Cavs’ Comeback Falls Short In Pivotal Game Against 76ers, 132-130; Three Takeaways From The Loss

The Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night by a final score of 132-130. Cleveland clawed back from twenty-three points down at half and brought the game within two at one point in time. After a strong first two quarters for Jeff Green, LeBron James came alive in the second half. After a spirited comeback by the Cavaliers, James went to the charity stripe with a shot to tie the game at 132. However, LeBron missed the second free-throw and the attempt to miss-and-make did not work out when Larry Nance Jr. couldn’t tap it home.

Let’s get to our three takeaways from this thriller:

1. LeBron, Simmons Show Out For Respective Squads- It was another fun battle in the short saga of LeBron James against Ben Simmons, as both superstars showed out in the contest. By saying that both players had a triple-double with half of the fourth quarter still to go, it’s pretty obvious how dominant of a night each had.

Simmons finished with 27 points, fifteen rebounds, and thirteen assists in a very relaxed performance. The 2016 top pick was very leisure-like when bringing the ball up the floor and dropping dimes, making it seem like a chore at times. LeBron, on the other hand, had another MVP-esque night. James finished with 44 points, eleven assists, and eleven rebounds. The unfortunate part is the way it’ll be remembered, as LeBron was unable to even the game with an important free-throw miss.

But for those watching as a basketball fan, it was a true treat.

2. Green Providing A Playoff Sneak-Peek- In the two games since Jeff Green has been named a starter for the 2018 postseason run, the veteran forward has been super productive.

After shooting 8-of-10 for 21 points on Thursday against Washington, Green continued to give a preview of what he’ll provide as the starting power forward for the Cavaliers.

Once again providing at a high-clip, Green put up 31 points on 10-of-12 shooting. Green had a ton of energy and helped space the floor all night. It appears Cavs Head Coach Ty Lue made the right call on this one.

3. A Look Into The Future?- Tonight was a matchup of two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference and could’ve been a possible showdown in the latter rounds of the postseason. So how do you feel, Cavs fans?

Does the prospect of LeBron James taking on Ben Simmons excite you? Does being the underdog after tonight’s loss make you want to see this matchup?

It could very well be an Eastern Conference Finals pairing. Time will tell.