Cavs tired of ‘learning experiences’ after loss to Miami Heat
CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers s know they are preparing for a fight, the likes of which they have not undertaken as a collective group yet, should they make the playoffs and take on the best teams in the East.
Along the way, it has been noted multiple times they know the regular season is a learning process. But a difficult battle is looming, and the Cavs are growing tired of only counter punching, of simply holding their ground. They want to go on the offensive.
The Cavs lost a hard-fought, defense-heavy game 100-97 to the Miami Heat Tuesday night. The loss carried a little extra significance, given that the Cavs entered the night holding the No. 5 seed and the Heat were making up ground to overtake them. Only six teams earn automatic spots into the playoffs and avoid the play-in tournament. Plus, seeding in the playoffs, and the extra home game that comes with it, can be a major factor come May and June.
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The Cavs and Heat battled back and forth, but Miami ultimately came away with the win thanks to a Cleveland scoring drought late in the fourth quarter and a few timely offensive rebounds. As time expired, Donovan Mitchell’s 3-point attempt didn’t fall.
It was a game that featured a more physical, playoff-like energy. And Cleveland wants to ensure, from this point forward, that they’re not waiting for other teams to bring the physicality to them.
“I think we need to learn to throw the first punch in these instances,” said Jarrett Allen, who represents half of the Cavs’ defensive presence in the paint. “Playoff atmosphere, if you let the other team throw the first punch or be more physical first, then that puts you at a big disadvantage. That’s a quarter-to-quarter basis, it’s a play-to-play basis, and I think we let that get away from us.”
The Cavs (31-22) believe they’re in a good spot but know they’re also a work in progress. They’re 23-21 in their last 44 games. But despite Tuesday’s loss, they still have a winning record (6-4) against the other five teams in the top six spots in the Eastern Conference — Boston (2-0), Milwaukee (2-2), Philadelphia (1-0), Brooklyn (0-1) and Miami (1-1).
On one hand, those records are positives considering the Cavs only recently reached the point of being able to field a healthy roster, as injuries have wreaked havoc on coach J.B. Bickerstaff’s rotations. On the other hand, the Cavs see room for improvement, and that although their ceiling is high it’s also been out of reach.