The Cleveland Cavaliers faced a tough defeat against the Phoenix Suns, marking their second loss in three games with a final score of 122-101.
First Half Woes
The game was actually decided in the first 24 minutes, when the Cleaveland Cavalists were already behind of a great margin. The Warriors thus dominated the first half with a significant 72-47 score advantage over the Cavs when the next half started.
Struggles on Offense
Cleveland, on the other hand, lacked some offensive elements, as demonstrated by the poor job they did in the first quarter while only managed to secure 20 points. Oftentimes, the competing team had low shooting percentages, registering only 36.4% from the field and 18.2% from beyond the arc. Thus, the Suns capitalized on their opportunities, sinking 54.5% from the field and making 50% from three-point range.
Phoenix’s Dominance
Although the chief motor was stolen in the very first part with 4-1 lead, Phoenix came with a huge reaction with thirteen unanswered points that ended the quarter on top by a margin of twelve points. The second period still denied the Cavaliers’ chance to cancel Suns’ lead with their excellent perimeter shooting skills.
Second Half Effort
Although the beginning was quite tough, Cavaliers showed their true colors in the second 12 months. Penalized by Mitchell’s scoring of 15 points in the last 24 minutes of play, Cleveland managed to recover and stretch the gap to 54-50.
Coach’s Perspective
According to J.B. Bickerstaff, the head coach, the team seemed to do better in the second round but not in the first. At the same time, he acknowledged the fact that they had made a negative start. Though not very successful, Bickerstaff praised his team for being competitive and more efficient in terms of defense in the second half of the game, where they were able to stop the Suns from scoring less.
However, it was still bittersweet after the Cavaliers had endured an away loss in the first half, but their fightback and perseverance provided grounds for optimism.
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