Recap

clenadams

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Wrap-Up -- Tuesday’s season finale in Cleveland was about past, present and future.

It marked the celebration of Channing Frye’s 13-year career, it marked (unfortunately) the squad’s 10th straight loss to end the campaign and it marked the beginning of a new era – complete with a new name on what’s soon to be a completely renovated arena.

Playing their first official game at what’s now called Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the Wine &amp; Gold wrapped up a frustrating regular season – finishing with a 19-63 mark after reaching the NBA Finals in each of the past four years – falling to the Playoff-hungry Hornets, 124-97.

The Cavaliers started off strong, trailing by just a deuce after one period. But the Hornets – who came into the contest winners of three straight – kept the pressure up from there, notching at least 30 points in two of the next three periods while holding the Wine &amp; Gold to just 17 in the third.

When the game began getting away in the fourth quarter, both coaches began emptying their benches. James Borrego needed to keep his squad rested and ready for a must-win on Wednesday against Orlando while Larry Drew was looking to get 13-year-vet Channing Frye a nice run to cap his career.

Frye answered the call in style – scoring 10 points in the final period, going 3-of-5 from the floor, including 2-of-3 from long-range – each field goal driving the bench and the sold out crowd into a frenzy.

Frye led five Cavaliers in double-figures – with rookie Collin Sexton leading the way with 18 points on 8-for-17 shooting to go with a career-high 10 assists, getting his final dime on the final three-pointer of Channing’s career, a 27-foot bomb with 35 seconds to play.

The Cavaliers outscored Charlotte in the paint, 48-34, and grabbed five more rebounds, but the Hornets drained 22 three-pointers on the night, with three starters hitting at least four triples apiece and four more reserves hitting at least two.

Balance scoring not enough on Tuesday night against Charlotte.

Jordan Clarkson bounced back from a rough outing on Sunday afternoon against San Antonio, following up with 16 points in the loss – going 7-for-13 from the floor, including 2-of-4 from beyond the arc. Tuesday’s effort was the 72nd time Clarkson tallied double-figures off the bench this season – tops among all NBA reserves.

Cedi Osman wrapped up a solid sophomore campaign with 17 points and four boards, going 7-of-13 from the floor, 2-of-5 from long-range.

Larry Nance Jr. also completed a stellar first complete season with his hometown team – finishing the year with four straight double-doubles, grabbing double-digit boards in seven straight with his 10-point, 12-rebound performance on Tuesday night, adding a team-high six assists and the squad’s only two blocks.

The Hornets – who snapped an eight-game losing streak in Cleveland with the win – were led by Kemba Walker’s 23 points and another strong bench effort from their two top reserves, Jeremy Lamb and Frank Kaminsky, who combined for 37 points in the win.

Turning Point -- If anyone was under the misconceived notion that the shorthanded Cavs would lay down for Charlotte – erasing the Hornets’ 12-point first quarter lead to tie the game dispelled that thought.

But the Hornets began asserting their will in the second quarter – even after the Wine &amp; Gold erased an eight-point edge – using a 20-8 run just before intermission to re-take a double-digit lead.

Late in the third quarter, Charlotte opened an 11-point lead on Miles Bridges reverse layup and kept it at double-figures the rest of the way.

By the Numbers – 1,049, 4,002 … three-pointers and rebounds that Channing Frye has tallied over the course of his 13-year NBA career – becoming just the 36th player in history to top the 1K and 4K marks in both categories. Among seven-footers, only Dirk Nowitzki has canned more career triples than Frye.

Quotable – Coach Larry Drew, on his takeaways from the season and the season finale …

”I really enjoyed coming to work every day, because these guys made it that way. They stayed focused and they stayed the course when I took over. I told them I would make demands on them and I expect them to play hard and for the most part, they did that. They did that. But watching Channing go out the way he did – that will be more memorable than anything, probably.”

Up Next -- The Cavaliers head into the offseason with a pair of first-rounders in the upcoming Draft, including a Lottery selection that will be determined on May 14 in Secaucus. From there, it’s onto Summer League, the league’s free agency period and Training Camp in preparation for the franchise’s 50th season at the state-of-the-art Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

cavs-fall-to-hornets-in-season-finale

Cavs Fall to Hornets in Season Finale

clejgabriele

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Wrap-Up -- Over the course of a long NBA season (one that’s almost reached its completion for Cleveland) there are such things as “schedule losses” – defeats that can be directly attributed to a cruel set of circumstances.

Taking nothing away from the Spurs – locked in for yet another postseason run – the Cavaliers simply didn’t have enough in the tank for Sunday afternoon’s contest, having landed in Cleveland at 7 a.m. the previous morning on the heels of a 10-day road trip.

The result was almost inevitable, with the Spurs using a big run right before half to give themselves plenty of breathing room to hold off the Wine &amp; Gold late – taking the 112-90 decision in the season’s penultimate contest at The Q.

The game was knotted at 24-apiece after one quarter and the Cavaliers actually grabbed the lead early in the second. But San Antonio closed the first half on an 11-1 run and sealed the deal with a 33-point fourth quarter, handing the Wine &amp; Gold their ninth straight loss.

The Cavaliers were celebrating the career of Channing Frye – one of the veterans instrumental in the 2016 Championship run as well as a fan and team favorite – giving the 13-year man the start at center.

To the delight of Sunday’s sold-out arena, Frye opened the scoring with a triple from the top of the arc. On the afternoon, the affable big man finished with five points, four boards and an assist in 16 minutes of action – checking out in the fourth period and being mobbed by his teammates when he came to the bench.

Cleveland’s starting backcourt of Collin Sexton and Brandon Knight led the squad with 16 points each.

Sexton and Knight both tally 16 points in Sunday's loss to the Spurs.

Sexton, playing in Game 81 – the only Cavalier to suit up for every contest this season – went 6-of-15 from the floor for 16 points, including 2-of-7 from beyond the arc to go with four assists and a steal.

Knight was 5-of-12 from the floor for 16 points as well, and 5-of-7 from the stripe, adding three steals and the team’s only blocked shot.

Larry Nance Jr. didn’t put up monster numbers, but still played a rock-solid floor game – doubling-up in his third straight contest and grabbing double-digit boards in his sixth straight – finishing with 11 points while leading Cleveland in rebounding (10), assists (five) and steals (four).

Cedi Osman was the fourth Cavalier starter in double-figures, adding 12 points, four boards and a pair of steals – going 4-of-10 from the floor and 3-of-4 from the line.

The Wine &amp; Gold committed just seven turnovers in the trip finale on Friday night in Oakland, but had 22 miscues on Sunday afternoon. The Spurs beat Cleveland up on the boards (49-34), had 11 more assists and had the game’s top scorer and rebounder, LaMarcus Aldridge, who doubled-up with 18 and 13 in the win.

Turning Point -- The road-weary Cavaliers still managed to come out swinging on Sunday afternoon, but it didn’t take much for things to come unraveled late in the first half.

After falling behind by nine, Cedi Osman canned a triple to stop the bleeding. But that’s as good as it would get for the Wine &amp; Gold.

DeMar DeRozan scored two quick buckets followed by a Bryn Forbes three-pointer. Osman briefly halted San Antonio’s surge – splitting a pair of free throws – but Rudy Gay would score twice in the final 48 seconds of the half – sending the Spurs to the locker room with a 16-point edge.

By the Numbers – 26, 26, 36, 24 … games this season, respectively, that Larry Nance Jr. has led the team in rebounding, assists, steals and blocks.

Quotable – Kevin Love, on his longtime teammate and friend, Channing Frye …

"Everybody involved was hoping this will be a game that he really remembers and the fans will remember too. He just encompasses all the right things – the spirit of the game, our culture, and just everything that Channing is about on and off the floor. He helped influence the Cavs in a very big way, especially when he first got to the team in 2016. We love him. And this was about him."

Up Next -- After falling to the Spurs on Sunday afternoon, the Wine &amp; Gold will wrap up the season on Tuesday, welcoming Kemba Walker and the Hornets to town on Fan Appreciation Night. Following that, it’s on to the Lottery, Draft, Summer League and the free agency period over the summer.

sharp-spurs-drop-road-weary-cavs-at-the-q

Sharp Spurs Drop Road-Weary Cavs at The Q

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Wrap-Up -- Down 19 points at half at by 16 midway through the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers – on the second night of a back-to-back, at the end of a five-game trip and in their final road game of the season – could have easily raised the white flag.

But anyone who’s watched Larry Drew’s squad this season knows that wasn’t going to happen.

Instead, the Wine &amp; Gold – mounting a furious 17-4 run that cut Golden State’s lead to just three – came roaring back. Three stalled possessions in the final two minutes was enough for the Warriors to escape with the 120-114 win – but the World Champs knew they were in a dogfight.

In the Cavaliers final game at Oracle Arena – the gym where they completed the greatest comeback in NBA history, winning the World Championship after trailing 3-1 in the 2016 Finals – it looked like the Warriors would win in a runaway.

Steph Curry scored 18 points in the first quarter and had 23 at the break as Golden State ran out to an early edge – taking a three-touchdown lead early in the third quarter.

Also playing the second night of a back-to-back and with the postseason approaching, Steve Kerr began mixing his reserves into the rotation with his squad comfortably ahead.

The Warriors continued to cruise well into the fourth quarter, but Collin Sexton, Larry Nance and David Nwaba had other ideas – propelling Cleveland’s comeback, with the trio going 10-of-13 in the period.

Kevin Durant’s jumper momentarily stopped the bleeding for Golden State, putting them back up eight – 115-107 – with 3:53 to play, but Sexton drilled a three-pointer on Cleveland’s next possession and scored on a reverse layup to get the Cavs to within three.

But Curry answered with a three of his own and the Cavaliers struggled to score from there. Sexton’s layup with 25.5 to play got the Cavs back to within four, but that’s as close as they’d get – with Curry drilling a pair of free throws with seven seconds remaining to seal the deal.

After struggling on 1-for-9 shooting in the first half, the Young Bull was electric in the second – going 9-for-13 from the floor after intermission, finishing with a team-high 27 points to go with four assists and a pair of steals without committing a single miscue on the night.

Cedi Osman followed up with 15 points on 6-for-12 shooting, adding six boards, two assists and a pair of steals.

Larry Nance Jr. doubled-up for the second straight night – grabbing double-digit rebounds in all five games of the trip – finishing with 13 points, a game-high 14 boards, three assists, three steals and the team’s only block.

Tristan Thompson rounded out the Cavaliers’ starters in double-figures, adding 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting to go with six rebounds.

David Nwaba led three Cavalier reserves in double-figures, scoring nine of his 13 points in the second stanza – going 5-of-7 from the floor, adding seven boards and three assists.

Ante Zizic notched double-figures for the third straight game, finishing with 12 points and six boards.

Jordan Clarkson extended his double-digit scoring streak to a season-best 20 games despite struggling from the floor – chipping in with 10 points on 4-for-15 shooting, adding four assists and a pair of boards.

Curry led both squads in scoring, notching his second 40-point game in as many meetings with Cleveland this year – tallying 40 points on 9-for-12 shooting from beyond the arc, 12-of-21 overall.

Former Canton Charge standout Quinn Cook came off Steve Kerr’s bench to score 14 points in 16 minutes, going 5-for-6 from the field, 4-of-5 from long-distance.

The story of the game – as it often is against the Warriors – was their lethal three-point shooting, going 20-of-37 from beyond the arc.

Cleveland was able to stay in the contest through some rough shooting stretches by going 20-for-22 from the stripe and committing just seven turnovers on the night.

Zizic scores in double figures for the 21st time this season.

Turning Point -- The point at which Friday night’s contest went from a blowout to a white-knuckle ending didn’t materialize until midway through the fourth – with Golden State cruising along with a 16-point edge.

Two quick buckets by Larry Nance and five straight points from David Nwaba, however, got the Cavaliers to within single-digits – 113-105.

Nance scored again on a jump-hook before Sexton took over – notching five straight points of his own to get Cleveland to within a single possession – 115-112.

But the Cavs ran out of gas from there – with Cleveland missing its next three three-point attempts, allowing the Dubs to catch their breath and hold on for the victory.

By the Numbers – 23.9,.523, .473, .891 … Collin Sexton’s scoring average – plus his shooting percentages from the floor, beyond the arc and the stripe – over his last 15 games dating back to March 8, notching at least 20 points in all but two.

Quotable – Larry Nance Jr., on Cleveland’s second-half performance on Friday night …

”That’s something that we’ve shown that we can do all year. For some reason, we play uncharacteristic basketball that doesn’t benefit everybody on the team and we snap out of it in the second half and play like a real team and come together to really put some pressure on some teams. I was impressed with our effort tonight.”

Up Next -- With Friday night’s tough loss in Oakland, the Wine &amp; Gold wrap up the road portion of their 2018-19 schedule and head home for the final two contests at The Q. On Sunday afternoon, the Cavs welcome LaMarcus Aldridge and the Spurs to town before wrapping up against the Hornets on Fan Appreciation night on Tuesday.

road-weary-cavs-cant-cap-comeback-at-oracle

Road-Weary Cavs Can't Cap Comeback at Oracle

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Wrap-Up -- The 2018-19 season is winding down and the shorthanded Cavaliers look like a squad that’s ready to get home.

It’s not as if the Wine &amp; Gold played a bad game.

They shot 54 percent from the floor, got a combined 41 points from their top two guards and outrebounded Sacramento by 16 boards. But the Kings had 16 more possessions, turned the ball over just seven times and canned 14 triples – good enough to hand the Wine &amp; Gold their seventh straight loss and fourth straight on the five-game trip – falling, 117-104, on Thursday night at the Golden 1 Center.

The Kings never trailed but were never able to fully shake the Cavaliers, either. Before taking a 12-point lead early the fourth quarter, neither team led by double-digits in the previous three.

Playing without their two top rebounders – Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson – the Wine &amp; Gold dominated the boards all night, getting double-doubles from their replacements, Larry Nance Jr. and Ante Zizic.

As good as the Cavaliers were in the paint, they struggled again in transition, with the fast-paced Kings taking advantage of Cleveland’s 22 turnovers to take a 21-11 edge on the break.

For the 28th time this season, Jordan Clarkson led the Wine &amp; Gold – finishing with 22 points on 9-for-13 shooting, including 2-for-5 from beyond the arc to go with three assists and a steal.

Collin Sexton finished one field goal shy of his fifth straight 20-point game – following up with 19 points, going 8-of-14 from the floor, including 3-of-5 from deep, adding three assists and a steal of his own.

Sexton scores in double figures for the 70th time this season.

Cedi Osman also went 3-of-5 from three-point range, 7-of-11 from the field overall, adding four boards and was one of five Cavaliers with three assists apiece.

Ante Zizic got his first start since March 22 and built off a strong performance on Monday night in Phoenix – finishing with 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting, adding 10 boards, a team-high four assists and the squad’s only blocked shot.

Larry Nance Jr. grabbed double-digit boards in his fourth straight outing – leading both squads with 16 rebounds to go with 11 points and, yes, three assists.

Buddy Hield paced the Kings with 23 points, drilling five triples and tallying three of the Kings’ 12 steals. De’Aaron Fox doubled-up with 16 points and a game-best 10 assists.

Sacramento got strong performances off the bench from rookie Marvin Bagley III and sophomore Bogdan Bogdanovic, who combined for 33 points on a combined 14-of-29 shooting in the win.

Turning Point -- Unlike some of the Wine &amp; Gold’s recent losses, there wasn’t a big burst that spelled their demise. The Cavaliers simply couldn’t get over the hump.

Instead, a pair of three-pointers by Bogdan Bogdanovic straddling the third and fourth quarters gave the Kings just enough breathing room to ice the win on Thursday night.

With seven seconds left in the third quarter, Jordan Clarkson canned a step-back jumper to get the Cavs to within six, 90-84. But Bogdanovic extended the Kings’ lead to nine with a triple at the buzzer. He drilled another to open the scoring in the fourth period, putting Sacramento up a dozen.

The Wine &amp; Gold didn’t get closer than six the rest of the way.

By the Numbers – .778 … Ante Zizic’s field goal percentage (14-of-18) over his last three games.

Quotable – Coach Larry Drew, on what tripped up his squad on Thursday night in Sacramento …

”I thought we did a good job as far as having a game plan and a game strategy, but we did turn the ball over. That was an Achilles heel for us. We talked about it before we started the game, in this building against the number one fast break team in the league, you cannot turn the basketball over.”

Up Next -- Following Thursday night’s defeat in Sacramento, the Wine &amp; Gold are down to their final road contest of the season – bouncing over to San Francisco for a Friday night meeting with Steph Curry and the Warriors. The Cavaliers return home to close out the campaign, welcoming the Spurs to Cleveland on Sunday afternoon before wrapping up with the Hornets on Fan Appreciation Night on Tuesday at The Q.

kings-outrun-cavs-in-calis-capital

Kings Outrun Cavs in Cali's Capital

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Wrap-Up -- The pregame hype for Monday’s matchup between Cleveland and Phoenix was Devin Booker’s incredible scoring run, averaging 50.0 points per over his last three games.

Booker didn’t explode again on Monday night. But he didn’t have to – instead handing out 13 assists as the Suns evened the season series with the 122-113 win – snapping Cleveland’s eight-game run against them and extending the Wine &amp; Gold’s skein to six games.

As on Saturday in Los Angeles, a first half run led to the Cavs’ undoing.

After turning an early nine-point deficit into a three-point lead late in the first quarter, the Suns proceeded to close the period on an 11-0 run, taking an eight-point edge into the second quarter. Phoenix piled on from there – parlaying that early lead into a 19-point bulge at intermission, putting Cleveland in catch-up mode the rest of the way.

The Cavaliers rallied back to cut the Suns’ 22-point lead to just a touchdown after three quarters and trailed by just six with 3:32 to play, but Booker proceeded to score nine of his 25 points in that final three-minute stretch to put the affair on ice.

Collin Sexton continued his torrid late-season run – leading Cleveland with 21 points on 9-for-23 shooting, adding four boards and three assists.

Monday marked the 12th time in his last 13 games that he’s topped the 20-point plateau – averaging an even 24.0 points per on 52 percent shooting from the floor, 48 percent from long-range and .902 from the stripe.

Jordan Clarkson led a second unit that combined for 55 points – following up with 20 points on 8-for-16 shooting, adding six boards, three assists and a steal in the loss.

Thompson tallies 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting.

Ante Zizic was also outstanding off the bench on Monday – finishing with 15 points, seven boards, two assists and a block – going 5-of-6 from the floor and 5-of-9 from the stripe in just under 14 minutes of work.

Tristan Thompson looked like his old self again on Monday night and added 15 points and five rebounds of his own before dislocating his little finger in the fourth quarter. In 21 minutes of work, Thompson was 6-of-8 from the floor, snagging four of his boards off the offensive glass.

Brandon Knight was the only other Cavalier in double-figures – chipping in with 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting.

Larry Nance Jr. got the start with Kevin Love missing his second straight contest with a sore left shoulder – leading both squads with 12 boards and two steals, adding nine points and a team-high four assists.

Three Suns starters doubled-up, including Booker (25 points, 13 assists), Richaun Holmes (13 points, 10 rebounds) and Dragan Bender (12, 10). But Josh Jackson’s effort off the bench was the difference on Monday – netting 19 points, 10 boards and five of Phoenix’ 12 blocked shots.

And while these aren’t the run-and-gun Suns of the past, they still outran the Cavaliers in this one – outscoring Cleveland on the break, 28-3.

Turning Point -- The game’s initial turning point came late in the first quarter – with Phoenix using an 11-0 run to buy some breathing room.

But despite trailing by 20-plus, the Cavaliers clawed their way back and when Ante Zizic scored the first basket of the fourth quarter, they found themselves down just five.

The Suns answered right back, however, with 19-year veteran Jamal Crawford keying a 14-2 run that put Phoenix up 17 with 8:27 to play. Larry Drew’s squad continued to fight, but didn’t have enough left in the tank to complete the comeback.

By the Numbers – 18 … consecutive games that Jordan Clarkson has reached double-figure scoring off the bench, a season-high. Over that stretch, the fifth-year man is averaging 17.4 points per and his 69 games this season is tops among all NBA reserves.

Quotable – Coach Larry Drew, on his squad’s effort on Monday night in Phoenix …

”One thing that I have put an emphasis on with this club is learning how to play on the road. When you do that, you don’t put yourself into a position like we put ourselves into tonight. But I can’t fault the effort. I can’t fault the fact they kept playing hard, they just came up short.”

Up Next -- With Monday’s loss in Phoenix to tip off the month of April, the Wine &amp; Gold are down to their final four games – including the last two games of the trip later this week, taking on the Kings and Warriors in a back-to-back on Thursday and Friday. On Sunday afternoon, the Cavaliers return home to take on the Spurs in an afternoon affair before wrapping up the campaign on Tuesday, welcoming the Hornets to town for Fan Appreciation Night.

cavs-comeback-falls-short-in-phoenix

Cavs Comeback Falls Short in Phoenix

clejsykes

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Wrap-Up -- For this recap, maybe it’d be better to discuss the Turning Point first.

The final score would indicate that the Clippers had their way with the Wine &amp; Gold on Saturday afternoon. But in actuality, a four-minute spurt to end the second quarter and a two-minute stretch to start the third was all the Clippers needed to turn an otherwise tight game into the lopsided 132-108 decision it turned out to be.

The game was knotted up at 48-apiece with just under four minutes to play before intermission, but the Clippers proceeded to close the first half on a 17-4 run and opened the second stanza scoring the first eight points.

Cleveland rallied back, cutting a 23-point Clippers’ lead to just seven late in the third quarter before the Clippers pulled away in the fourth – with super-sub Lou Williams scoring 14 of his 18 points in the final period.

Williams’ 18 points weren’t even tops among L.A.’s second unit – easily the league’s highest-scoring group. That distinction went to Montrezl Harrell, who led the Clippers with 23 points, going 10-for-13 from the floor to go with six assists and a block.

And although Harrell topped a group of reserves that combined for 69 points, the game’s top scorer came off Cleveland’s bench.

Jordan Clarkson, who’s scored plenty of points at the Staples Center over the course of his brief career, paced both squads with 26 points, going 11-for-16 from the floor, adding two assists and a pair of steals.

Rookie Collin Sexton overcame a slow start – netting 12 of his 21 points after intermission, going 5-of-8 from the floor after halftime, 7-of-17 overall, hitting all six of his free throw attempts to go with three boards and three assists.

Sexton records double figure scoring for the 68th time this season.

Cedi Osman followed up with 19 points in the loss – going 5-for-13 from the floor and 7-of-9 from beyond the arc, adding five boards, three assists and a career-high four steals.

Tristan Thompson, getting his third straight start, doubled-up for the first time since January 13 – the last time he played at Staples Center – finishing with 10 points and 10 boards, going 4-of-6 from the floor and grabbing four of his rebounds off the offensive glass.

In 32 minutes off the bench, Larry Nance Jr. also grabbed four of his 10 boards on the offensive end – adding five points, a pair of assists and a steal.

The Cavaliers were without forward Kevin Love, who was a late scratch due to a sore left shoulder. The Clippers were without Danilo Gallinari.

The Wine &amp; Gold were solid from the stripe on Saturday afternoon – going 23-of-28 -- but they struggled mightily from beyond the arc – going just 3-for-23 from deep while the Clippers drained 13 triples. Los Angeles also dominated on the break – outscoring Cleveland, 27-11.

Turning Point -- The Clippers’ aforementioned burst late in the second quarter was simply the story of the game.

The Clippers actually took an eight-point edge in the first quarter, but the Cavaliers bounced back to tie the contest at 29-apiece on Nik Stauskas’ tip-in.

In the second period, both teams went back and forth and the Wine &amp; Gold took a one-point lead with 5:16 to play in the first half on Brandon Knight’s jumper. But that was truly as good as it would get for Cleveland. JaMychal Green canned a triple on L.A.’s next possession and things spiraled quickly from there.

Over the last four minutes of the first half and first two minutes of the second, the Clippers outscored the Cavs, 33-10.

By the Numbers – 4 … players in NBA history that have posted an 11-game stretch of at least 17 field goal attempts and 6.2 three-point attempts – connecting on 55 percent from the floor and 50 percent from long-range on those shots: Klay Thompson, Ray Allen, Dale Ellis and the only rookie on that list – Collin Sexton.

Quotable – Cedi Osman, on the game’s leading scorer, Jordan Clarkson …

”I’m not really surprised by [Jordan Clarkson’s] performance. He does this all the time. He is a professional scorer. He is a great player. You just give him the ball and he will score the basketball. He played great tonight, but the whole season he’s been playing perfectly.”

Up Next -- With now just five games to play in the 2018-19 season following Saturday afternoon’s loss in L.A., the Wine &amp; Gold’s roadie rolls on with a Monday night matchup against the Suns in Phoenix. The Cavaliers close out the trip with a back-to-back later in the week – traveling to Sacramento for a Thursday night meeting with the Kings followed by a stop in Oakland the following evening, closing out the road schedule against the World Champs. Cleveland comes home to welcome the Spurs to town on Sunday afternoon before wrapping up on Fan Appreciation Night against Charlotte on Tuesday at The Q.

second-quarter-surge-lifts-clippers-past-cavs

Second Quarter Surge Lifts Clippers Past Cavs

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Wrap-Up -- On Thursday night, the Wine &amp; Gold went toe-to-toe with one of the NBA’s true heavyweights – slugging it out for four quarters before the Spurs delivered the late K.O.

The scrappy Cavs went up a deuce with 3:32 to play on Cedi Osman’s finger-roll, but the Spurs would proceed to close the game on a 12-4 run – punctuated by Patty Mills’ triple with 14.5 remaining – handing Cleveland the 116-110 loss at the AT&amp;T Center.

In a game that featured 11 ties and 12 lead-changes, the Cavaliers maintained control through much of the first half – taking a nine-point edge into the halftime locker room.

But the Spurs would come out to tally 40 points in the third quarter and 32 more in the fourth – finally pulling past Cleveland in the contest’s final three minutes.

Collin Sexton once again led the Cavaliers in scoring – finishing with 24 points on 10-for-17 shooting, including 3-of-7 from long-range to go with three assists and a pair of rebounds. The Young Bull canned his first seven shots before running out of steam in the final period.

Kevin Love bounced back from a rough outing on Tuesday night against Boston to notch 18 points and eight boards, going 7-for-13 from the floor, including 2-of-4 from long-range. As good as Love was through the first three quarters, Love trailed off after intermission – netting just two points and three boards after the break.

Brandon Knight had a strong outing across from Sexton – chipping in with 14 points on 6-for-9 shooting, drilling both triples he attempted.

On a night that the Spurs retired the great Manu Ginobili’s jersey, it was only fitting that each team produced three reserves in double-figures.

For the Cavaliers, Larry Nance Jr. led the way – doubling-up for the 14th time this season with 13 points and a game-high 11 boards. Nance – who also helped hold All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge to 14 points on 6-for-15 shooting – also led the Wine &amp; Gold in assists (4) and steals (2) while recording the squad’s only blocked shot.

David Nwaba turned in 18 very efficient minutes off the bench – finishing with 11 points, three boards and a steal on 5-of-6 shooting.

Jordan Clarkson finished in double-figures for the 16th straight occasion, but he struggled to get there – going just 4-of-15 from the floor to finish with 10 points, adding six rebounds, three assists and a steal in the loss.

DeMar DeRozan, in his first meeting against Cleveland as a Spur, led both squads with 25 points on 10-of-12 shooting to go with eight assists.

Marco Belinelli, Patty Mills and Rudy Gay all registered double-figures off the bench for San Antonio – and each made it count. Belinelli was 7-for-11 from the floor, Mills canned a pair of painful daggers and Gay notched 10 of his 12 points after intermission.

Sexton records double figure scoring for the 67th time this season.

Turning Point -- The Spurs late push to end the game eventually decided the final score. But it was the first few minutes out of the halftime locker room that set the table.

The Cavs went into half up by nine and made it 11 on Tristan Thompson’s floater to start the second stanza. But the Spurs would answer back immediately – with DeMar DeRozan scoring 11 quick points, keying a 21-7 run that put the Spurs back in the lead.

Brandon Knight would tie the game on Cleveland’s next possession, but the Cavaliers lost any margin for error the rest of the way.

By the Numbers – 24.5, .551, .500, .879 … Collin Sexton’s scoring average – plus shooting percentages from the floor, beyond the arc and from the free throw line – over his last 11 games, tallying at least 20 points in 10 of them.

Quotable – Coach Larry Drew, on San Antonio’s surge to start the third period …

”They made a run. They’re on their home floor and we kind of anticipated they’d make a run and we’d have to weather the storm. I thought we did. We were right there until the end. We just didn’t execute well down the stretch.”

Up Next -- Following Thursday night’s loss at the AT&amp;T Center, the Wine &amp; Gold’s late-season roadie rolls on – with the Cavaliers traveling to Tinseltown for a Saturday afternoon clash with the Clippers to close out the month of March. On Monday night, the Cavs head to the Valley of the Sun for a showdown with the Suns and close out the junket later in the week, with a Thursday-Friday back-to-back against the Kings and Warriors. Larry Drew’s squad returns home to close out the campaign – welcoming the Spurs on Sunday afternoon and wrapping up on Fan App Night against the Hornets.

wine-gold-fall-in-hard-fought-battle-in-san-antonio

Wine & Gold Fall in Hard Fought Battle in San Antonio

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Wrap-Up -- On Tuesday night at The Q, the Cavaliers were never able to get over the hump.

Cleveland took brief leads early in the game and midway through the second quarter and came back to tie the affair at 92-apiece early in the fourth, but Boston essentially kept the Cavs at bay all night – hanging on for the, 116-106, win while handing Larry Drew’s squad its third straight loss and sweeping the season series.

The Wine &amp; Gold got within a deuce on Larry Nance Jr.’s two free throws midway through the final period, but Boston answered with a 10-2 run that got them back into the driver’s seat – holding off a late rally to snap a four-game skid.

After failing to reach the 20-point plateau after eight straight on Sunday afternoon in Milwaukee, rookie Collin Sexton bounced back with a team-high 24 points on Tuesday – going 9-of-19 from the floor, including 3-of-7 from deep, adding three assists and two boards.

Jordan Clarkson followed up with 18 points and five assists, going 7-of-11 from the floor and 4-of-6 from the stripe. As good as those numbers were, the two missed free throws will haunt Clarkson – rattling out a pair with 2:29 to play that would’ve got Cleveland to within four.

Cedi Osman notched 15 points on 6-for-9 shooting, including 3-of-6 from deep, to go with seven boards and a pair of assists.

Kevin Love rounded out the Cavalier starters in double-figures – doubling-up for the ninth time since the All-Star Break with 10 points and 11 boards despite shooting poorly from the floor – going 3-for-13 from the field, including 0-for-5 from beyond the arc to go with four assists.

Larry Nance Jr. came off the bench to post another strong all-around floor game – finishing with 13 points, a team-high seven assists, three boards and a steal.

Marcus Smart and Jayson Tatum each finished with 21 points to lead six Celtics in double-figures. Former Shaker Heights star Terry Rozier, playing in place of Kyrie Irving – out due to “load management” – finished with 11 points, five boards and a pair of steals.

Sexton drops a team-high 24 points on Tuesday night.

Turning Point -- After taking the lead midway through the first quarter, the Celtics spent the rest of the night answering the Cavs' runs.

They staved off Cleveland’s final push with less than three minutes to play.

After taking a 10-point advantage at the 3:31 mark, the Cavaliers scored two quick baskets by Larry Nance Jr. On Boston’s next possession, Nance picked Marcus Smart and fed Jordan Clarkson who was fouled by Aron Baynes – looking to cut Boston’s lead to four with 2:29 remaining.

But Clarkson clanged both free throws and Smart proceeded to convert an and-one on the other end. The five-point swing put the Celtics back up by nine and essentially put the game on ice.

By the Numbers – 2, 20, 20, 31, 22 … games this season, respectively, that Larry Nance Jr. has led the team in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and blocked shots.

Quotable – Larry Nance Jr., on fighting hard against Boston on Tuesday night …

"It’s another sign of our resiliency. That’s growth. Earlier in the year, that could have snowballed and gotten to 20-30 on our home court. I think it shows some maturity and some growth that we stay in it and fought until the very end. That’s a playoff team and they’re poised for a pretty big run. The fact that we could hang in there, take some of their punches and throw some of our own was impressive."