Each step toward playing with effort, each moment the Cavaliers aren’t humiliated by their opponent is a sign of progress right now. They’re still within striking distance midway through the third quarter? Rookie Anthony Bennett doesn’t look lost the entire time?
All signs of improvement right now.
But still not enough for an actual victory.
And so the Cavaliers played two-plus decent quarters at American Airlines Center before the Mavericks stepped on the gas in the third and handed Cleveland a 124-107 loss. It was the Cavaliers’ fifth consecutive loss, their seventh in the last eight.
“It’s no secret, we’ve got to get wins to build that confidence even more,” coach Mike Brown said. “For us, that’s the biggest thing.”
The search continues, even though the Cavaliers had the benefit of Anderson Varejao for the first time in four games. Varejao missed the last three games with a left knee contusion/hyperextension, and returned in Dallas with a 25-minute restriction. He played exactly 25 minutes, scoring 10 points and grabbing five rebounds in his return.
Brown started Jarrett Jack alongside Kyrie Irving for the second straight game, a move that seems to have given Irving lift as he isn’t solely responsible for initiating the offense. He had 27 points on 8 of 18 shooting, and eight assists – and earned the praise of Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a guy in my 30 years in the league who can do the things off the dribble he can,” Carlisle said. “Just a ridiculous change of direction. He’s beyond crafty. Lightning-fast, quick and inventive. His ability to change direction in small spaces is very remarkable. He’s very unique.”
Irving alone, though, can’t secure victories.
He had help from Tristan Thompson (17 points), Luol Deng (18 points) and even struggling rookie Bennett. Bennett played significant minutes when the game was close, and even landed the duty of defending 7-foot Dirk Nowitzki for a handful of plays and fared decently. He had 11 points on 3-for-8 shooting, and played physical defense – to the point where he fouled out of the game after 26 minutes.
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