with one setback and once.
Lineup changed
With the onset of injured Kevin Love, Larry Nance Jr., Bickerstaff joins Dante Exum instead of Osman as the fill-in-the-blank forward. Okoro, recently in the league’s health and safety protocol COVID-19, missed its third consecutive with a sprained foot. Exum scored seven points and grabbed four rebounds.
Following
The Cavs will continue their road trip against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
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