Max Strus shone in his return, but a lax Cleveland Cavaliers defense let the Dallas Mavericks dictate the game, sealing a costly defeat as NBA playoff seeding looms.
Spencer German and Spencer Davies break down the Cleveland Cavaliers' 130-120 loss to the Dallas Mavericks in a fresh episode of Courtside with Cavs.
On an afternoon that saw Max Strus make an incredible return and season debut, the Cleveland Cavaliers did not collectively bring the fight against a game Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, dropping the contest, 130-120. With only 14 games remaining in the regular season, the wine and gold now sit at 41-27.
The Cavs are now clinging to a three-game lead as the fourth seed with the surging Orlando Magic and Toronto Raptors on their heels.
Topics of the latest show include the following:
- Strus' return was the lone bright spot in what was a difficult day for the Cavs. He looked like his usual self, bringing the energy from the moment he checked in halfway through the first quarter. The 29-year-old swingman was on fire from deep and crashed the glass, making the hustle plays that he is known for. Between backtaps, a fiery passion, and a new dynamic, it is good to see him back.
- James Harden had a poor showing on Sunday, turning the ball over six times with a subpar 4-of-12 performance shooting. He dished out seven assists and grabbed five rebounds, but only took five free throws. Although dealing with a right thumb injury, Cleveland will need much better from its veteran star point guard.
- Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson referred to his team's unacceptable defense as "permissive," not putting enough pressure on the ball and allowing Dallas to gain confidence early on the shots it took. It is a troubling trend following what happened against the Orlando Magic this past week, and it's something that needs to be addressed before playoff time.
- For some odd reason, Cleveland does not like playing games when it's light outside. During the day, on Sundays, the team is 1-5. Again, that is an issue that must be rectified, because not every playoff game will be scheduled for nighttime. Teams will know to jump on the wine-and-gold early and often in the scouting report.
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