On most nights, the young Cavaliers concede a fair amount of experience to their opponents. They are a youthful bunch still learning and developing, still trying to figure out the nuances of how to do all the things — little and big — that are the building blocks for victories.
Without Anderson Varejao, the most experienced and arguably most valuable Cavalier, the difference is even more pronounced.
As Varejao sat a second consecutive game with a bruised right knee, the Cavaliers’ overall inexperience showed, but their lack of an interior game was even more apparent as the Indiana Pacers cruised to a 99-89 victory Friday night at The Q.
It marked the Cavaliers’ sixth straight loss and their 17th consecutive defeat to a Central Division foe.
This loss included a third quarter in which Indiana outscored Cleveland, 33-22, including 26-12 in the paint. In the same quarter, the Pacers held the Cavaliers to 39 percent shooting.
And it also included an admission from coach Byron Scott that he’s become frustrated with the Cavaliers’ lack of focus that allows for opponents to surge for lengthy periods of time each game to the point that the Cavaliers now have fallen to 5-23.
“As patient as I am, the one thing I am getting more than ever is frustrated,” Scott said. “I’m just getting more frustrated because I know we’re doing all the right things, but our guys have got to bring it every single night.”
Led by Roy Hibbert’s 18 points, the Pacers had six players score in double-digits. Combined with forwards David West (15 points, 10 rebounds) and Paul George (10 points, five rebounds), the Indiana front court outperformed Cleveland’s substantially — particularly on defense.
Time and again in the third quarter, the Pacers found ways to feed the ball inside for easy baskets.
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