The Cleveland Cavaliers ended their five-game Western Conference roadtrip with a bang. They overcame a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit to beat a strong Denver Nuggets team 119-117 thanks to their dynamic backcourt.
The Donovan Mitchell and James Harden pairing couldn’t have gotten off to a better start.
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The Cavs were kept at arm’s length for most of the game. They never let the Nuggets get out in front by more than 11, but it also never felt like they really had a chance of getting into the game.
That changed down the stretch.
Cleveland’s half-court offense feels inevitable. There’s only so much you can do when you have two guards who require that much attention. There’s just too many holes to plug, and eventually, the defense is going to break.
That’s what happened late. Jarrett Allen found himself wide open for crucial baskets. Harden hit an impossible step-back three with 32 seconds left to tie the game for the first time in the fourth. And Mitchell forced a shooting foul in the final second to give the Cavs their two-point victory margin.
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Mitchell has been the primary scoring engine in their first two games. He was again here as he poured in 32 points on 11-23 shooting to go along with 10 assists.
Harden, on the other hand, has been the orchestrator of the offense. He’s continually found ways to generate open looks for his teammates, which includes feeding big man Jarrett Allen early and often.
This group hasn’t had someone with the playmaking ability of Harden. His ability to draw as many defenders into him and then deliver on-time and on-target passes is truly unbelievable.
Harden’s playmaking doesn’t come at the expense of generating good looks for himself. He provided 22 points on 7-16 shooting to go along with 10 huge rebounds and seven assists.
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Even though the offense was impressive, Harden’s defense was just as important. He did an excellent job of double-teaming Nikola Jokic and providing help defense when needed. This led to him getting four blocks, including one in the final minute, to help secure the win.
Allen continues to be the biggest beneficiary of Harden’s playmaking. He provided 22 points on 10-16 shooting to go along with 13 rebounds.
Allen did a good job of staying in front of Nikola Jokic and containing him the best he could. Unfortunately for Cleveland, containing Jokic still meant he finished with a triple-double with 22 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists, and six costly turnovers.
Julian Strawther and Christian Bruan provided 20 points each.
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There’s no shame in losing to a team as good as the Nuggets at the end of a road trip like this. The Cavs hung in there throughout and showed that they’re on this team’s level. That’s incredibly encouraging.
The Cavs return home to take on the Washington Wizards on Wednesday. It will be their last game before the All-Star break. Tip-off is at 7 PM.
