The Cavaliers, still without injured guard Darius Garland (fractured jaw) and still without forward/center Evan Mobley (knee surgery), are the hottest team in the NBA East.
Helped by a favorable schedule, the Cavs, 23-15, have won five straight games — all against sub-.500 teams. The winning streak will be tested Jan. 17 when the Bucks, 28-12, visit Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for a 7:30 p.m. tipoff. The Bucks have won three straight.
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff has adapted to not having Garland and Mobley. Garland was injured Dec. 14 in a game in Boston. Mobley was sidelined with knee discomfort about a week earlier. Tests determined surgery was needed to relieve the pain that had been nagging him. Both players are improving, but neither is ready to resume playing.
Instead of trying to win the battle in the paint every night, the Cavs morphed into a 3-point shooting machine. They launched 57 3s and made 20 of them Jan. 15 when they pummeled the Bulls, 109-91. Donovan Mitchell, Dean Wade, Sam Merrill and Caris LeVert each made four 3-pointers. Georges Niang was 3-of-9 from behind the arc. So it’s not like opponents can lock down Mitchell and ignore everyone else.
“It’s the recognition of who we are and understanding that not only do we have shooters, but we have guys who can space and are scrappy,” Bickerstaff said. “If you’re taking those 3s, there are going to be a lot of long rebounds, and then having guys willing to stick their nose in there and come up with those long rebounds. That’s what’s happening for us.”
Cavs center Jarrett Allen pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds against the Bulls. He has taken on a bigger rebounding role with Mobley out of the lineup. He grabbed five offensive rebounds against the Bulls and is averaging 3.5 a game — a career high. The season is nearing the halfway point, so it’s safe to say Allen’s rebounding is more than a November flash.
“J.A. has been on an offensive rebounding tear,” Bickerstaff said, “He’s extremely difficult to deal with down there in one-on-one situations.”
Wade doesn’t normally attempt 10 3-point shots as he did against the Bulls, but it’s not because the coaches and teammates don’t believe in him. Mitchell, in fact, said the Cavs encourage him to shoot more often. The more versatile the Cavaliers can be on offense, the harder they’ll be to defend when the playoffs begin in April.
“We’re taking the shots we’re given — not being afraid,” Mitchell said. “I can’t overstate what Caris LeVert, Dean Wade, Georges Niang and Max Strus have brought to our offense.
“(Wade) is a different dude. I scream for him to shoot the ball. The best part about it is he doesn’t take offense to it. He doesn’t get his feelings hurt. He loves that support, He’s one of the best shooters on the team.”
The Cavs built their five-game winning streak by beating the Wizards (7-32) twice plus the Spurs (7-32), the Nets (16-23) and the Bulls (19-23) once each.
The Cavaliers have a four-game road trip that takes them to Orlando, Atlanta and two games in Milwaukee after hosting the Bucks.
Bucks at Cavaliers
When: 7:30 p.m., Jan. 15
Where: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Records: Bucks 28-12, Cavaliers 23-15
TV: ESPN, Bally Sports Ohio
Radio: WTAM-AM 1100, WMMS-FM 100.7
