CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers did what they were supposed to do against the struggling Brooklyn Nets. Cleveland controlled this game wire-to-wire, which led to a one-sided 112-84 victory.
The stats in the table below are taken from Cleaning the Glass.
| Effective Field Goal Percentage | Offensive Rebounding Percentage | Offensive Turnover Percentage | Free Throw Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cavs | 58.1%, 72nd percentile | 26.7%, 40th percentile | 14.4%, 50th percentile | 14, 17th percentile |
| Nets | 42.5%, 4th percentile | 18.6%, 10th percentile | 12.5%, 69th percentile | 11.5, 9th percentile |
Now, let’s dive into the numbers.
- The Cavs are 17-2 when Jarrett Allen scores 15 or more points. Allen finished with exactly 15 in his 24 minutes of action. The Cleveland guards did a good job of getting him involved early and often.
- Allen’s 10 free-throw attempts tie the second most he’s had for a game this season. Allen didn’t do a great job of converting these opportunities (5-10), but getting to the line is more important. He continually went up strong whenever he was coming off a screen and roll with James Harden. That’s what led to most of these looks. And as we know, Allen is at his best when he’s playing with this level of aggression.
- The offense took 43% of their shots at the rim (92nd percentile). The most efficient shot in basketball is still at the rim. The offense was able to continually get there due to the guard’s ability to get to the rim and find the bigs in the pick-and-roll. This led to a great offensive output even though the Cavs only converted 65.7% of their looks at the rim (44th percentile).
- Cleveland added 10.9 points in transition per 100 plays (96th percentile)against Brooklyn. The offense has been elite since the Harden addition, but a majority of their damage came in the half-court. In their previous three games, they were under the 25th percentile in points added in transition. That changed on Thursday as they were able to attack off steals and defensive rebounds.
- The Cavs pulled their starters after the third quarter and scored just 10 total points in the fourth. The reserves really struggled as they went 5-22 from the field and 0-12 from three in the final quarter. Their poor showing really skews most of the Cavs’ offensive stats. For example, the halfcourt offensive rating was great through the first three quarters, but the poor showing in the fourth made me erase an entire paragraph about what has made them so good there. So, thank you, Cavs reserves, for that.
- Donovan Mitchell led the starters with a plus/minus of +37. He made the most of his 21 minutes, scoring 17 points on 7-12 shooting with five assists. The Cavs were at their best with him on the court. As good as Harden has been, this is still Mitchell’s team. The pairing couldn’t have gotten off to a better start together.
- Mitchell went 7-12 from the floor (58.3%). He’s been able to attack as a scorer against rotating and unstable defenses in a way he hasn’t before at any point in his career, largely due to Harden’s presence. As a result, Mitchell has shot over 54% from the floor in three of the four games he’s played with Harden.
- Harden finished with nine assists. He’s now finished with seven assists or more in each of his games as a Cavalier.
- Harden provided three steals. Playing alongside Dean Wade and Evan Mobley in the starting lineup gave him more leeway to jump passing lanes. Being able to create turnovers is a good way to offset the defensive limitations we know that Harden has.
- Cleveland’s defense was phenomenal as the Nets finished with an 86.5 offensive rating (2nd percentile). This was Cleveland’s best defensive rating of any game this season. The Cavs kept the Nets from finishing at the rim, contested three-point shots, prevented them from getting out in transition, and cleaned the defensive glass. As a result, Brooklyn was held to under 20 points in three of the four quarters.
- Keon Ellis has three blocks and a steal. He’s been everywhere on the court for the Cavs and is a legitimate difference maker on that end. The Cavs getting Ellis in the De’Andre Hunter trade was an absolute steal. I’m not sure why the Sacramento Kings weren’t giving him consistent playing time earlier this season.