Observations: Cavs Take Down Spurs

The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the San Antonio Spurs in their first matchup of the season.

The Cleveland Cavaliers got their first look at the 2024 San Antonio Spurs and basketball sensation Victor Wembanyama on Sunday afternoon. Their 5-29 record does not tell the full story as this is a solid, young team. They took it to the Cavs team and kept the game competitive until the final buzzer. However, Cleveland came away with the win in the end. 

Here are some key observations from the Cavs' victory over the Spurs.

Slow Start For Cavaliers

Cleveland's offense was rolling in their previous two games. It felt like they couldn't miss at times against the Washington Wizards. 

The same can't be said for how the Cavaliers started against the Spurs. They scored 28 points in the first quarter against the Spurs while shooting 37%. More importantly, Cleveland gave up 32 points in the opening 12 minutes and allowed San Antonio to shoot 60% from behind the arc.

Their inconsistent defense was a theme throughout the game.

Sam Merrill Saves

In trouble? Call Sam Merill. 

The sharpshooting guard helped the Cavs get back in the game after being down 14 points. He scored 18 in the first half and shot 55% (5-8) from three while recording a positive +/- of 16 through the first 24 minutes.

This outburst helped the Cavs take a 62-56 lead heading into the halftime. 

Bench Points

Cleveland's bench gave them a much-needed scoring boost against the Spurs. They outscored San Antonio's reserves 60-38 at the end of the game. Merrill was obviously a bit part of this with his 18 points. However, Caris LeVert and Georges Niang also scored double-digits for the Cavs.

Depth is an important piece for any NBA team and the Cavs showed this on Sunday.

Jan 7, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) dribbles beside San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan (10) in the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / © David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Jarrett Allen Vs. Victor Wembanyama

The battle between Jarrett Allen and Victor Wembanyama was something to watch all game. The highlight from their matchup was JA blocking Wemby on the defensive end and immediately getting by him to throw down a dunk on the opposite side of the court. 

Wembanyama did get JA back with a block of his just over a minute left in the game.  

Threes Continue To Fly

Shooting more threes is a part of Cleveland's new-look, analytically driven offense that was implemented after Darius Garland and Evan Mobley went down with injuries.

This offense was on display yet again. The Cavs shot a total of 43 threes against the Spurs and connected on 16 of them. One important observation made was that these threes were not forced or ill timed. They were a part of the flow of the offense.