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CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers took care of business in their second preseason game as they dispatched the Orlando Magic 119-105 in what was overall a much cleaner performance than their first outing on Thursday.
Mario Hezonja needed a game like this.
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His debut on Thursday was rough. He looked out of place and a step or two slow against a versatile, athletic Boston Celtics team. That wasn’t the case on Sunday, as he poured in 13 points on 5-for-9 shooting with five rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Maybe Hezonja just needed to get his feet under him. Maybe it was playing against a much bigger and more physical team. Either way, this was a much better outing for Hezonja.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson called Hezonja a “diesel train” pregame, saying that he wants to see him get downhill in transition and attack the offensive boards. We saw him do both as he scored a few baskets in transition and had a nice and-one after grabbing an offensive rebound in the first quarter.
Hezonja has the skills to be an offensive connector, functional dribbler, floor spacer, and impactful rebounder. Every team would like to have a backup four that could provide all of those things. Hezonja was that player this game.
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The NBA game is much different than what Hezonja was used to in Europe. Atkinson said that he’s tried to incorporate things from the international game into what the Cavs do. Hezonja laughed it off when he asked if there were similarities between Cleveland’s offense and what he thrived on over in Europe.
“I wish in Europe that we play like this,” Hezonja said. “I wish. I wish, because this is smart. This is what it is. But also you don’t have this type of personnel in Europe. … The entire (NBA) game is based on reads nowadays.”
This isn’t the only adjustment Hezonja is making. He’s also getting used to fitting into a different role than what he’s been used to over the past six years with entirely new teammates.
“So you’re just adjusting to the system, coming off the bench, trying to see who are my teammates on the court, what they need, what type of game is it until I get in there,” Hezonja…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/8-takeaways-cavs-119-105-033731697.html
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Publish date : 2026-10-12 03:37:00
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