Cavs falter in fourth quarter, as MVP candidate Nikola Jokic leads Nuggets to 115-109 win

CLEVELAND, Ohio — That is what the Cavs wished. It’s the form of expertise they want. Minus the outcome.

Cleveland opened the unofficial second half of the season with a 115-109 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night time. It’s the Cavs’ second straight loss general. The streaking Nuggets have gained 4 in a row.

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“We’ve simply obtained to place ourselves in positions to succeed and I feel we obtained away from what was working for us and that’s on all of us,” Donovan Mitchell mentioned. “We had it and we misplaced it. That is one stings as a result of all of us felt like we should always have gained this sport.”

With the All-Star break within the rearview, the fourth-seeded Cavs are able to make their push for a playoff spot — the primary look with out LeBron James since 1998. That dash began Thursday night time towards the Western Convention’s finest — a playoff-tested Nuggets group with reputable title aspirations and a roster that seems a lot ok.

That is the time of 12 months when depth ramps up and the competitors stage raises. It’s a place the younger Cavs haven’t been in. It seemed prefer it within the fourth quarter.

An entertaining sport that was labeled a measuring-stick matchup and featured 24 lead modifications and 12 ties completed with the Nuggets celebrating one other triumph. The Cavs can as soon as once more blame fourth-quarter execution. Or an absence of it, anyway. Regardless of trailing by two factors after three quarters, the Nuggets gained the decisive fourth, 26-18. They outscored the Cavs 14-4 over the ultimate 5:47.

“That is the playoffs, that’s what that’s,” Mitchell mentioned when speaking concerning the charged atmosphere and caliber of opponent. “They know our performs, they know what’s coming. We all know their performs, we all know what’s coming. It’s simply who executes higher and who finds a manner. They discovered a manner tonight and we didn’t. That’s simply all concerning the studying course of as we get higher.”

Cleveland went simply 6 of 19 from the sector and a couple of of seven from 3-point vary whereas committing 5 turnovers in the course of the last 12 minutes.

Denver, in the meantime, was 10 of 21 from the sector and 5 of 8 from deep within the fourth, displaying its mettle and maturity when it mattered most. The Nuggets made the performs — and pictures — the Cavs couldn’t.

“It’s us ensuring we perceive the sport as a complete,” Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff mentioned. “We had 60 factors within the paint by three quarters, after which within the fourth quarter, we had eight. Gotta proceed to be aggressive, maintain doing the best factor, the factor that’s working, and I assumed their protection ramped up, give them credit score, however I really feel like we nonetheless had alternatives to assault that paint and be aggressive they usually restricted us. Make them must make an adjustment earlier than we form of allow them to off the hook there.”

Two-time MVP Nikola Jokic recorded his twenty second triple-double, ending with 24 factors, 18 rebounds and 13 assists. The Nuggets are 22-0 this season when Jokic has a triple-double.

Michael Porter Jr. led the Nuggets in scoring with 25 factors. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope tallied 17. Jamal Murray had 16. Vlatko Cancar, getting a spot begin rather than Aaron Gordon, added 10.

The Cavs had been led by second-year phenom Evan Mobley. The 21-year-old, who participated within the Rising Stars over All-Star Weekend, poured in a game-high 31 factors on 12 of 19 from the sector and a couple of of 4 from 3-point vary in 38 minutes. It’s Mobley’s third sport of his profession with at the least 30 factors. Regardless of dominating for the primary three quarters, the teenager solely took two shot makes an attempt within the fourth, as Cleveland’s bland offense largely ignored him.

“The ball’s obtained to seek out him and we’ve to do the best factor,” Bickerstaff mentioned. “Thought there have been alternatives for the ball to seek out him and it didn’t.”

Darius Garland and Mitchell added 22 factors apiece. Jarrett Allen tallied 14 factors to go along with 13 rebounds.

The Nuggets had been plus-33 from past the arc.

Previous to the sport, Bickerstaff was requested whether or not Jokic would get his imaginary MVP vote. Bickerstaff didn’t hesitate, pointing to Jokic’s unquantifiable influence on successful and his means to make all the things straightforward for his teammates.

Jokic seemed the half Thursday night time. Once more.

“I felt we had him contained till I seemed up,” Mitchell mentioned of Jokic. “To be trustworthy, I assumed the bigs did job after which the second half he actually was the aggressor in several methods. Look what they’re doing a nightly foundation man. It’s subsequent stage. Hell of a participant.”

Relaxation night time

Veteran reserve guard Ricky Rubio didn’t play on the primary night time of a back-to-back due to continued upkeep on his surgically repaired left knee. Whereas Rubio didn’t undergo any form of setback, the coaching workers will proceed to watch Rubio’s workload.

“It’s simply one thing we’ll regulate,” Bickerstaff mentioned. “With us and Ricky and all of our guys, all we need to do is err on the aspect of warning. Understanding that it is a ramp-up interval for us, hopefully as a gaggle, however his security is crucial factor, and we’ll at all times simply take note of how he’s feeling after which go from there.”

Up subsequent

The Cavs will head to Atlanta for the second sport of a back-to-back towards the Hawks on Friday night time. Tipoff is ready for 7:30 p.m.

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