Cavs defense holds off Rockets down the stretch to clinch Cleveland’s playoff berth: Behind the numbers

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cavs closed out a win to clinch their first playoff berth in 5 years fittingly — with a robust defensive stretch that staved off an tried comeback by the Houston Rockets.

On the finish of the third quarter, Cleveland noticed a 20-point lead whittled down to simply 5. However over the ultimate 12 minutes of motion, the Cavs held the Rockets to simply 11 factors to get the 108-91 win.

Beneficial Cavs tales

Cleveland bought 4 steals within the fourth to drive the defensive effort.

It was the proper ending for a Cavs staff that has relied closely on its protection this 12 months, main the league with a 109.6 defensive ranking as of Sunday night.

Right here’s another numbers to boil down the Cavs’ win, in addition to the magnitude of this group clinching a playoff look:

25

Properly, we have now to steer it off with this.

The variety of years the Cavs have gone since making the playoffs with out LeBron James on the roster.

To place that into perspective, solely two of the Cavs’ starters — Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen — have been even alive the final time the Cavs performed within the playoffs with out James.

“We, once more, haven’t talked rather a lot about it as a result of we needed our focus simply to get the job achieved,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff mentioned after the win. “It’s a type of issues the place I hope that our guys anticipated this so it wasn’t a shock to ‘em they usually’ve bought larger issues in entrance of them.”

20

The variety of seconds it took for Caris LeVert’s finest sequence within the sport. On the 4:40 mark within the fourth quarter, LeVert drained a 3 from the left nook, then proceeded to steal the ball from Alperen Sengun, earlier than taking it house for a two-handed slam. The sequence took Cleveland’s lead from 11 factors (97-86) to 16 (102-86).

3

The variety of offensive rebounds Evan Mobley had on one possession within the second quarter, which led to this monster two-handed slam:

9

The whole variety of turnovers the Cavs pressured within the fourth quarter. For the sport, they pressured 19, resulting in 21 factors.

2 of 13

The Rockets’ 3-point mark within the first half. Houston had 43 shot makes an attempt complete over the primary two quarters, so 30% of their shot makes an attempt have been from deep — unhealthy information after they aren’t falling.

11-0

The run the Rockets went on in the direction of the top of the third quarter, a spurt that lower Cleveland’s 17-point result in simply six factors, 81-75 as Cleveland began to look flat. The Cavs have been outscored 37-25 within the third quarter.

12 of twenty-two

The Rockets’ taking pictures mark within the third quarter. They did most of their work across the rim however their 3s additionally lastly began falling. They’d 4 makes from deep within the quarter.

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