Pelicans Late Push Sinks Shorthanded Cavs

Playing without their dynamic starting backcourt, the Wine & Gold turned in a solid effort on Sunday. It simply wasn’t enough.

One night after an embarrassing home loss to Toronto, the Cavaliers bounced back and clawed hard for 48 minutes. But Cleveland went cold from the floor in the fourth quarter and Zion Williamson and Co. were just too much down the stretch, using a late run to take the 116-109 decision on Sunday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Already without frontcourt starters, Larry Nance Jr. and Jarrett Allen, the Cavaliers were also without the services of Darius Garland and Collin Sexton, both late scratches on Sunday.

One night after allowing a franchise-high 47 points in the first period to Toronto, the Cavs responded with a 39-point opening quarter on Sunday. Cleveland led at the break and after three quarters, but ran out of gas in the fourth – scoring just 15 points and missing five of their final shots from the floor.

With the Cavs top two scorers on the shelf, Cleveland got some unlikely contributions – and also season-high scoring marks for Dean Wade, Kevin Love and Isaac Okoro.

Wade led the Cavaliers with a career-best 21 points, going 8-for-12 from the floor, including 5-of-8 from long-range to go with six boards, a pair of assists and a game-high three steals.

Love wasn’t sharp from the floor, but still finished with 18 points, going 6-of-17, drilling five triples – including the bomb with just over three minutes to play that got Cleveland to within a point. The five-time All-Star added five boards and a block in the loss, Cleveland’s sixth straight to the Pelicans.

Okoro continues his incremental improvement as the year progresses – netting a career-high 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting, going 2-of-4 from deep and 5-for-5 from the stripe, adding three boards, three assists and a steal.

Cedi Osman was rock-solid after seeing his minutes dry up of late – coming off the bench to net 15 points, his first double-digit scoring performance since March 1, going 7-of-11 from the floor to go with seven assists.

Taurean Prince also had another solid night off the bench, finishing with 11 points, five boards, two assists and a block – his fifth straight double-figure scoring effort in relief.

Cleveland’s other spot starters – Isaiah Hartenstein and Matthew Dellavedova – each had solid nights, with Hartenstein netting double-figures for the third time in his last four outings with 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting, adding six boards and Delly leading both squads with 10 assists.

Overall, the Pelicans outshot the Wine & Gold, 51 percent to 48 percent – outrebounding Cleveland, 50-36, while piling up 70 points in the paint.

Zion Williamson led both clubs with 38 points, mostly while running the point for Stan Van Gundy’s squad, going 16-of-22 from the floor to go with a game-high nine boards, four assists and a pair of blocks.

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Taurean Prince drives through traffic, takes the contact, and puts up a shot that goes to earn a trip to the line for a three-point play opportunity.

Unlike the previous evening, Sunday’s matchup went right down to the wire – with five-lead changes in the final quarter after three periods with Cleveland mostly in control.

With just over three minutes remaining, after New Orleans had pulled ahead midway through the period, Kevin Love’s triple got the Cavs to within one, 106-105, and Cedi Osman’s runner gave Cleveland the lead on its next possession.

But that’s as good as it would get for the Cavs, who hit just one more field goal the rest of the way. Zion Williamson scored six of New Orleans’ final eight points as they closed the contest on an 8-2 run to seal the deal.

By the Numbers - 12.8, .564, .563 … points per game – along with his shooting percentage from the floor and beyond the arc – that rookie Isaac Okoro has averaged over his last five games, netting double-figures in four of them.

The former Auburn standout is also shooting .846 from the stripe and has a +/- number of +19 during that stretch.

Coach J.B. Bickerstaff, on how his team responded despite being without its starting backcourt …

"It’s a benefit to have a guy like Delly. It’s a benefit to have a guy like Kevin Love. Because they can settle us, they can get us organized. And the guys believe in them, respect them and trust them. So they know they’re going to be in good hands when those guys are on the floor. And that makes it easier, for sure."

Enjoy the best broadcast calls of the night from Cavaliers Radio Network's Tim Alcorn and Rafa Hernandez-Brito from Power 89.1.

After dropping a pair in the weekend back-to-back against Toronto and New Orleans, the Wine & Gold again play three of the next four on the road.

On Wednesday night, the Cavs travel to Charlotte for the first time this season, taking on Terry Rozier and the Hornets before returning home for a visit from Steph Curry and the Warriors on Thursday. Cleveland then hits the road for a pair of Central Division matchups – facing the Bulls in the Windy City on Saturday night followed by a trip to Motown for a Monday night meeting with the Pistons.