Cavs drop second preseason game to 76ers, 113-97

Courtesy of Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com 

Story by Sarah Allis

 

Another loss to the 76ers

The Cavaliers hosted their second preseason game at home, facing the 76ers for the second time after dropping their preseason opener in Philly. Though the 76ers were without their two All-Stars Joel Embiid and James Harden, they got off to a hot start early in the first quarter which proved difficult for the Cavs the remainder of the game. After trailing by as much as 24-9, the Cavs began to mount a comeback in the third quarter and cut Philly’s lead all the way down to 4. Unfortunately, turnovers and fouls coupled with lots of missed shots ultimately led to the Cavs downfall as Philly retained their lead and beat the Cavs, 113-97.

The Cavs Top 5

The Cavs starting five featured Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Caris LeVert, Dean Wade, and Jarrett Allen. Kevin Love did not play last night, as head coach J.B. Bickerstaff elected to rest him for good measure until the regular season opener. Evan Mobley also remained out as he continues to deal with a right ankle sprain, though his status for opening day does not seem to be in jeopardy. 

Courtesy of Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com 

Allen, Garland and Mitchell

Jarrett Allen was back to his old tricks as he led the Cavs in scoring with 19 points and hauled in a team-high 12 rebounds, giving him his first double-double of the season. He provided the Cavs’ first basket of the game off a beautiful lob from Garland, slamming it home. Due largely in part to Embiid’s absence, Allen shot 7-of-13 from the floor and knocked down 5 of 6 free throws in 34 minutes. 

 

Darius Garland lobs it up to Jarrett Allen 🔨#NBAPreseason NOW on NBA TV pic.twitter.com/YQGb0X61fB

— NBA TV (@NBATV) October 10, 2022

 

Garland had another solid performance and shot an efficient 6-of-10 from the field, finishing with 17 points, two rebounds and seven assists in 31 minutes. He did register five turnovers, however, as Philly’s aggressive defense was a problem for the Cavs throughout the game.  

 

Donovan Mitchell had a quiet night, finishing with 11 points, five rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes. One of Mitchell’s prime focuses this season is to tighten up his defense, and last night he came up with an incredible block against Tobias Harris late in the second quarter.

 

🕷 Donovan Mitchell erases it!

Cavs – Sixers Live on NBA TV pic.twitter.com/16UdFWMZxE

— NBA (@NBA) October 11, 2022

 

Okoro vs LeVert-Cavs small forward battle tight!

The Cavs’ small forward battle continued last night with Caris LeVert getting his second preseason start at the position, and Dean Wade starting at power forward. LeVert is beginning to find his groove and may be the frontrunner for the starting small forward as he was able to make some great passes, show off his playmaking abilities and create shots. He finished the night with 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting, three rebounds and three assists in 25 minutes.

Dean Wade struggled to find his shot, ending with 8 points on 3-of-8 shooting and seven rebounds. He played 23 minutes until he tweaked his ankle and was replaced by Isaiah Mobley. If Wade wants to contend for the starting nod, he’ll need to find some consistency in his shot both in the paint and behind the arc. 

 

#Cavs Dean Wade hobbles off the floor and is replaced by Isaiah Mobley. Wade was driving to the basket, got called for an offensive foul and appeared to roll his ankle. He is pointing to his right ankle on the bench.

— Chris Fedor (@ChrisFedor) October 11, 2022

 

Bench struggles

The Cavs’ bench wasn’t able to get much going offensively, which can also be attributed to Bickerstaff giving his starters more minutes. The Cavs were only 5-21 from the three-point line (23.8%) as compared to the Sixers 17-40 (42.5%) even without Embiid and Harden. They must be able to guard the perimeter against efficient 3-point shooting teams, which will be another factor to watch once the regular season begins. 

 

The Cavs will take on the Atlanta Hawks in their final preseason game on Wednesday, October 12th at 7:00 PM in Cleveland.