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Find out the scoop on the CAVS from award-winning sports writer Bob Finnan.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Game 14: Cavs at Spurs

SAN ANTONIO SPURS (12-1) 126, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (4-10) 96
AT&T Center
Saturday
Radio/TV: WTAM (1100 AM)/Fox Sports Ohio

WHAT HAPPENED: When an NBA team has a chance to close out an opponent on the road, it has to take advantage of that. That's why it was imperative the Cavs won on Friday when they had a 12-point lead with 4:44 to play.

They weren't going to go into San Antonio and beat the high-flying Spurs, who came seconds away from winning an NBA title last year.

They have now won 10 in a row and are are tied with Indiana for the best record in the NBA.

Actually, the Cavs were still in the ball game after the first quarter when the Spurs led, 30-21. That wasn't the case after the second quarter, when the Cavs were spanked, 35-11.

So, now the Cavs are 4-10 overall, 1-8 on the road. I'm starting to wonder if they'll ever see .500 again.

"It's still early," the sympathizers say.

I say that's bunk. They are displaying terrible signs. Coach Mike Brown is juggling the lineup on a nightly basis. The rotation is a joke. The players don't know their roles.

The Cavs never led on Saturday. The Spurs eked out a 43-point lead at one point.

They also drained 18 of 23 from the 3-point line. For those of you keeping track at home, that's 66.7 percent from behind the arc.

They also shot 57.5 percent from the field. They execute teams to death. They also find the open man and move the ball. 

Brown said after the game the only positive thing to come out of it is that the Cavs got to see how it should be done. 

I'd have to say center Andrew Bynum's season-high 16 points and six rebounds was a positive sign. He's been ready to have a breakthrough game for about a week. He appeared in both games of the back-to-back, which is also a good thing.

Also, Matthew Dellavedova had a career-high 14 points.

On the dark side, veteran guard Jarrett Jack injured his neck and didn't return. That's not a good thing since C.J. Miles is already sidelined with a strained calf.

Rookie Anthony Bennett also had a career-high nine points. He looked good in mop-up duty.

In case you were wondering, the Spurs haven’t lost to the Cavs since a 97-86 setback in San Antonio on Feb. 27, 2009.


The Cavs have dropped six of their last seven games overall. At least now, they have a "breather" on Wednesday where they can right the ship. I'm being sarcastic, of course, as the two-time NBA champion Heat come to town in a nationally televised game.

UP NEXT: The Cavs host Miami at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Quicken Loans Arena.

STARTERS
SF Alonzo Gee (6-6, 219) vs. Kawhi Leonard (6-7, 230)
PF Tristan Thompson (6-9, 236) vs. Tim Duncan (6-11, 250)
C Andrew Bynum (7-0, 294) vs. Tiago Splitter (6-11, 245)
SG Matthew Dellavedova (6-4, 200) vs. Danny Green (6-6, 215)
PG Kyrie Irving (6-3, 193) vs. Tony Parker (6-2, 185)
INACTIVE LIST
Cavs - G/F C.J. Miles, C Henry Sims
Spurs - F/C Boris Diaw
OFFICIALS
Mike Callahan, Karl Lane, Eric Lewis

1 Comments:

Anonymous Berdj Rassam said...

Cavs are going to have a tough time with the Spurs.

November 26, 2013 at 8:20 PM 

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