Cavaliers use big third quarter to beat Spurs 130-117

BY TIM SHIRER

CAVS BEAT WRITER

(CLEVELAND, OH) - Friday night two days after the Cavs (13-10, 8-5 home) suffered another disappointing loss when they fell 122-110 to the Portland Trail Blazers, they hosted the San Antonio Spurs (15-6, 6-4 away) at Rocket Arena.

Both teams had a long list of players who did not suit up as Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle. It was a nice rebound game for the Cavs as the Cavs had a big third quarter to defeat the Spurs 130-117.

The Spurs started the game with a 9-2 run capped off on a four point play by Devin Vassell who hit a three and was fouled by Nae’Qwan Tomlin who made his second start of the season and third of his career. Vassel made the free throw. The Cavs cut the Spurs lead to 11-9 with 8:30 remaining in the opening quarter when Donovan Mitchell scored on a long jumper. The Cavs cut the Spurs lead to 15-14 with 7:08 left when Lonzo Ball hit Evan Mobley in the paint and dunked. The Spurs struck back and took a 23-16 lead when Vassell hit another three with 5:16 left and then 25-16 when Keldon Johnson scored in the paint. With 3:19 left Dean Wade fouled Johnson, he hit both free throws and the Spurs lead was double digits at 28-18. With 1:10 left on the first quarter clock the Cavs cut the Spurs lead to five when Craig Porter, Jr drained a three while falling down in front of the Cleveland bench. But as things have gone for most of the early season the Cavs played little defense and with :37.5 left the Spurs lead was back up to eight points at 35-27. As the quarter ended the Spurs lead was 35-30. Vassell led all scorers with 13 first quarter points. Mitchell was pacing Cleveland with nine. The Cavs shot 55% (11 of 20) in the opening quarter while the Spurs shot 46% (12 of 26) from the field. As has been the case more often than not the Cavs were outrebounded in the opening quarter 12-8.

With 11:02 left in the second quarter after the Cavs opened the quarter on a 6-0 run and took a 36-35 lead when Mobley dunked. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson took an immediate timeout. Immediately after the timeout Porter stole the ball and took it all the way to score at the other end giving the Cavs a 38-35 lead. The lead was short lived however as the Spurs scored the next five points to take a 41-38 lead with 9:58 left on the clock. Around the eight minute mark Porter was slapped in the slapped in the face by Jeremy Sochan and official Nate Green who was without his glasses tonight called Porter for the foul. Seconds later Kenny Atkinson was assessed a technical foul by James William who obviously did not like the truth Atkinson was shouting toward Green. The Cavs cut the Spurs lead to 55-52 when Luke Travers found Tomlin in the paint and the big man slammed it home with 4:27 left. With 2:50 left another terrible call by the officiating crew, this time Mark Lindsay was the culprit when he called Wade for a foul when he never touched Vassell behind the three point line, he made all three freebies. The Cavs porous, almost nonexistent defense and poor officiating led the Spurs taking a 72-64 lead into the locker room at the halftime break. Vassell led all scorers at the break with 25 points. Mitchell led the Cavs with. There was a scary moment as time ran out in the half as Mitchell slipped and fell to the floor awkwardly but appeared to be fine as he picked himself up off the court. The Cavs continued to outshoot the Spurs from the field 57% (25 of 44) to 50% (25 of 50). The difference came from behind the three-point line where the Spurs shot 46% (11 of 24) and the Cavs managed just 31% (4 of 13). The Cavs also continued to be outrebounded 23-18 through two quarters.

The Cavs cut the Spurs lead to 74-71 with 10:40 left on the clock and then to 74-73 with 10:14 left when Mitchell scored in the paint. The Cavs then took a 75-74 lead when Mobley hit Jaylon Tyson in the paint. The Spurs took and immediate timeout in an attempt to kill the Cleveland momentum as they had outscored San Antonio 11-3 in first 2:09 of the third quarter. In the early minutes of the third quarter the Cavs defense tightened up as the Cavs out scored San Antonio 20-7 in the first 4:01 of the second half and took an 84-79 lead. With 5:44 left the Cavs lead grew to double digits at 92-81 when Tyson hit a jumper from the corner. Timeout San Antonio. The Cavs had outscored San Antonio 28-9 in the first 6:18 of the second half. With 4:07 left in the quarter the Cavs lead grew to 98-81 as Tomlin slammed home an emphatic dunk. At the 3:00 mark the Cavs were on the verge of blowing the Spurs out as Tyson drained another three and the Cavs 103-84. With :52.8 left on the third quarter clock, Wade was mugged under the basket by David Jone Garcia, when he wacked Wade across the face as Wade drove to the basket. After a review the foul was determined to be flagrant. After Wade made the free throw and the Cavs got possession they scored, and the lead was 20 as the Cavs led 108-88 with :47 left in the third quarter. Vassell was still leading all scorers after with 27 points. Tyson was driving the Cavs effort with 24, Mitchell had 21. The Cavs shot 77% (17 of 22) in the third quarter and were outshooting the Spurs 64% (42 of 66) to 42% (32 of 75) through three. The Cavs also outrebounded the Spurs 19-3 in the third to take a 37-26 rebounding edge to the final quarter.

The start of the fourth quarter looked nothing like the third as the Spurs went on a run and cut the Cavs lead to 12 at 114-102 with 9:01 left. Tomlin extended the Cleveland lead to 117-102 when he drained a three from the top of the arc with 8:11 left in the game. With 5:34 left the Spurs cut the Cleveland lead to 119-107 and Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson had seen enough and called a timeout. At the 2:24 mark with the Cavs leading 128-111 Atkinson emptied the bench. We don’t have a Danny Ainge Crybaby Award tonight, but we will award a Kelly Olynyk Bad Guy Award and that goes to none other than Kelly Olynyk as he was booed by the sellout crowd every time, he entered the game or touched the ball.

Mitchell and Vassell led all scorers with 28 points apiece. Tyson finished with 24 and De’Aaron Fox finished in 25 in a losing effort. Mobley notched his 11th double double of the season scoring 17 points and pulling down 10 boards.

The Cavs outshot the Spurs 58% (50 of 86) to 45% (42 of 93) from the field. Cleveland also shot 76% (22 of 29) from the charity stripe. The Cavs also had an advantage on the boards as they outrebounded San Antonio 48-38. Possibly the biggest factor in the Cavs’ victory was points in the paint as the Cavs outscored the Spurs 80-44 without Wembanyama.

The Cavs will have no rest as they host the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night at 7:30 pm. The Cavs trail the all-time series with the Warriors 68-56. But they do lead at home which includes the Cleveland Arena, Richfield Coliseum and Rocket Arena. The Cavs have won four straight against the Warriors.