The Cleveland Cavaliers’ late-season focus is on aligning their key components for what they hope will be a prolonged postseason run, so the playoffs are merely a formality at this point.
The Cavaliers (47-28) showed what makes them so potent in their road win over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday, which they won by a score of 116-114. Donovan Mitchell, who was acquired in the offseason and changed the direction the team was heading, scored a team-high 31 points to keep his explosive season going.
Caris LeVert and Isaac Okoro collaborated on the game-winning three-pointer after Mitchell missed a last-second free throw that would have tied the score. Cleveland, which plays the Houston Rockets on Sunday and has won nine of their last 12 games, put in a team effort.
Evan Mobley’s performance, a second-year forward who had 26 points, 16 rebounds, three assists, four blocks, and a steal, was crucial to the victory. The ascendant Cavaliers continue to feel his influence on both sides of the court.
On Friday, the Rockets (18-56) were once more undermined by uneven play. The Rockets were blown out of the court in the rematch, falling 151-114 to equal their largest margin of defeat of the season after losing to the Memphis Grizzlies by five points on Wednesday. On February 15, Houston also had to deal with a 37-point road loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Memphis shot just 61.3 percent from the field and made a franchise-record 25 3-pointers thanks to the Rockets’ lack of defense. Underscoring Memphis’ impressive shooting performance was reserve Luke Kennard of the Grizzlies, who made ten 3-pointers to set an individual franchise record.
The Rockets’ fourth defeat in a row did not reflect their performance of late. Houston dominated five of eight matches before this most recent pallet and was regularly serious in each challenge. However, the Rockets’ lack of fight against the Grizzlies was unexpected at this late stage of the season.
