Game Night Observations: Avoiding Injuries, the Dynamic Backcourt, Flexible Lineups, and the Eastern Conference Playoff Picture
Monday night is a very important night for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers moved one step closer to clinching home court advantage in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs with a 117-108 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night.
Sunday’s game wasn’t necessarily a victory that should inspire confidence given that the Cavaliers trailed the 18-win Indiana Pacers for more than 33 of the game’s first 36 minutes. When the fourth quarter arrived, the Cavs were able to lock in defensively and use the offensive expertise of James Harden and Donovan Mitchell to carry them home on a night where they were without five rotation players in Jarrett Allen (right knee injury management), Evan Mobley (left calf injury management), Sam Merrill (left hamstring injury management), Jaylon Tyson (left great toe bone bruise) and Dean Wade (right ankle sprain).
The win matters, certainly, but it’s hard to balance how much to read into some of Cleveland’s struggles while playing with a team that is a shell of what the Cavs hope it will be when the playoffs arrive less than two weeks from right now. It would be a mistake to overreact to an underwhelming performance — which the Cavs have had in each of their last three wins — but it should be noted.
At this point, the Cavs aren’t going to play their best basketball heading into the playoffs. That ship has sailed. The hope needs to be that when the playoffs begin on April 18, the Cavs are able to show up for Game 1 of their first round series with a healthy roster.
That’s why there plenty of people inside Rocket Arena were holding their breath a multiple moments on Sunday evening.
That most notably occurred when Donovan Mitchell came up hobbled after knocking down a 3-pointer with 4:12 left in the fourth quarter that gave the Cavaliers a 111-102 lead.
Mitchell would stay in for two more offensive possessions — both of which culminated with made baskets for the Cavs — before the Pacers called a timeout. With 3:12 left and the Cavs holding a 13-point lead, Mitchell remained on the bench for the rest of the game.
