The Cleveland Cavaliers ran riot against the Phoenix Suns, beating them 118-92 in what was a blockbuster match-up. Despite the Suns’ weak performances this season, they still have a stacked roster with three All-Star caliber players. When faced up against the best team in the NBA, however, both teams showed their levels, and the Cavaliers walked away the winners.
The Cavs were led by Donovan Mitchell, who put up an incredible performance with 33 points (11-25 FG), five rebounds, five assists, and one steal. As always, Darius Garland was right behind Mitchell in terms of providing support, putting up 16 points (6-13 FG), two rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. Jarrett Allen delivered an important double-double with 12 points (5-6 FG), 11 rebounds, and two assists.
As for the Phoenix Suns, Kevin Durant was the best player for them, putting up 23 points (9-16 FG), seven rebounds, one assist, and two blocks. Devin Booker had a quiet night compared to his standards, putting up 15 points (6-14 FG), three rebounds, four assists, and one steal. And Tyus Jones had 13 points (5-11 FG), one rebound, and four assists.
The Cavaliers won game one of their two-game series against the Suns this season. Given their elite form and the poor stretch the Suns are going through, many expected such a result.
With that being said, here are three reasons why the Cavaliers defeated the Suns:
Suns Cannot Protect The Ball Well
The Phoenix Suns committed 17 turnovers on the night. Their performance was terrible when it came to protecting the ball. Unable to cope with the intense defensive pressure from the Cavaliers, the Suns just allowed them to take advantage and took the ball from them several times.
The Cavaliers had 10 steals on the night. More importantly, they scored 15 points off of the Suns’ turnovers. It showed their ability to capitalize on their opponents’ mistakes. And that is what makes them so dangerous. But it also showed just how poor the Suns are when it comes to leaving themselves vulnerable to opposing teams.
The Suns rank ninth in the NBA when it comes to the least points conceded off turnovers, with 16.6 per game. And while they were below their average tonight, this just shows that the Suns definitely have a ways to go when it comes to keeping the ball safe when in possession.
Suns Bench Fail To Deliver
The Phoenix Suns’ bench combined to score just 33 points between eight players. No doubt, the biggest disappointment coming off the bench was Bradley Beal, who scored just five points (2-4 FG) on the night. Grayson Allen led the bench unit in scoring with 10 points (3-5 FG). Damion Lee was right behind him with nine points (3-5 FG).
By contrast, the Cavaliers got 40 points from their bench players. And while this doesn’t seem like a drastic improvement over the Suns in a vacuum, one has to consider that they scored seven points more than the Suns bench, which represents almost a quarter of the lead the Cavaliers had over the Suns (26 points).
The Suns rank 23rd in the NBA when it comes to bench scoring, averaging just 32.4 points per game with their bench. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers rank seventh in the NBA, scoring 38.4 points per game from the bench. Both teams are showing they have a lot of room for improvement. But on the night, it was the Suns’ team that suffered due to their bench’s low production.
Cavaliers Put On Three-Point Shooting Clinic
The Cleveland Cavaliers shot 19-46 from beyond the arc, converting 41.6% of their attempts from range. This was an awesome performance from the best team in the NBA, showing just how clinical they can be when shooting from the three-point line. It is performances like this where the Cavaliers prove why they are the best.
The Suns didn’t perform particularly poorly from beyond the arc, going 10-26 from range and converting 38.5% of their attempts from range. But on a night like this, the Cavaliers just happened to shoot the Suns out of the game.
For the season, the Cavaliers rank second when it comes to three-pointers made, with 16.2 threes per game. And they lead the NBA when it comes to three-point percentage, with 39.6% as a team.
The Cavaliers will be happy with their performance tonight, as their brilliant season continues. They now extend their record to 36-6, as they continue to be the best team in the entire NBA. With the form they are in, it is hard to see any team toppling them for the rest of the season.
For now, they will focus their energy on the Houston Rockets, who are having an awesome season in their own right. The Cavaliers will travel to Houston to take on the Rockets in the Toyota Center on Wednesday night at 8 PM EST.
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