Recap: Cavs 121, Sixers 112 (or, Process THAT!)

Recap: Cavs 121, Sixers 112 (or, Process THAT!)

2018-11-24 Off By EvilGenius

Okay… the Cavaliers are now undefeated on Tuesdays… and Black Friday.

I know. I’ve been so wrong… but it feels so right. Seems the more I doubt the Cavs and bury their chances for victory in each Live Thread… the harder they play to win, forcing me to eat crow in the subsequent Recap.

To that I say… “pass the salt!”

If we’re being real though, it’s one thing to beat lowly Atlanta and even middling Charlotte in the friendly confines of the Q. It’s quite another proposition altogether to go into the arena of a rising Eastern Conference powerhouse like Philadelphia and unexpectedly gum up the works for them. Especially when that team hasn’t lost in their last 20 home games dating back to March 13th, and were the final unbeaten team at home this season (10-0). Not to mention, the Cavs themselves hadn’t won a game on the road since LeBron was still on the team (0-8 on the season). It’s a lot to process…

Speaking of The Process, this loss had to be a hard one for Joel Embiid to comprehend. Sure, the big man still put up big numbers with 24 points and 12 rebounds, but he was offset by Tristan Thompson’s own 18 point, 13 board night, and further neutralized by a trapping Cavs defense.

“It doesn’t feel good,” Embiid said. “We have to learn from it. They came here tonight to prove themselves.”

He should feel bad. After all, he and his squad were afforded more than a few questionable foul calls during the course of the evening, resulting in repeated trips to the charity stripe. Yet, they still were just a couple of garbage buckets away from absorbing a double digit loss at home to the former “worst team in the league.” Yes, you read that right. The Cavs are now percentage points ahead of the Hawks in the standings after their surprisingly convincing win at the Wells Fargo Center.

More importantly, the Cavs really seemed to build on their solid (but just short) effort on Wednesday against the Lakers, as they once again limited their turnovers, executed on both ends of the court, and continued their hot shooting. They didn’t play like 13 point underdogs on the road… they played with the gusto of a team that is finally starting to process their potential.

Cleveland came charging out of the gate, racing to leads of 7-0, and 22-8 before settling for an eight point advantage of 31-23 at the end of the first quarter. The Young Bull, Collin Sexton, had himself a heck of a first frame, as he knocked down five of his first seven shots for 10 points. Here was my favorite, where he upsets The Process on a juke and hard drive to the rack…

If Sexton can do this with more regularity, he’ll start to really open up some space for his outside shooting. Meanwhile, Cedi Osman picked up where he left off in the fourth quarter on Wednesday, one-upping his rookie teammate with 12 first quarter points of his own. The Jedi didn’t force the action, and calmly struck down a couple of three balls to punctuate Cavalier runs. Rodney Hood also stroked a triple, and Tristan Thompson grabbed just about every rebound in sight (he had seven in the first quarter alone). If not for the efforts of Jimmy Butler and rookie Landry Shamet, the Sixers might have been down a lot more.

The second quarter proved to be the only truly dangerous one for the Cavs all night. The bench (Jordan Clarkson, Kyle Korver, Larry Nance and Andrew Harrison) were ice cold, while Philly got scorching hot from downtown. The Sixers hit 6-11 threes in the period, with JJ Redick doing most of the damage. In fact, he erased the Cavs’ lead all by himself with a personal 8-0 run to start the quarter and knot things up at 31. This was also the quarter where all kinds of officiating home cooking shenanigans started to occur. Things like Kyle Korver being assessed a foul for stopping and having the nerve to let Wilson Chandler run into him. And, Embiid employing his James Harden-esque arm sweeps and rag doll flops. Fortunately, Larry Drew gave Clarkson a quick hook from getting roasted by Redick. Unfortunately, Embiid started hitting the threes he was settling for thus far.

However, the starters checked back in and continued their hot shooting. Rodney Hood chipped in a few sweet mid-rangers, David Nwaba avenged Clarkson by abusing Redick in the paint and putting him in foul trouble, and Cedi pulled this shot out of his bag…

The Cavs were able to restore order, stop the bleeding of points, and tie the game going into half at 54 a piece on a nifty Sexton layup.

The best description of the third quarter would be that of a pitched battle. The two teams went toe-to-toe, trading blow-for-blow. Just when Ben Simmons’ hook shot started working… so did Tristan’s. Just as the Cavs started draining threes, the Sixers hit a few more of their own. Just when it looked like old nemesis (and new Philly addition) Jimmy Butler was going to fuel a run to pull away… Rodney Hood shot the Cavs right back into it. Just when the calls started going Philly’s way again (like Butler throwing his hip into Cedi and flopping for free throws), Sexton beat his own path to the line. Young Bull also left scorch marks on the Wells Fargo Center floor with this transition bucket…

And, just when you might have written Jordan Clarkson off… he caught fire. JC had a strong man continuation and-one off of a Larry Nance steal, then drained a step-back jumper to put the Cavs up 84-83 at the end of three. But Captain Band Aid was just getting started…

After going scoreless in the first half, but getting going with the five point flourish to end the third, Clarkson exploded for 14 points in the final frame. JC shot a blistering 6-9, including two triples, and probably should have gone to the line at least once more after being hit in the head on a drive with no call. He also overcame being victimized by another dubious foul call when Redick kicked his legs out and flopped on a three ball.

The other major development in the fourth quarter that helped the Cavs effectively put this game out of reach, was the rapid redemption of one Andrew Harrison. For as lost as he’s looked in his first few games with the Cavs, Harrison ran the point almost flawlessly in the fourth, dishing out three of his five dimes. For as poorly as he’s shot the ball, he drained a pivotal three, and made an impressive drive to the hoop with the shot clock running down. Most importantly, he gave the Cavs a steady ball-handling presence when they really needed it. In fact, he played so well that Coach Drew ran with him for the entire quarter.

Rodney Hood then essentially finished the process behind this win by draining the last of his three point daggers (he was 5-7 on the night) to put the Cavs up 14 with just under three minutes to play…

Tristan Thompson closed out the scoring at the line, showing Ben Simmons how to knock down free throws. Cavs disrupt the Process, 121-112.

The Evil:

Really not much to pick on from a Cavaliers perspective.

Jordan Clarkson’s first half (and really the entire bench’s first half) was about the only blemish in an otherwise resounding victory. JC was equally bad on offense and defense… but truly atoned for his awfulness with a special stretch run.

Kyle Korver missed his only two shots, which were both fairly wide open looks. He was the only Cav not to shoot at least 50% on the night. He also got a raw deal on the Chandler “foul” and didn’t really play much after that.

Larry Nance and Andrew Harrison also had quiet first halves, but more than made up for it in the fourth quarter.

Joel Embiid’s antics have officially become stale and annoying. He’s essentially turning into a jumbo sized Golden Turd, featuring more rag doll physics than Red Dead Redemption 2.

The officiating (I feel this is fair game, particularly since the Cavs overcame it anyway) was all kinds of awful. Aside from the incidents I’ve already mentioned, there were several other moderately egregious calls and non-calls. I know the Cavs don’t have a star who gets calls anymore, and that there will always be a certain amount of home-cooking calls… but the disparity in this one was pretty glaring.

The Genius:

The starting five was awesome tonight.

It was all good in Rodney’s Hood, as he led the team in scoring, and looked extremely confident doing so. He had 25 points on 10-20 shooting, with the aforementioned 5-7 from deep. He even gatored four boards.

The Young Bull in a china shop rumbled to 23 points on 10-18 shooting. Sexton didn’t attempt a three, but instead was aggressive taking the ball to the rack repeatedly. He also grabbed five rebounds to go with three assists, a steal and a block.

Cedi used the force for his 20 points on 7-14 shooting (2-6 from three), and played another all-around game with eight boards and two assists. He also logged a team high 42 minutes, and teamed with David Nwaba and TT to keep the Cavs aggressive up front defensively.

Tristan was dynamite, exploding for 13 rebounds (eight of the offensive variety), and controlling the glass all night. He played The Process nearly to a draw with 18 points on 8-14 shooting, and demoralized Embiid with a rare late jumper to beat the shot clock in the fourth quarter. TT was also a game high +19, while helping hold Embiid to -19.

David Nwaba once again brought athleticism and defensive toughness to the starting lineup. He only scored seven on 2-4 shooting, but pulled down five rebounds to go with two assists and a steal. He’s broken up the logjam the Cavs experienced from starting Nance and TT together, and has added a much needed dimension to the lineup.

Harrison and Nance started to discover a nice chemistry in the late stages of the third and early fourth quarter. This is a wrinkle that could pose real problems for opposing second units…

Nance also flashed his own passing skills with this terrific play out of a timeout that really kick started the stretch run for the Cavs…

While it wasn’t the minuscule three turnovers they committed on Wednesday, the Cavs continued to take care of the ball with only eight miscues against the Sixers. They pilfered seven steals as well.

The Cavs also won the rebounding battle, 42-31, and wound up shooting 50% from three (11-22) as a team.

The Kiss Goodnight:

Jordan Clarkson gets the final send off here. His night somewhat mirrors the process of the Cavs’ season thus far. Awful at the start, and lost on both ends of the floor. Then, confidence started building after taking some lumps and seeing a couple shots fall. And, finally starting to play with energy and letting it fly. After tear-dropping in one last bucket over the opposition… blowing kisses to the hecklers and haters (or maybe it was to ex-girlfriend Kendall Jenner who was in attendance)…

This win, impressive though it may be, won’t erase the flaws on this team. There will assuredly be more bumps in the road, and other set-backs as this young team learns to win again. Yet, this was a significant step. Not just winning on the road, but doing it impressively as a team (nearly five players with 20 points), and against one of the better teams in the League.

Just to keep up appearances… I’ll still make lopsided predictions against them in the future. But, as long as they keep showing up with this type of effort… I’ll keep enjoying the process of being wrong.

GO CAVS!

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Vintage

No CP3 tonight… going to be the Golden Turd show

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NOMAD

WHAT A GREAT SPORTS WEEKEND FOR OHIO FANS ——WOW——-WENT THRU MY P.O.C. / STARTING ON MY ‘CHRISTMAS ALE “—-GO CAVS / BROWNS– KEEP THIS WEEKEND GOING !!!!!!!!

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MikeO

Harbaugh craps the bed again, how predictable. There will never be enough of these games for me, I was in the stadium in ’86 when Harbaugh ‘guaranteed’ a win, got bailed out by the refs all day, and UM was lucky at the end with a missed Buckeye FG. I wish OSU had scored 67.

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Arch Stanton

Go Buckeyes!

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buck turgidson

looking at the box score.. the win was even more impressive than i first thought.. 76ers had 4 STARTERS over 20!!! so, not like they just had a bad outing.. cavs beat a very good team, at home, who were on a 20-0 home streak, who were playing decently.. i talked about the possible fatal toxicity of falling into the morass of a self-doubt feedback loop.. and internalizing the idea that they could not win.. that was possible, though some thought it was hyperbolic.. and could have turned into 3-40 and 7-75.. well, just to show that i calls em… Read more »

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buck turgidson

having been schooled by mr market for many decades.. i know never to fade the trend.. verily, the trend is your friend, and when the worm turns, only fools ignore it.. uncle buck is now officially long the cavs (no more cav-nots)..

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CLF

Appreciate your positivity EG!!! So much to like about the Cavs right now. Drew’s making good adjustments. Cedi’s found some confidence. Sexton has improved a ton. Clarkson and Hood are more consistently good. TT’s been working his ass off. Nwaba has been an improvement over JR. Harrison’s best game as a Cav. All the Cavs need is to get healthier…. adding Hill and KLOVE will give the Cavs a little more explosiveness and help with Cedi and Sexton’s development. Sucks that Zizic had that rough patch, hopefully he keeps his confidence up and plays better down the road this year.… Read more »

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Tom Pestak

+1 for Rag Doll Physics reference

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Tom Pestak

Great recap, EG. Man Hood looking like a gunslinger again. Positively Michael Redd-Dead Redemption last night.

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buck turgidson

The positive effect of this victory on the group psychology dynamic on the cavs CANNOT be overstated.. will there be more losses? yes… will some be not so pretty? probably.. BUT.. they now KNOW that they can win against a good team.. and ON THE ROAD, no less.. Phila had 20 straight wins at home, going back to March of last year!! You think they wanted to lose this one to the cavs at home (with their new all-star)?.. This little gem is now a part of the collective psyche.. it will bear dividends.. I think i am going to… Read more »

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JRL

Completely true. For thus team to go into Philly and out-work them is a definite morale booster.

It’s a slippery road but these types of wins can impact guys in extremely meaningful ways. I remember watching Butler with the Bulls and thought of him as a decent player, nothing more, and then he showed up in the playoffs and his mentality changed completely to what he’s now.

For Sexton, Cedi and even Harrison, this was a phenomenal win. I’m not sure what to expect tonight but hope to see an energized team.

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Nate Smith

Echo the sentiments below, but Drew’s coaching has been stellar. The incrimental improvements the cavs are making almost every game are really impressive, as has been Drew’s feel foe the rotation. Yanking JC early in the secind and sticking with Harrison were both great moves. In addition, Larry has abandoned the “run at any cost” mentality of his predecessor. Instead the cans run selectively or are very deliberate after made buckets. The lack if tuenlvers has been due to a low risk offense that prioritizes safe perimeter passes into pick and rolls and isolations. The cavs, and in particular Hood,… Read more »

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TV63

There is so much I like about his coaching too. Better distributions on players taking shots. If you do a bone head play, he will yank you but also give you another chance. He’s not afraid to try different rotations that may work better!

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Nate Smith

Fun recap to a very fun game.

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NOMAD

NOAH “GETTING OFF THE ARK “—-GOING TO SIGN WITH THE GRIZZLIES —-HEY SWISH THERE IS HOPE FOR YOU !!

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JRL

Noah was gifted an insane contract. If he can get a new deal so can JR for sure.

I wish Swish the best. I just know that won’t be here.

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Raoul

Agree with JRL. There are good reasons why we mostly love Swish, but he does not work with this edition of the Cavs.

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NOMAD

SO WHAT IS EVERYONE’S PREDICTION ON “THE GAME ‘ TODAY—-I AM A HUGE BUCKEYE FAN / BUT COULD SEE A DOUBLE DIGIT LOSS TO THAT “TEAM UP NORTH ‘ TODAY : (……………………….MAYBE AT THE END OF THE SEASON WE ” REVISIT ” THE KYRIE TRADE ——–SEE IF WE REALLY DID GET “SCREWED “…………………………..JAYSON WILLIAMS THE OTHER DAY – (ESPN OF COURSE )- SAID THE DUKE TEAM COULD BEAT THE CAVS ——WHAT DO YOU SAY NOW JAYSON –( THY E COULDN’T EVEN BEAT THE ZAGS )——-“EAT MY SHORTS JAYSON “——-GOBUCKS !!

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Raoul

We probably got screwed on the KI trade. But man, what a dork. So glad we don’t have to put up with him.

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NOMAD

YEAH DREW DOESN’T HAVE TO WAIT —” TO WATCH THE FILM “—TO MAKE AN “IN ” GAME DECISION : )

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JRL

Talking about TT, what in the world has happened?

Was it Lue all along???

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Tv63

Not in TT’s case . TT is feeling much better in all aspects (physically , mentally and etc) He’s back before Lebron’s days and he looks great!! He’s been a fantastic leader out there as well!

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JRL

Yes he has which completely surprises me. I’ll be honest and say I thought he was a lost cause. I’m glad he’s turn it around, hopefully for the rest of the season.

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Raoul

Right. Sometimes a lost cause finds himself.

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JRL

Important family matters called me away from this game. Sucks I missed it but a great recap made up for it. Thanks!!! While reading about the game and Harrison’s impact on the fourth quarter, this came up: “I was really scratching my head when I was going to put Collin back in there, but that unit had such a rhythm that I did not want to disrupt it,” Drew said. “I elected to keep (Harrison) in there, but he was really terrific on both ends of the floor.” This is a perfect example of a head coach who understands and… Read more »

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JRL

*his not host.

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NOMAD

THINK THIS TEAM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE MUCH BETTER THAN THE KYRIE / 2011 TEAM (S)—-THE MOST EXCITING THING –( ALWAYS SAID THIS )—–IS TO WATCH A YOUNG GROUP OF PLAYERS DEVELOP ‘AS A TEAM ” —–THINK HOOD REALIZES WHAT THIS TEAM COULD DEVELOP INTO / WANTS TO BE PART OF IT / GROW WITH THEM /————-MIGHT BE A CHALLENGING QUESTION IF CAVS CONTINUE TO PERFORM LIKE THIS ——–DO WE KEEP AN EYE ON THE HAWKS / SUNS WINS / DRAFT POSITION OR WIN AS MANY GAMES POSSIBLE—THE HELL WITH THE DRAFT——-YES THERE ARE PLAYERS DOWN @ CANTON TOO—PRESTON… Read more »

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JRL

To me it will depend on what we get in return for JR and KK. I think we need to think about next season more than this one.

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Tv63

It’s been difficult for Cav fans to make the transition of cheering for a winning Lebron team to ‘Who the heck are these guys ? ‘ We have to start all over to see and understand what is going on and who is exciting to cheer for. I’m hoping these players are far better than 2011 and 2012.

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Raoul

Yeah, but it is a lot more fun.

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Anonymous

this team has potential they will take awhile to get it and dont really have the go to star to mesh with the potential anymore. Always felt if LEbron stayed on this year the Cavs would be top team in the league…just needed the new guys to mesh. while there are flaws on the team, its nice to see competitiveness and playing hard to win games…Sexton is consistently getting better each game and will figure it out. Clarkson cracks me up, he’s a bona fide ‘And 1 mix tape’ player haha….GO CAVS!

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Jason

Yep. Certainly there are going to be nights where we are awful, but the last two are showing glimpses of what could be. And it is exciting. Most exciting: Sexton & Cedi playing well. I think they are (hopefullu) the building blocks we have with the most upside, along with Love. Next best: hope for Hood & Clarkson. I do not think stardom is in the cards for either, but useful piece/starter could happen, especially for Rodney. Hood up to 48% from deep. Still cool: Improvement and development from the rest. Can we develop some rotational guys. We cast a… Read more »

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Simmo

Last 2 games have been thoroughly enjoyable. I am loving watching this team again. A young team discovering their abilities & how to play together is what it’s all about. More please.

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Simmo

So pissed I missed this game! Thanks for the cap EG.

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NOMAD

EVIL——-EVEN WHEN YOU ARE WRONG—YOU ARE RIGHT ——GREAT / FUN RECAP——SORRY ABOUT WSU

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Raoul

+ 1

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