Cleveland Oh. – It started off as another potential game where the Cavs would pull off a big upset. But the Suns walked down the Cavs and their 19-point lead and took their first lead in the third quarter, and never relinquished control again. Kevin Durant took over in the second half scoring 24 points and hitting shot after shot. Before the game, coach JB said about KD, “There’s certain guys in this league who you know there’s no answer for. Kevin Durant Happens to be one of those guys. When he gets to his spots, it’s just a matter of if he will make or miss the shot.” Tonight, Durant made them when it mattered.
Photo via Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs had a first half that started about as well as you could ask. Darius Garland hit five of his first six three-point attempts to the tune of 21 first quarter points and he looked to be rolling. Playing against Bradley Beal, who is like a brother to Darius, Garland said after the game it wasn’t any extra juice, but he definitely wanted to win because Brad was going to talk smack to him.
After the first though, The Suns started trapping Garland and getting the ball out of his hands. He scored nine points the rest of the way and even though the Cavs had five players in double figures, it wasn’t enough to overcome the Suns Big Three of Durant, Beal, and Devin Booker. The Suns trio scored 88 points and really made the shots in the second half.
And even with the Suns catching fire, the Cavs still had a chance to come away with a win but two turnovers in the final minutes derailed any attempt to come back. First a lob from Garland to Jarrett Allen that they have completed 1000 times was fumbled and not caught, then after a steal, Isaac Okoro stepped out of bounds. The latter really sealed the deal for the Cavs who, despite missing Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Max Strus, and Dean Wade were able to still find a way to be competitive.
Photo via Cleveland Cavaliers
Speaking of Mitchell, this is now his 18th game missed which means he will be ineligible for any postseason awards. Coach JB said before the game, “I understand where the league is coming trying to get guys to play games… It’s a tough one, but everyone knows Donovan Mitchell is an All- NBA player. So… You know…” Suns coach frank Vogel said “I don’t know if the number is the right number, but I do think there’s value in it. It seems like the right thing to do, but when you see guys like Donovan and Embiid being left out, that does not feel right.” It’s something that is being talked about, but no one knows how to fix it. But for now, Mitchell is off the list of eligible players to win a postseason award.
The Cavs head to New Orleans to take on the Pelicans next.
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