The Cleveland Cavaliers tried to get by with playing hard for just a quarter and a half. That isn’t going to work against a team as good as the Houston Rockets. Houston came away with a 114-104 win.
The Cavs were asleep for the first half on Wednesday. They were bullied on the glass, weren’t getting to the basket, and weren’t making the extra effort you need to when facing an elite team like this. On top of that, they were 4-20 from three (20%). That added up to a 17-point deficit at the break.
Things changed in the third quarter. They won the frame 30-17 due to their ability to get to the basket and force turnovers. Evan Mobley also came alive, scoring eight of his 18 points in the third.
The Cavs got close, but they weren’t able to erase the 22-point hole they dug themselves in the first two-and-a-half quarters. They made it a two-point game early in the fourth, but weren’t ever to really get over the hump. That’s what happens when you give a team as good as Houston this much of a head start.
Donovan Mitchell struggled early on. He registered just two points on 1-7 shooting through the first three quarters. Mitchell turned it around by putting up 19 of his 21 points in the fourth, but it was too little too late.
De’Andre Hunter led the Cavs with 22 points on 6-11 shooting while going 5-8 from distance.
It also didn’t help that the Cavs couldn’t get anything to fall from the charity stripe. They went 20-32 (62.5%) from the line on a night they struggled from the field as well.
The Rockets simply had too many answers down the stretch. Kevin Durant supplied 20 points on 6-18 shooting. Alperen Sengun had a game-high 28 points and 11 rebounds in the win.
Houston’s offensive rebounding proved to be the difference. They won the second-chance points battle 21-6.
This game showed just how frustrating the Cavs’ season has been so far. They have stretches where things click and you see signs of the dominant team that they were last regular season, but they’re only flashes.
Cleveland spent the majority of this game going through the motions. They weren’t just struggling because they were missing their All-Star point guard in Darius Garland. The Cavs were missing the purpose, effort, and cohesion needed to win against an elite team.
The Cavaliers’ extended homestand continues on Friday when they host the Indiana Pacers in an NBA Cup group stage game. Tip-off is at 7 PM.