The Spin: Scrappy Cavs Give It Their All, But Not Enough Vs. Pacers

Spencer Davies highlights five observations from the Cleveland Cavaliers' 125-113 loss to the Indiana Pacers.

The undermanned Cleveland Cavaliers gave a great effort against an offensively potent Indiana Pacers team on Saturday night, but ultimately fell 125-113. Spencer Davies highlights five observations from the game.

Always Count On Vert

Down three starters, including the team’s All-Star backcourt of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell, the Cavaliers went to Caris LeVert to set the tone of the game. He responded with a 22-point, three-rebound, three-assist effort in the first 12 minutes.

“Last night I just tried to get as much sleep as I could even though it was a hard-fought game,” LeVert said after the game. “Try to eat as much as you can and get the nutrition. But just going in there and trying to be mentally tough. Camp was hard for a reason. Tonight, we were close. Couple possessions away from really making it a game at the end. We left [Tyrese] Haliburton too much space on a couple of those threes. If he doesn’t hit the first one it’s a different game.”

“He's one of those guys who's hard to guard one-on-one,” Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff added. “When you put that pressure on the paint, defenses have to make tough decisions. Or when you're getting all the way to the rim like he has been able to do, then the threes become available. I think he took it to heart and liked his matchup and was aggressive, which is what we needed.”

Obviously, that first-quarter pace is hard to sustain over a 44-minute haul with the Pacers adjusting to trap and forcing him into tough predicaments. LeVert even showed the physical effects of the game with a slight limp after the night end.

“Next man up for us,” LeVert said. Obviously, we have some guys banged up, but we believe that 1-16 or 17, however many we have on our team, we all believe that we can go out there and contribute in an NBA game. Think we showed that tonight as a collective. Obviously, it didn’t go the way we wanted it to in the fourth quarter. Think we just ran out of gas.”

“Caris is awesome. That's why it was a priority for us to bring him back,” Bickerstaff said. “There's not been a guy who's been asked to wear as many masks as Caris. Never once has he complained or argued or fought back. He just does what's best for the team. He's a valuable player, but he's an even more valuable person for us. We continue to build with the right type of people, and Caris is one of those guys.”

Oct 28, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Caris LeVert (3) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

LeVert finished with 31 points, eight assists, five rebounds and a steal in a commendable performance. These are the games Cleveland fans need to think back on if they grow impatient with him during certain moments of the season.

There's Angry Ev

After one heck of a duel with Chet Holmgren on Friday night, Mobley clearly felt some type of way coming into Saturday against one of the NBA’s top rim protectors in Myles Turner. He was aggressive from the start but was much more effective in the second half, using his footwork to finesse and upper body to overpower the veteran Pacer center.

“I feel real comfortable," Mobley said postgame. "I was just trying to stay attack-minded the whole entire game, and I feel like I did that pretty well the start of the third. I came out, really put pressure on the rim and I've gotta just keep doing that.”

“He was super aggressive. I feel like whenever he wanted to get to the rim and get to the free-throw line, he did it,” LeVert said. “Obviously, Myles is a great defender, one of the best center defenders in the league, and I feel like Evan matched his intensity all night long even on a back-to-back. I feel like Evan was great tonight on both sides of the ball."

late night dunkin’.@evanmobley | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/ORhjP9YpH4

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) October 29, 2023

Mobley finished the game with 33 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and three blocks.

"For us, we just encourage him to keep doing it and keep being aggressive and keep picking his spots to score," LeVert said. "Especially on a night like tonight with the paint so wide open and they are not necessarily helping so much. For him, just picking his spots.”

“I think he did a great job and I think that's the strength that he's added over the summer,” Bickerstaff added. “What you saw was the different ways that he's capable of doing it — facing up, bringing the ball up in transition, and just understanding momentum. Like, his ability to bring force going forward, and instead of being the guy absorbing the contact, he was initiating the contact. That gives him the advantage. I think that's the confidence you get from being in the weight room and believing in the time that you've put in and the strength that you've gained.”

It Takes Two

Mobley and Max Strus put on a show in the second half of this game. There was synergy from high screens to pocket passes, to finding the right moments to pass the ball to the other and finish. Strus found him for an assist four times going to the bucket, while Mobley got the ball to him to facilitate or swing to the next man quite often.

“Timing and just reading the defense,” Mobley said of the cohesion. “If the big's over towards Max, hit me. If not, keep going 'til he rotates over. And if not, just lay it in. So it's just read and react, and I feel like we played pretty basketball with that.”

“It’s getting a lot better,” Strus added. “I think we’re getting more comfortable with each other. There’s so much we can do together putting ourselves in those situations. We’ve played against tough two bigs that have played well in the drop coverage, so I think it can only get better. We’re watching film together every single day and getting with each other and just trying to read each other better. I think it’s been pretty good so far, and I think it’s only gonna get better.”

Another one. 🔨@evanmobley | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/YW0kfEC2k7

— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) October 29, 2023

Bickerstaff also wanted to clarify that Strus isn’t just a three-point threat who waits on the perimeter, which helps make that duo strong.

“They're two intelligent basketball players who know the game at a high level. They know how to break down defenses and they know how to make the right read,” Bickerstaff said. “The more they play together, the better it will continue to get. Max is such a threat to shoot, and I think one of the things people have underestimated is his playmaking ability. He has the ability to throw those lobs or make that pocket pass, depending on what the big guy does defensively. So I think the two of them together are going to be hard to guard.”

Welcome To The League

Two of Cleveland’s rookies got their first taste of NBA action with a thinned-out guard room forcing Bickerstaff’s hand. Emoni Bates checked in near the end of the first quarter and Craig Porter Jr. started the second quarter. With such a limited roster, it became a necessity to buy the main players some rest.

“It's difficult what we ask them to do. To come in and kind of spell guys who are going to play heavy minutes, it's difficult,” Bickerstaff said. “I thought they both handled it well. As the season goes on, they're going to get their opportunities. There are 82 of these games, and throughout the year everybody gets a chance. We believe in those guys, and they'll get their opportunity.”

Bates took the first shot attempt of his career and it was a badly missed airball from the right wing, likely the jitters of one’s NBA debut. On the bright side, the 6-foot-2 Porter had a nice play defensively where he fronted 6-foot-10 Jalen Smith on the block and nearly forced a turnover.

Shorthanded Reality Hits Hard

The Pacers’ bench absolutely mauled Cleveland’s shorthanded second unit. Freshly extended with a new contract, Aaron Nesmith torched the Cavs as a driver in both the half-court and on fast breaks, as well as a sniper beyond the arc. He had 17 points in the first half alone to bring Indiana back from its 15-point deficit in the opening frame. Smith and T.J. McConnell did their part as well.

Nesmith finished with 26 points to lead Indiana’s bench bunch that blistered the Cavs' group 61-11.