118-111 Victory Secures Cavs a Playoff Spot

The Cavaliers led through most of the first half and jumped out to a 13-point edge just before intermission, but they couldn’t shake Golden State in the second half. 

After a back-and-forth second half, the Warriors clawed their way back to take a 103-100 lead with just over four minutes to play in regulation. But Donovan Mitchell tied the game with a three-pointer on Cleveland’s next possession and Jarrett Allen’s free throw on the possession after that gave the Cavs a lead they would not relinquish. 

The Cavaliers shot 51 percent from the floor and drilled 16 triples, but were far from perfect on Thursday night, allowing the shorthanded Warriors to keep the game close – missing eight free throws, allowing 13 offensive rebounds and committing 15 miscues that Golden State converted into 23 points. 

But the Wine & Gold also saw all five starters notch double-figure scoring with both big men registering a double-double. 

Mitchell led the way for Cleveland – finishing with 25 points on 7-for-14 shooting, including 4-of-7 from long-range and 7-of-7 from the stripe, adding six boards, three assists, a pair of steals and a block. 

For the third time in the eight games since his return following offseason foot surgery, Strus drilled at least six three-pointers – going 6-of-10 from deep, 9-for-14 overall, netting 24 points to go with five rebounds and a pair of assists in his second straight start. The 7^th-year pro from DePaul is now shooting an even 50 percent from beyond the arc. 

“We’ve got a good team, and we believe in ourselves,” said Strus. “We believe in the team we have. Basketball is a game of runs, the NBA is a game of runs. We just had to balance them out, come together as a group, and figure out how to win another game.”

Jarrett Allen doubled-up for the second time in the three games since his return from a knee injury, chipping in with 16 points and a game-high 13 boards. Evan Mobley tallied his 26^th double-double of the season, adding 12 points and 10 rebounds, adding five assists and a steal. 

Harden handed out five assists of his own to go with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-6 from three-point range. 

“(Harden)'s helped us a lot, especially with our bigs,” praised Donovan Mitchell, following the win. “He's helped out, letting 'em find their spots. His IQ level made my life a hell of a lot easier. Teams gotta pick and choose. And I think the biggest thing now is just continue to find ways to evolve. We're both chasing the same thing, we're all chasing the same thing. That's one of the best things about it, he's just as hungry as we all are to try to go out there and win a (championship). So, it's been great, I'm excited to go on this playoff run, we all are.”

Dennis Schroder posted rock-solid floor game, leading Cleveland’s reserves with 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting and leading the team with six assists in 20 minutes off the bench. Schroder was also part of a testy fourth quarter in which both he and Coach Kenny Atkinson picked up technical fouls, with Draymond Green naturally picking up one for Golden State. 

The Warriors were led by both Gui Santos and Brandin Podziemski with 25 points apiece, each going 9-for-15 from the floor in the loss. Green finished with nine boards and a game-high nine assists and Gary Payton II led Golden State with 12 rebounds in 27 minutes of work off the bench. 

*** The Cavaliers return home for an Easter Sunday showdown with the Pacers to tip off the final week of the regular season. They travel to Memphis the following night to close out the Western Conference portion of the schedule before a pair of big games in what could very well be a First Round playoff preview – welcoming the red-hot Hawks on Wednesday night before traveling to Atlanta for a Friday night rematch. Cleveland closes out the 82-game slate one week from Sunday with a visit from the Wizards on Fan Appreciation Night. 

*** There was only one player on the floor remaining from the epic Cavaliers-Warriors battles from the Finals era a few years ago – Draymond Green – but parts of Thursday night’s slugfest in San Francisco felt like old times between these two longtime rivals.

But when the smoke cleared on the contentious contest, it was the Wine & Gold coming out on top – securing both the 118-111 victory and a Playoff spot for the tournament that tips off in just over two weeks. 

Coach Kenny Atkinson spoke postgame about Cleveland locking in a postseason spot. “I just think of 17-16, that moment where it seemed like the sky was falling. It makes you appreciate a little more, the struggles we went through. We want more, obviously. We have the talent to do a lot more, but considering what we went through, injuries, not playing well for stretches at the beginning of the year. We've kinda found our north.”

The final game of Cleveland’s final extended roadie of the season wasn’t exactly a thing of beauty, but the Cavaliers had just enough in the tank to pull away from the Warriors – with Max Strus splashing home a pair massive triples in the final two minutes and James Harden connecting on a floater and a pair of free throws in the closing moments to seal the deal.