The Cavaliers keep running into the same late-game problem, and it’s getting tougher to explain away.
In Cleveland’s 117-112 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, Jarrett Allen did plenty to justify staying on the floor. He was a plus-11, scored five points in the fourth quarter in just four minutes, and helped the Cavs handle a Thunder team that was winning the battle inside. Still, with about seven minutes left and the game sitting at two possessions, Kenny Atkinson went small and took Allen out.
That decision was the focus of the latest Wine and Gold Talk podcast, where cleveland.com Cavaliers beat reporter Chris Fedor kept circling back to the same issue.
“Going away from Jarrett Allen consistently in the fourth quarter, he was one of their best players tonight. He was a plus-11. And yet it’s around the four minute mark and Kenny decides to go away from Jarrett,” Fedor said.
Atkinson has his reasons. He wants switchability, shooting and spacing when the game tightens up. But Fedor said he keeps hearing that explanation and still isn’t convinced, especially against a Thunder team that had Cleveland scrambling on the perimeter all night.
Wine and Gold Talk host Ethan Sands said the lineup choice looked even harder to defend because of who the Cavaliers were already missing. Cleveland was without Jaylon Tyson and Peyton Watson, two of its better perimeter defenders.
“Especially on a night when you don’t have the best perimeter defenders, you would think you would want to protect the rim. The best way to do that is to have your two best interior players to be there to protect the guys that are getting beat off the dribble. And yet they didn’t do that,” Sands said.
Allen’s absence showed up where you’d expect it to. Cleveland lost ground on the glass and around the basket, and Meleek Thomas and Sam Merrill, the players used in his place, didn’t stop Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from getting what he wanted late.
Fedor also pointed to something bigger than one closing lineup.
“He’s also the voice of the defense. He’s the mouthpiece on defense,” Fedor said.
That’s where the conversation starts to stretch beyond game-night tactics. If Allen keeps getting parked in crunch time, what does that say about how Atkinson views him? And what does it mean for a front office that is paying him like one of the team’s key pieces?
“What does it say that you don’t believe as a coach that he should consistently be in your closing lineup? That you don’t believe as a coach that Jarrett in the closing lineup is the best thing for your basketball team?
And what does that say to the front office in terms of how we’re constructing this roster? Can we really afford to pay Jarrett Allen what we’re paying him when you won’t close with him?”
Fedor said.
Allen has shown he can take over stretches, including against Milwaukee, and he was strong again Monday. But if the Cavaliers keep reaching the fourth quarter and choosing to finish without him, that’s not just a one-game decision. It’s a roster question.
The two teams meet again in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, and the same interior test will be waiting. So will the same Allen question.
In Other News...
Jarrett Allen Is Making Cleveland's Trade Calls Look Ridiculous
Jarrett Allen has been one of the steadier reasons the Cavaliers have stayed on track since he arrived in Cleveland during the 2020-21 season, and this year he has only strengthened that case. His scoring and rebounding have ticked up, his shot selection has looked sharper, and even his willingness to step outside and test a three-point shot has added a new layer to what he brings every night.
The bigger point for Cleveland is how closely Allens production keeps lining up with winning. He has remained a defensive anchor, and his early-season block numbers have underscored just how much ground he can cover around the rim. For a team that once had to wonder whether the move for him would age well, Allen keeps making those old trade calls look more and more lopsided. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Closing Decisions Made This Thunder Loss Even Tougher
The Cavaliers and Thunder spent most of the night trading punches in a game that felt like it could swing on every possession, with 23 lead changes underscoring just how tight it was. Cleveland had to juggle its rotation without Jaylon Tyson and Peyton Watson, which pushed the staff toward multiple three-guard looks and made every closing decision feel a little more delicate than usual.
Meleek Thomas was part of that equation in a big way, making his first NBA start and giving Cleveland a useful burst of energy and production in extended minutes. Even with that kind of contribution, the final stretch still came down to execution and shot-making, and the Cavaliers were left with a loss that stung because they were right there until the end. [Read more 🡒]
Cleveland Cant Afford To Lose This Rare Power Bat
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Adell hit .244 with a .740 OPS in 48 regular-season games, and Plutos point was less about the stat line than the fit. With the Guardians facing budget limits and another round of labor uncertainty ahead, he argued the front office should be willing to absorb the arbitration cost if it means keeping a hitter who brings a skill set the roster does not have much of, especially when compared with other pending decisions such as free agent Foster Griffin. [Read more 🡒]