MINNEAPOLIS — The Cavs are the NBA’s fourth best fourth quarter team.
OK, so maybe _that_ stat doesn’t tell the entire story.
They outscored the Minnesota Timberwolves, 33-25, in the fourth quarter Thursday night — a valiant comeback attempt that fell short.
OK, so maybe _that_ stat doesn’t tell the entire story either.
See the problem here? It’s complicated.
For the last two months, as the team’s play has vacillated between brilliant and abysmal, these fourth quarter metrics have become an interesting talking point.
What do they mean? What do they say? How important are they?
Boston. Detroit. Minnesota. Those are the only teams with a better net rating in the final 12 minutes. Pretty good company, right?
But, again, in the Cavs’ case it’s more complicated than that.
On one hand, Cleveland has shown an ability to rally from behind, to be at its best when it matters most — an admirable trait that speaks to mental fortitude, poise and composure. The Comeback Cavs have victimized Chicago, Miami, Memphis, Washington, Indiana, San Antonio and depleted Denver (a night the Nuggets were missing four starters).
On the other hand, those late-game robberies seem to be giving this enigmatic group a false sense of security — that they can just flip a proverbial switch, crank up the energy and activity when needed, and play with a sense of urgency and desperation for 12 minutes, with that being good enough to win.
Sometimes it is. Most of the times it isn’t.
After Thursday’s comeback attempt fizzled in the final minute, the Cavs dropped to 7-16 when behind entering the fourth quarter. Only three of those wins have come against above-.500 teams — and the Denver pilfering is a bit deceitful given who it was missing.
Cleveland tried to rally against Eastern Conference top seed Detroit — and failed. It tried against 20-win Golden State — and failed. It tried against Boston — and failed. It tried against better-than-expected Portland — and failed.
Sense a pattern here?
Add Minnesota to _that_ list.
“We can’t keep getting down and then having to fight,” an exasperated Donovan Mitchell said following Thursday’s 131-122 loss. “It just puts so much pressure on everything else. Played a solid first half, but it was that third quarter and now you’re fighting back and you’re chasing.
“The same thing happened against Detroit. Have to be better in those other stretches and not let mistakes compound. Because then you have to play perfect. Credit to us for coming back but it shouldn’t be that way. It’s not a situation that we want to continually be in. We let seven minutes change the course of the game and against teams like this, just can’t have that.”
Fresh off a narrow escape that masked an otherwise lousy performance Tuesday night in Indiana, the Cavs were behind by double figures before Prince could hit the chorus on “When Doves Cry.”
It was a 17-5 Minnesota onslaught.
But the Cavs settled in and eventually grabbed control, taking a four-point lead into the halftime locker room.
Then it was déjà vu — a third quarter attack by the Timberwolves that buried Cleveland in a one-time 20-point hole and had it staring at a 17-point deficit going into the fourth.
As they have done plenty of times, the Cavs came back to life. They made the frisky sellout crowd anxious. Forced Minnesota to earn it. But never went in front. Didn’t get any closer than four. There was an untimely turnover, a missed boxout on a free throw, a few defensive breakdowns and a 65-second scoring drought.
When the buzzer sounded, it was another loss —a team undermined by a bad habit it can’t seem to break.
Even though the Cavs have been better lately, with four wins in their last six, Thursday’s setback puts them at 21-18 on the season, eighth place in the Eastern Conference, back out of locked-in playoff positioning.
Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said recently this roster would catch a wave. Players have talked about seeing glimpses. The injury report keeps shrinking, with Larry Nance Jr. being active for the first time in about five weeks.
Even though there are plenty of circumstances tied to it, the Cavs have almost reached the halfway point of the season and many of their problems persist.
They play like a group that has accomplished something — even though they haven’t. They seem to think talent will be a separator — despite evidence to the contrary.
Darius Garland isn’t the All-Star he was a year ago. Evan Mobley doesn’t look like the unicorn who made second team All-NBA and was destined for the MVP periphery. Jarrett Allen keeps getting taken off the floor late. Sixth man De’Andre Hunter is having his least productive campaign since 2021-22. Offseason acquisitions Lonzo Ball and Nance both received DNPs Thursday, as Atkinson shortened his rotation again. Max Strus’ absence continues to be felt, and it’s fair to wonder how he impactful he will be when his surgically repaired foot fully heals. Dean Wade’s problematic knee has cost him three of the last four games, uncoincidentally leading to substantial defensive woes.
Remember that drastic talent gap the Cavs typically enjoyed last year, during what was a record-setting regular season? It has narrowed.
Remember the deep roster the Cavs boasted about months ago? It looks shallower.
There’s no talent-ing their way to the conference summit.
Cleveland is 11th in point differential. It has faced a double-digit deficit in five of the last seven games. Twenty-five of its 39 games overall.
“That’s kind of our reality right now,” said sharpshooter Sam Merrill who scored 22 points off the bench Thursday night. “A lot of good but if you want to be a really, really good team you have to play good for four quarters. Just keep working. It’s probably frustrating to hear the same things and whatnot but just have to keep working and keep trying to get better.
“Obviously, you don’t want to get in those positions. We would love to not have to do \[come from behind\], but there is some learning that can come from late-game opportunities and digging in and finding ways to get yourself back in the game.”
There’s truth to that. Two nights earlier, following the Indiana escape, Garland and Mobley both discussed the importance of identifying late-game sets, play calls and lineups — a byproduct of getting a plethora of crunch-time opportunities. They also talked about facing adversity and overcoming it.
After all, experience is the greatest teacher. Perhaps eventually the Cavs will be better for it.
They aren’t yet.
“It’s something we have to clean up fast,” Mitchell said. “I’m not surprised we came back. I’m not surprised we did what we did but those stretches can’t happen. The comeback shows what we’re capable of, but we have to figure out the little things mentally.”
Constantly playing catch-up doesn’t help. It hasn’t been a successful formula.
Conversely, Cleveland is 14-1 when leading going into the fourth quarter.
Maybe it should try that.