CLEVELAND - The Cavaliers walked into halftime with plenty of offense, but not nearly enough stops, and the Thunder held a 59-48 lead Monday at home.
The Cavs have been getting the kind of looks they can live with. The ball is moving, the shots are there and the offense has been functioning.
That part hasn’t been the issue. The problem, once again, has shown up after the shot goes up.
Second-chance points have been a recurring headache for Cleveland, especially on long rebounds, and Oklahoma City has made them pay. The Thunder grabbed six offensive boards in the first half, and almost every one turned into points.
Cleveland hasn’t been terrible on defense in the usual sense, but the possession isn’t over when the shot is contested. It’s over when the rebound is secured, and that part has hurt the Cavs.
Oklahoma City has also kept finding easy baskets through backdoor cuts and bounce passes, no matter which lineup is on the floor. That was an issue for Cleveland against the Wizards last week, and it showed up again here.
Against Washington, Kenny Atkinson told the Cavs at halftime they needed to force the opposing offense to “go over the top” of the defense. Cleveland responded and won that game. The same kind of message figures to be waiting in the locker room again.
The Thunder are missing Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace and Alex Caruso, so this is not a full-strength Oklahoma City group. Still, Cleveland has to deal with the team in front of it.
The Cavs were ahead 30-26 after the first quarter, but the second quarter flipped the game. Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen led Cleveland with nine points apiece, while James Harden and Meleek Thomas had seven each. Evan Mobley also scored.
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