Don’t get it wrong, but the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers did pull off a much-needed victory against the bottom-seeded Utah Jazz on Monday. It was even a blowout win, 120-91, which snapped the Cavs’ three-game losing streak in March. However, before cruising easily past Utah, Cleveland was clearly struggling to make shots in the first two quarters, even against one of the worst teams in the league.
A Tale of Two Halves
Donovan Mitchell returned and just played his second game since the trade deadline, but it wasn’t exactly the outing fans expected from the former Jazz. In the first 24 minutes of the match, Mitchell, alongside fellow Cavaliers teammates, literally struggled to make baskets. They only made 12% (3-for-25) of their attempts from deep, which is horrible for a team with top-tier offense.
Fortunately, the Cavaliers turned it around in the second half. They made up for it by dominating Utah in the third quarter, 37-19. It also helped that the Jazz turned the ball over 18 times, resulting in 25 quick points for the Cavs.
After the game, Donovan Mitchell finished with 16 points while Jarret Allen had a team-high 18 points.
This clearly demonstrates their struggles in March, during the final stretches of the 2024-2025 season. They’ve enjoyed two excellent winstreaks (15-0 and 16-0) this season, but they’re clearly having a bad month. Although they’re more likely locked as the No.1 seed in the Eastern Conference, fans and analysts share their concern on what lies ahead for the team, following their slump ahead of the playoffs.
Professional baller turned analyst Jason Timpf shared his thoughts regarding the Cavs’ drop in accuracy in terms of three-point shooting in the past three to five games. Had they continued shooting poorly against Utah, they would have potentially continued their losing streak to 4. Even worse, they would lose to the Jazz. No offense, but that’s a low bar for the Cavaliers.
Renowned NBA Analyst Bill Simmon also highlighted the team’s late-season slump and playoff inexperience, which would later take a toll on this young squad. They’re the best franchise in the East, record-wise, but can they really beat the Boston Celtics in a 7-game series?
Nevertheless, fans still believe Mitchell, Garland, Mobley, and Allen will bring home the Larry O’Brien trophy back to Cleveland.
They may seem to be struggling as of late, but as Max Strus said, this slump is a silver lining to their championship hopes.
