Defense Not A Priority In Cavaliers Win Over Nuggets

Posted by Matt Loede under NBA Game Analysis

Mike Brown was none the happy camper at halftime of this evening’s Cavs-Nuggets game. Sure his team was down by just three, but they had given up 61 points, and for a team that stresses defense as its number one priority, 61 points is downright awful. Whatever Brown said the team took to heart, as the defense buckled down, allowed just 38 second half points, and the offense did enough as the team won its sixth straight, 110-99.

The win puts the team at 7-2, a full game up on the Pistons in the Central division. They also once again prove that even on a night when they don’t play their best basketball, they can drum up enough from the starting five and the bench to win a game that maybe last season they don’t win.

The victory was led by Mo Williams, who had 24 points, three three’s, and six assists. LeBron James was his usual pesky self, more focused on getting the offense in motion and adding 22 points, 8 rebounds and 11 assists. The team was solid from the field, shooting 57 percent, the first time since February of 2005 they had shot that good from the field.

The Nuggets ran and ran some more early, and seemed to have the Cavs off their game. But then once the team was able to take a break at the half and watch some film, they were able to take advantage of situations, and also put the clamps on Chauncey Billups, who had 18 first half points, but just 8 in the second half.

The night really changed in the third quarter, when the Cavs went on a tear, outscoring the Nuggets 30-20 in the quarter to take a 88-81 lead. James scored 8 in the quarter, and Ben Wallace, who had been as quiet as a field mouse on the offensive side of the court this season, scored 8 in the quarter as well to end the night with 11 points.

Daniel Gibson also finally showed up, scoring 15 points in 19 minutes off the bench, and the team had six players in double figures, achieving that for the third time already this season. Overall another solid team win in which the team came together after a not so hot first half to take care of business.

Now they can take a day off and get ready for the Utah Jazz and old pal Carlos Boozer on Saturday night at 7:30pm at the Q. Utah is 6-2 on the season, 1 game up on the Blazers in the Northwest division over in the West.

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