CLEVELAND – Quietly but surely, the Cleveland Cavaliers are making a statement in the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Eastern Conference, even when they have key players sidelined.
On March 8, fuelled by 34 points from Darius Garland and 33 from Jarrett Allen, the Cavs notched another big NBA victory when they outlasted Western Conference contenders Minnesota Timberwolves 113-104 in overtime.
Cleveland, who overturned a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to stun the league-leading Boston Celtics on March 5, held on for the win over a team who came in as West leaders but finished the night half a game behind the Oklahoma City Thunder, who beat the Miami Heat 107-100.
“It just boosts us for when everybody else gets back,” Allen said of their latest home victory which puts them at 41-22, behind the Celtics (48-14). “Contrary to belief, we’re better when everybody is in the line-up.”
That was a warning sign to the rest of the league.
The Cavs, without injured starters Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Max Strus, still found the firepower to overcome Minnesota, who were coming off a draining victory over the Indiana Pacers on March 7.
Allen’s career-high in points included 10 in overtime when the Timberwolves had to make do without star centre Rudy Gobert, who fouled out with 27 seconds left in regulation.
Angry at the foul call, Gobert made a “money” gesture towards a referee and was charged with a technical foul.
Garland made the technical free-throw to tie it up at 97-97 and force overtime.
Gobert said he thought his reaction was “the truth” but admitted it was an ill-judged gesture.
“It cost my team the game,” he said.
“It was an immature reaction. But it’s not just one call... when it’s over and over and over again, of course it’s frustrating.”
Micah Nori, who stood in for Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch after Finch fell ill before tip-off, called Gobert’s actions at a crucial moment in the game “unacceptable”.
“That’s who Rudy is, but you’ve got to be smart,” he said.
“He was obviously frustrated, both teams were, but we have to be smarter.”
Naz Reid scored a career-high 34 points for Minnesota and Anthony Edwards added 19 but was held scoreless in the fourth quarter and overtime.
“We tried to show him as many bodies as we can,” Garland said of defending Edwards, who had 44 points in the 113-111 win over Indiana on March 7.
“We knew that he played a tough game last night against Indiana so we just tried to wear him out with a lot of bodies and just try to be a little bit physical with him.”
Minnesota’s loss was Oklahoma City’s gain, as the Thunder erased a 14-point deficit to beat the Heat at home. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 23 of his 37 points in the second half to fuel the turnaround.
In Los Angeles, the Lakers defeated Eastern Conference contenders Milwaukee 123-122 even with superstar LeBron James sidelined with a sore ankle.
In his absence, D’Angelo Russell scored a game-high 44 points, while Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 for the Bucks – who dropped to 41-23 behind the Cavs.
James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer who on March 2 took his regular-season career points tally past the 40,000 mark, departed late in the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ loss to Sacramento on March 6.
He said after the game that it was the same left ankle trouble he has dealt with this season and he expected to be “fine”, but he was ruled out before the Bucks game.
In Washington, the Wizards snapped a 16-game losing streak with a 112-100 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
Kyle Kuzma scored 28 points for Washington (10-53), who had matched the franchise’s longest losing streak. AFP
