Tag: PACERS
Lakers’ Ham on James, Davis: ‘A hell of a one-two punch’
The Los Angeles Lakers captured the first NBA In-Season tournament championship after defeating the Indiana Pacers in the In-Season Finals 123-109 on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
LeBron James was named In-Season tournament MVP. However, the championship game was about the play of Anthony Davis.
The eight-time All Star was special; he had 41 points, 20 rebounds, five assists, and four blocks.
“AD(Anthony Davis), just wanting us to enforce our will, impose our will on both sides of the ball, and he’s the guy to do that,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “He’s our anchor. He’s a guy that carries a big load in terms of our points in the paint. What did we have tonight, 86 points in the paint, and just not settling.”
Davis is happy to win an In-Season title; however, he wants to be a champion at the end of the season.
“I just try to do everything I can to win a basketball game,” he said. “Obviously, my teammates put me in a great position to be successful. Obviously, this is special for us, just winning the inaugural In-Season Tournament. But we want to also win the same thing in June.”
The duo of James and Davis combined for 65 points for the Lakers on Saturday night, and this duo won a championship with the Lakers in 2020, and now the two have an In-Season tournament title.
“I think the sky is the limit,” Ham said about the duo of James/Davis. “A hell of a one-two punch, and that one or two could be either one of them on any given night. And at the end of the day, they know how to take it to that next level when everything is on the line. So we want to make sure, we talked about being the first, being on the right side of history and being the first to do something.”
James, who averaged 26.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.6 assists in In-Season Tournament play, has been with Davis for five years now, which is longer than his time with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami and Kyrie Irving in Cleveland; James feels the Lakers can do big things when both players are healthy.
“Everything, especially at the later stage of my career, to be able to get a young, hungry alpha male to go out there and just do the things that he does,” James said about Davis. “It’s definitely given me an opportunity to be able to not only watch as he’s continued to grow, but also be able to try to inspire him as well as he continue to grow in his career and vice versa. I feel like when we are on the floor together and we’re healthy, we know when we’re capable of doing.”
Obviously, an In-Season tournament title is not the same as winning the NBA Finals, but it’s an accomplishment and maybe something the Lakers can build on.
Shorthanded Cavs fall to Pacers
The Cavs finished the second half of back-to-back home games on Saturday night against the Indiana Pacers.
Cleveland, who fell to the Thunder on Friday, did not have its starting backcourt as Donovan Mitchell(hamstring) joined Darius Garland(hamstring) in street clothes. In addition, Jarrett Allen missed his third staright game.
The undermanned Cavs battled in this one, but they did not have enough and would fall to the Pacers 125-113.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Pacers.
Great:
Evan Mobley was a beast on Saturday night. He had 33 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks; it was the first 30-10 game of his career. With the Cavs shorthanded, Mobley got more touches and delivered.
Caris LeVert got the start, and he delivered. He scored 22 of his 31 points(12/28 FG, 4/10 3-Point FG) in the first quarter. LeVert was a man on a mission in the first quarter. He was 9/12 from the field, which included four threes.
Max Strus struggled a little with his shot(7/20 FG. 4/9 3-Point FG), but he did record a double-double as he added 11 rebounds and six assists. This was Strus’ second double-double in three games.
Not So Great:
Second Quarter: Cleveland led 37-31 at the end of the first quarter, but they went ice cold in the second quarter. Indiana started the quarter on a 15-3 run and took control. The Cavs shot 19% in the second, and they trailed 60-49 at halftime. Cleveland would never have a lead after the second quarter.
Second-Fourth Quarter LeVert: After scoring 22 points in the first quarter, Levert shot 3/16 from the field and scored only nine points the rest of the way. Maybe he ran out of gas, but he struggled after the first.
Bottom Line
Cleveland cut the lead to two on two occasions in the fourth, but they did not have enough to get over the top. It’s hard to win with Mitchell, Garland, and Allen in street clothes, so this loss was expected. Give credit to the players for fighting to the end.
What’s Next:
The Cavs finish their three-game homestand against the New York Knicks on Tuesday night.
Best of the Rest:
Aaron Nesmith led the way for the Pacers with 28 points off the bench. Tyrese Haliburton had 21 points, eight rebounds, and 13 assists, and Myles Turner added 20 points and 12 rebounds.
Isaac Okoro added 11 points, five rebounds, and three assists for the Cavs.
Cavs dominate Pacers to get second straight win
The Cavs(33-22) begin a quick two-game road trip in Indiana against the Pacers(25-30) on Sunday night.
Cleveland used a dominant second quarter to defeat the Pacers 122-103 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Cavs have won two straight, while the Pacers have lost 12 of their last 14 games.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Pacers.
The Great:
The Cavs’ Starting Five:
Isaac Okoro scored a season-high 20 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Okoro has shown improvement of late and has been in double figures in the last two games.
Darius Garland led the Cavs with 24 points and six assists. Again, Garland continues to show why he should have been an All-Star.
Donovan Mitchell started slow(he missed his first four shots in the opening quarter) but picked it up in the second quarter, where he scored nine of his 19 points. Mitchell added three rebounds and six assists.
Jarrett Allen had his third straight double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Evan Mobley had his second-straight double-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks.
According to Elias Sports, this was the fourth time in team history that all five starters scored 17-plus points in a regular season game.
Sharing is Caring: Cleveland had 33 assists on 46 field goals. They were unselfish, and everyone benefitted, and Ricky Rubio led the way with nine assists off the bench. This was Cleveland’s fourth straight game with 30-plus assists.
Second Quarter: Cleveland led by two at the end of the first quarter and busted things open in the second, where they shot 56% from the field. Indiana had a 37-36 lead with 6:54 left in the quarter, and the Cavs closed things out the right way as they outscored Indiana 26-9 to take a 62-46 lead at halftime. Cleveland would take their largest lead of 26 points in the fourth quarter.
Three-Point Shooting: Cleveland had a lot of success from three-point range as they were 15/37(41%) from behind the arc.
Not So Great:
Nothing to see here.
Bottom Line:
Cleveland had a terrific offensive game against Indiana. They were unselfish, made shots, and dominated the Pacers from the second quarter until the end. It’s just the Pacers, but this a good win for a team that has been mediocre on the road, and if Okoro can play like this going forward, they will win a lot of games. In fact, they are 10-4 when Okoro scores 10-plus points, so if he can play at a high level, Cleveland will only get better.
What’s Next:
Cleveland heads to Washington to battle the Wizards on Monday night.
Best of the Rest:
Myles Turner led Indiana with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks. Tyrese Haliburton had 15 points and 11 assists; Buddy Hield chipped in with 16,
Cleveland recorded its league-leading 23rd victory by 10-plus points.
Garland made three-pointer number 500 on Sunday.
Cavs lose third straight as road woes continue against Pacers
The Cavs(22-14) begin a two-game road trip in Indy against the Pacers(19-17), and the Cavs have now lost three straight as they fell to the Pacers 135-126 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ loss to the Pacers.
Great:
Jarrett Allen had 19 points and 14 rebounds. Allen was a perfect 5/5 and had 13 points in the fourth. He battled against the Pacers. This was Allen’s 14th double-double of the season.
Donovan Mitchell had a team-high 28 points. He didn’t shoot a high percentage, as he was 10/25 from the field, but he was 5/11 from deep.
Cleveland had seven players in double figures.
Not So Great:
Defense: For the third straight game, Cleveland allowed a team shot 50 percent or more; the Pacers shot 57% from the floor and 61% from downtown. Indiana made 19 threes.
Also, the Cavs allowed a season-high 135 points. In addition, the Cavs allowed the Pacers to score 30-plus points in three quarters.
Fourth Quarter: Cavs had their largest lead of seven with 9:29 in the fourth, and the Pacers would tie things up at 113 with just under seven minutes to go, and with just over five minutes to go and the Pacers trailing by 1, Indy would go on a 7-0 run to take control!
Bottom Line:
The Cavs’ road woes continue. They could have defended better, which cost them. You score 126 points in regulation; most nights, you will win.
Cleveland has now lost three straight and fell to 6-10 on the road. It’s still early, but based on how things are bunched up in the East, a few losses could drop them in the standings.
Something to keep an eye on is Darius Garland, who left and returned after injuring his thumb in the fourth quarter. According to cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor, Garland left the locker room with a bag of ice wrapped around his right hand, and the team has some concerns. Let’s hope for the best.
What’s Next:
Cleveland finishes 2022 in Chicago as they face the Bulls on Saturday night.
Best of the Rest:
Indiana had four players with 20-plus points. Tyrese Haliburton led the way with 29 points, including six threes; Buddy Hield had 26 points, including five threes; Bennedict Mathurin chipped in with 23 points off the bench, and Aaron Nesmith added 22.
Hield also made history as he made a three off the opening tip three seconds into the game.
Garland had 18 points, and eight assists for the Cavs, and Caris LeVert added 19 points off the bench.
Cleveland was without Robin Lopez(illness) and Cedi Osman(back).
The Great, Not So Great, & Bottom Line of Cavs’ big win over Pacers
The Cavs(19-11) returned home for a six-game homestand, and they got the first one as they defeated the Indiana Pacers(15-15) 118-112 on Friday night.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Pacers.
Great:
Donovan Mitchell had another fantastic performance. After scoring 34 points against the Mavs, he was even better on Friday night as he scored 41 points, including eight threes. More on Mitchell in a moment.
Darius Garland is back at home, so of course, he balls out. Garland had 20 points and 10 assists. The Cavs backcourt combined for 61 of the team’s 118 points.
Fourth Quarter Mitchell: Mitchell scored a season-high 18 points in the fourth on 5/6 shooting, including three threes. He was extra special, and with the Cavs down 13 points with nine minutes left, Mitchell, who gave Cleveland their final lead since the second quarter when he hit a three with just under four minutes to go, helped Cleveland close the game on a 28-9 run.
This was Cleveland’s biggest fourth-quarter comeback of the season.
Fourth Quarter Defense: Indiana had three straight 30-plus point quarters, but Cleveland’s defense finally woke up in the fourth. They outscored the Pacers 35-18 in the quarter. Indiana shot 37% from the field and was 2/11 from deep.
Not So Great:
Defense in the First Three Quarters: Indiana scored 94 points on 57% shooting from the field in the first three quarters. Indiana scored 52 of the 94 points in the paint in those quarters, but of course, the fourth quarter happened.
Bottom Line:
This is why you trade for Donovan Mitchell. Cleveland needed another guy who could take over, and Mitchell is that guy. He can score the basketball at a high level and is doing some amazing things right now.
Cleveland probably would not have won this game last season.
What’s Next:
The Cavs continue their six-game homestand Saturday night against the Mavs.
Best of the Rest:
Bennedict Mathurin led the Pacers with 22 points off the bench. Tyrese Haliburton had 17 points and 14 assists.
Evan Mobley had 16 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks; Cedi Osman had 14 points and Caris LeVert had 12 off the bench.
According to Cavs Notes, Mitchell has now scored 40-plus points three times this season. He is the seventh player EVER to have three games of 40-plus points, joining LeBron James (51), Kyrie Irving (11), Mike Mitchell (4), World B. Free (3), Ricky Davis (3), and Darius Garland (3).
Suns sign Duane Washington Jr. to two-way contract
The Phoenix Suns have signed free agent guard Duane Washington Jr., the team announced Wednesday.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, it’s a two-way contract.
The 22-year-old went undrafted in the 2021 draft out of Ohio State and signed a two-way contract with the Pacers, which was converted to a standard contract in April.
Indiana would waive Washington in July.
Last season, Washington averaged 9.9 points on 40.5% shooting from the field, 37.7% from three-point range, and 75.4% from the free throw line in 48 games with Indiana. Among qualified NBA rookies, he ranked 12th in points per game, third in three-point percentage, and ninth with 81 made three-pointers.
He set a Pacers rookie record by making seven three-pointers at New Orleans on Jan. 24. He also appeared in 11 games with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA G League last season, averaging 19.5 points, 4.4 assists, and 3.4 rebounds.
Washington will have an opportunity to compete for the backup point guard spot behind Chris Paul in Phoenix.
Cavs’ Garland, Mobley shine in Indiana
On Tuesday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers began a three-game road trip in Indiana against the Pacers.
Cleveland got a big night from Darius Garland, who had a career-high 41 points, including the game-winning free throws with 14 seconds left as the Cavs defeated the Pacers 127-124 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
The Cavs(38-27) have won two straight, while Indiana(22-45) has dropped three in a row.
Here is the Great, Not So Great, and Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Pacers.
The Great for the Cavs:
Garland!: Darius Garland was just ridiculous. The Gary, Indiana native, had 21 of his career-high 41 points in the fourth quarter to go along with 13 assists, five rebounds, and two steals. The last Cavs player to have 40-plus points and 10-plus assists in a game was, of course, LeBron James(2018).
The All-Star carried the Cavs in the fourth. With just under a minute to go, and the Cavs trailing 122-120, Garland’s driving layup tied things up, and he made the game-winning free throws.
What a night for Garland, who finished with 31 points in the second half.
–Evan Mobley: No Jarrett Allen, no problem. Rookie Evan Mobley filled in at the center spot and recorded his second straight 20 and 10 double-double as he had 22 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, and a career-high five steals. He also had a big tip-in late in the contest to tie the game at 124 with 33.6 seconds left. Mobley did it all for the Cavs Tuesday night.
-Lauri Markkanen had a strong game for the Cavs. He had 21 points and five rebounds. This was Markkanen’s second consecutive 20-plus point game.
Fourth Quarter: Cleveland trailed 98-90, entering the fourth quarter. However, they got it done in the fourth, especially Garland(7-10 FG). As a whole, the Cavs shot 59% from the floor. They outscored the Pacers 37-26 in the quarter.
–Lamar Stevens: He made two big defensive plays down the stretch. With the game tied at 124, Stevens made a big block on Malcolm Brogdon’s layup attempt, which was retrieved by Mobley, who gave it off to Garland, who was fouled and hit the game-winning free throws.
The next possession, Dean Wade had a deflection, which Stevens grabbed. Ultimately, Stevens won the “Junkyard Dog Award” for his defense late in the game. He finished with nine points.
The Not So Great for the Cavs:
Defense: Despite the win and Stevens’ big plays on defense, Cleveland did not have their best defensive performance Tuesday night. They allowed the Pacers to score 124 points in regulation, and Indiana shot 54% from the floor, including 50%(16/32) from downtown. Without Allen and Caris LeVert, Cleveland will need their defense. They did create 18 turnovers to their credit, which led to 23 points for the Cavs.
Bottom Line:
The Cavs needed this game. They had to win, especially with back-to-back road games against the Heat and Bulls coming up.
Fortunately for Cleveland, Garland and Mobley got the job done.
According to Cavs Notes, the 22-year-old Garland(41) and the 20-year-old Mobley (22) combined for 63 points. They are the first Cavs’ teammates age 22 or younger to combine for 63-plus points in a single game since 2013.
As for the standings, the sixth-seeded Cavaliers are now a 1/2 game behind the fifth-seeded Celtics(39-27).
What’s Next:
Cleveland continues their three-game road trip Friday night in Miami against the Heat.
Best of the Rest:
Indiana had eight players in double figures, led by Tyrese Haliburton’s 25 points and nine assists. Goga Bitadze, Jalen Smith, and Duane Washington Jr. had 15 points apiece.
All five starters scored in double figures for the Cavs. Isaac Okoro added 11 points, and Wade chipped in with 10.
-The Cavs(4-0) swept the season series with the Pacers.
-Rajon Rondo returned after missing six games with a toe injury. He went scoreless in 11 minutes of action, but he did have two rebounds and four assists
LeVert(foot) missed his seventh straight game.
Watch below as Mobley and Garland react to the win over the Pacers:
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Cavs’ Bickerstaff: ‘Caris(LeVert) is a complete player’
The Cleveland Cavaliers love to have 20-plus point deficits against the Indiana Pacers. Last Sunday night, Indiana led Cleveland by as many as 20 points, and the Cavs stormed back to defeat them 98-85 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
On Friday night in Indiana, the Cavs trailed by as many as 21 points to the Pacers in the second quarter, and like they did last Sunday, Cleveland battled back and defeated the Pacers 120-113 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
This was the Cavs largest comeback victory of the season.
Cleveland had seven players in double figures Friday night.
The Cavs(35-21) have now won four straight and 13 of 16, while the Pacers(19-38) have lost five straight.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Pacers.
The Great for the Cavs:
Caris LeVert, in his first game back in Indiana since the trade, got the start at point guard for the injured Darius Garland(back), and he made play after play down the stretch. He scored eight(4-4 FG) of his team-high tying 22 points in the fourth. LeVert scored those eight fourth-quarter points in crunch time. Cleveland trailed 109-105, and LeVert cut it to two with just under five minutes to go, and after a Rajon Rondo three gave the Cavs a 110-109 lead, LeVert scored six straight points for the Cavs. That’s how you close a game. LeVert also added five assists, three steals, and a block.
Make it four straight double-doubles for Jarret Allen. He had 22 points and 14 rebounds. In the last four games, he’s averaging 20.2 points and 16.7 rebounds. Unfortunately, we can’t call Allen an All-star, but we can say he’s playing like one.
Rajon Rondo was a calming presence Friday night. He made all the right plays. The four-time All-Star had a season-high 17 points(6/7 FG), 10 which came in the fourth, seven rebounds, six assists, and three steals. LeVert was good, but they don’t win this game without Rondo, who gave the Cavs their first lead of the game when he hit a three to put Cleveland up 110-109 with just over four minutes left in the fourth.
Fourth Quarter: After falling behind by 16 points late in the third, Cleveland went on a 10-2 run to get the deficit under ten as they trailed 96-88, heading into the fourth. In the fourth, the Cavs picked it up. Rondo and LeVert combined for 18 of the team’s 32 points in the final period. Anytime you make a large comeback, you need your defense and Cleveland defended. They held Indiana to 32% shooting from the floor, including 2/11 from three-point range, and created eight turnovers leading to 13 points. Cleveland outscored Indiana 32-17 in the quarter.
Second-Half Defense: Cleveland allowed a season-high 74 first-half points Friday night, but things got better in the second half. The Cavs held the Pacers to 39 points in the half. Indiana was on fire in the first half as they shot 61% from the floor, including 63%(12/19) from downtown. However, Cleveland held Indiana to 33% shooting from the field in the second half. In addition, they created 12 of Indiana’s 23 turnovers in the second half, which led to 19 points. In total, Cleveland scored 28 points off turnovers.
The Not So Great for the Cavs:
First Quarter: The Pacers could not miss in the first quarter. They shot 71% from the field, including `10/12(83%) from three-point range. Cleveland allowed a season-high 47 points in the first. After one, Indiana led 47-28 and took a 74-63 lead at halftime.
In the last four games, all wins, Cleveland has been outscored by a combined 44 points in the first quarter, so that’s something they have to fix going forward.
Bottom Line:
LeVert showed he could be a closer Friday night. He was able to get anywhere he wanted on the court and showed that he is a “bucket.” Also, give credit to Rondo, who also rescued this team in the second half.
Cleveland did not play its best game without their best player(Garland), but they found ways to get it done. Learning how to get the victory when you’re not at your best is what the better teams in the NBA do, and Cleveland is just that, one of the better in the league.
The Cavs(second seed) are now one game behind the Heat for the top spot in the East as they have a big one against Philadelphia Saturday night.
“Caris(LeVert) is a complete player,” Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said postgame. “He’s not just an offensive player. He knew what we needed to get it done.”
What’s Next:
The Cavs continue their three-game road trip before the All-Star break in Philly Saturday night against the 76ers, in the first of four games against Philadelphia this season.
Best of the Rest:
Kevin Love and Cedi Osman added 14 points apiece off the bench for Cleveland. Love also recorded his 7,000th point as a member of the Cavs Friday night; he became the ninth player to accomplish the feat in team history. Dean Wade chipped in with 13 points, and Isaac Okoro had 10.
Indiana had six players in double figures led by Tyrese Haliburton’s 23 points; Chris Duarte and Oshae Brissett had 18 points apiece.
The Pacers were 18/38(47%) from three-point range.
Watch below as LeVert reacts to the win over the Pacers:
