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After winning three games in a row, the Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t do nearly enough on Tuesday night to extend the winning streak.
The Golden State Warriors beat the Cavaliers 108 to 95 Tuesday evening, as the Wine and Gold produced another disappointing effort for the home fans.
In the last three games, the Cavaliers have shown some fight and spirit, and it paid off.
Against the Warriors, though, the Cavaliers did not do nearly enough on defense and did not play with enough fire, and it showed on the scoreboard.
“There was a lack of energy,” forward Tristan Thompson said after the game. “Three of their main players were out, but their reserve guys stepped up. We didn’t match their intensity, and they hit us in the mouth.”
Now the Warriors are a better team than the Cavaliers this season, and with guard Kyrie Irving slowed by illness, the Cavaliers were most likely going to struggle in this game. But the Warriors were without three of their best players, and they still dominated the Cavaliers.
With the Warriors missing Stephen Curry, Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut, the Cavaliers needed to put pressure on other players and look to steal the game. Instead, the Cavaliers let the other players have big nights.
Warrior Klay Thompson, for example, scored a career-high 32 points while shooting 6-for-8 from behind the three-point line.
As a team, the Warriors shot 69 percent from behind the three-point line and didn’t miss a single shot from behind the arc in the first half. Some of that is due to good shooting, but some of it is also due to bad defense.
Good teams don’t let other teams get so many open looks from the three-point line, especially when the other team is hitting shots. If a team shoots that well against you, you’re doing something wrong and likely not playing good defense or playing with enough energy on defense.
Too often this season, the Cavaliers have played with a lack of energy. After winning three games in a row and playing at home with a chance to steal a game, you would think that the Cavaliers would have come out ready to play hard.
That didn’t happen, though, and it’s disappointing. I don’t know if it’s the players’ fault or Head Coach Byron Scott’s fault, but this has been happening far too often this season and it needs to change.
It’s frustrating to lose, but fans understand that young teams like the Cavaliers are going to lose a lot of games because they don’t have as much talent. When the Cavaliers lose because they don’t put forth as much energy and effort as the other team, particularly in a home game, though, it’s inexcusable.
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