J.B. Bickerstaff On Cavaliers' Flat Offense Against Magic

The Cleveland Cavaliers shot 35% from the field as a team against the Orlando Magic.

The Cleveland Cavaliers had their three-game win streak snapped on Monday night as they fell 94-104 to the Orlando Magic. It wasn't a very impressive offensive performance from either side, but the Cavs especially struggled to find consistency from the floor.

Cleveland shot 35% (30-85) from the field and 22% (9-41) from behind the arc. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff commented on what their team needs to do when the offense isn't quite working. 

Dec 11, 2023; Orlando, Florida, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff talks to guard Max Strus (1) during the second half against the Orlando Magic at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports / © Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

"You just have to figure out where I can help next," said Bickerstaff following the game. "If the shot's not falling, you know, we believe in our guys to keep taking open shots. But if the shots not falling, then where do we go? Do I rebound more? Do I penetrate more and find my teammates more? How do I help us defensively? You know, all those things."

This mindset works well if it's just one player searching for their shot, but the problem Monday night was it was essentially the entire team. Donovan Mitchell shot 33% (6-18), Max Strus shot 11% (1-9), and Georges Niang shot 0% (0-10) from the floor.

The only player who excelled on offense was Darius Garland who scored a season-high 36 points.

Cleveland kept it close for the majority of the game but the third quarter in which they shot 11% from the field and scored 15 points is what put the game out of reach for the Cavs. Bickerstaff didn't deny that they let the game get away from them in the closing minutes.

"[The Magic] got some momentum plays that shifted in their favor. They got the crowd involved. You know, they attacked us in the paint. Made it a little more difficult for us defensively as well - we struggled to score there."

Whatever the reason the Cavaliers couldn't get the ball in the basket, they'll need to shake it off quickly. They have back-to-back games against the Boston Celtics who are currently the NO. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.