The Cavs did enough on the offensive end to come away with the win.
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers outscored the Sacremento Kings 123-118 to grab their fifth win in their last seven games and ninth in their last 13. That’s a step in the right direction.
This game was back-and-forth throughout.
Cleveland created separation at the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth. They pushed their lead to 14, but the Kings quickly responded with a 12-4 run to get right back into the game.
Sacremento briefly retook the lead with four-minutes left in the fourth. Donovan Mitchell then responded with back-to-back baskets to give the Cavs a four-point advantage they wouldn’t relinquish.
Support us and Let ‘Em Know with Homage!
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE. The link to the Donovan Mitchell NBA Jam shirt is HERE.
This game was the exact opposite of Wednesday’s win against the Charlotte Hornets. Cleveland won this game on the offensive end. Their ability to grab offensive rebounds (12 second-chance opportunities) and score off 15 Sacremento turnovers helped buoy their offensive attack.
It also helped that Evan Mobley aggressively attacked the basket all game.
Before the game, Kings head coach Doug Christie said that the goal of his defense was to “push him off of his spots.” They weren’t able to do that as Mobley was able to continually get two feet in the paint and went up strong once he did. This allowed Mobley to convert six of his eight shots in the restricted area and go 12-18 on shots in paint overall.
Mobley also did a great job finding his teammates when the defense shifted over to cut off lanes to the basket, leading to seven assists. On top of that, Mobley was the best defensive player on the floor and had four rejections. This was his fourth game in a row with two or more blocks.
This all led to Mobley finishing the evening with 29 points on 13-24 shooting to go along with 13 rebounds and eight helpers.
Sacremento also struggled to contain Mitchell. He provided a game-high 33 points on 11-25 shooting to go along with eight assists to just one turnover.
Jaylon Tyson added 17 points on 6-14 shooting with seven rebounds. Jarrett Allen had 15 points and nine rebounds.
The Cavs as a team did a great job of protecting the ball. They turned it over just six times, which is much improved over the 21 times they gave it up in their previous two games.
The defensive side of the court wasn’t as pretty.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson lamented his team’s three-point defense before the game. His team showed him why. The Kings connected on 39.4% (13-33) of their outside shots. Cleveland struggled to keep Sacremento’s guards in front of them, got caught in rotation, and the Kings made them pay in a way the Hornets weren’t able to.
Domantas Sabonis led the Kings with 24 points on 9-14 shooting to go along with 15 rebounds and six assists. Dennis Schröder supplied 21 points on 3-5 shooting from deep.
The Cavs will be back in action on Saturday as they hit the road to take on the Orlando Magic. Game time is at 7 PM.
Category: General Sports
