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The Cleveland Cavaliers pulled out a win against the Golden State Warriors. Let’s go over today’s winners and losers.
WINNER AND LOSER – Defense
On one hand, the Cavs played to their strengths by packing the paint and daring Golden State to shoot from downtown. The math worked in Cleveland’s favor as the Warriors shot just 12-44 from downtown. That’s a win for the Cavs.
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Nonetheless, am I greedy for thinking the Cavs’ defense could have been even better? They blew a handful of possessions by simply falling asleep at the wheel.
Let’s take a look at a few examples.
This first clip is a prime example of ball watching. If any of Cleveland’s guards made an active effort to attack the glass, they might have secured this defensive stop.
Next, we see the Cavs… just completely ignore Gary Payton II in the corner.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand why you’d leave a non-shooting threat open. But, is it really smart to not even make the Dubs work for it? I’m not sure it’s wise to leave anyone this available on an inbounds play. Payton misses the shot, but my point remains.
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Finally, here’s a clip of James Harden being backdoor cut for a layup. This happened a handful of times tonight.
The Cavs didn’t need to have razor-sharp focus to beat the Warriors in April. But they will need to be more dialed in later this month. This was another missed opportunity to build healthier habits defensively — even if the result was a win.
(Honorable WINNER mention for RealCavsFans. Thanks for the clips.)
LOSER – Turnovers
Unforced errors were the name of the game. The Cavs let a few mental lapses stop them from having a truly dominant night on defense. The same can be said for their sputtering offense.
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Cleveland had double-digit turnovers going into halftime. But it wasn’t just the frequency at which they turned it over; it was how they threw the ball away.
There’s nothing more damaging than carelessly throwing the ball to your opponent. Granting the enemy a full head of steam going the other way with a numbers advantage is how you lose control of games. The Cavs flirted with…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/winners-losers-cavs-warriors-max-051201437.html
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Publish date : 2026-04-03 05:12:00
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