Cavs Lose Control in the Second Half, 123-112

*** As we approach the halfway point of the season, the Cavaliers still haven’t been able to get into a groove, and after dropping a title contender on Saturday afternoon, fell to a struggling squad coming off a 55-point loss. 

Following that lopsided loss, the Jazz came out ready to rumble, running out to a 21-4 lead. Cleveland recaptured the edge just before half, but Utah jumped back in front midway through the third quarter and barely looked back – pulling away for the 123-112 road win on Monday night at Rocket Arena. 

The young Jazz were the aggressors most of the night, and while both teams shot the ball well from beyond the arc, Utah dominated on the boards, 50-30, and made 28 trips to the free throw line to just 13 for the Wine and Gold. 

After the rough start, Cleveland found its sea legs midway through the second quarter and closed the first half on a 17-2 run, taking an eight-point advantage into the locker room. But Utah came out of halftime swinging, tying the contest less than three minutes into the second stanza. The Jazz took a three-point lead on Keyonte George’s triple late in the third and didn’t trail the rest of the way.

“(Utah) just took one on the chin – a tough defeat (vs. Charlotte) – and they came in here desperate,” said Coach Kenny Atkinson. “We scored 146 points against Minnesota, and we got a little on our high-horse, which we have no right to do, and sometimes the psychology of this is the most important thing. So, they were desperate, they were physical, they won the aggressive match.”

Darius Garland led six Cavaliers in double-figures with 23 points, going 7-for-18 from the floor, including 5-of-9 from long-range and 4-of-4 from the stripe, adding eight assists and a team-best three steals. 

Donovan Mitchell followed up with 21 points on 7-for-18 shooting, including 4-of-9 from deep. Now with 143 triples on the season, Mitchell continues to lead the NBA. 

Evan Mobley had a strong all-around game on both ends – finishing with 15 points, a team-best nine boards and a season-high eight assists, adding two steals and a game-high three blocks. Over his last seven games, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year has swatted 18 shots. 

Sam Merrill rounded out the Cavalier starters in double-figures, going 5-of-11 from the floor, 3-of-8 from long-distance. Merrill has now drilled at least three threes in each of his last six games – connecting on 28 triples over that stretch. 

Cleveland drained 17 three-pointers overall on Monday night and handed out 33 assists, their fourth straight game with 30-plus. They only made 13 trips to the stripe, but canned all 13 attempts while committing just 14 turnovers – four in the second half. 

Keyonte George led all scorers with 32 points, going 8-of-16 from the floor and a perfect 12-of-12 from the line while leading both teams with nine assists. Former Cavalier Lauri Markkanen doubled-up with 28 points and 12 boards and Jusuf Nurkic led both squads with 17 rebounds. 

*** The Cavaliers didn’t get a ton of production from their second unit on Monday night. Nae’Qwan Tomlin added some much-needed energy, chipping in with 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting and Jaylon Tyson added 11 points and a pair of steals in his 25 minutes of work. 

Kevin Love, who got a nice ovation when he checked into the game midway through the opening quarter, led Utah’s second unit with 11 points, going 4-for-6 from the floor, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. Isaiah Collier led all reserves with eight assists. 

*** After dropping Monday’s decision to the Jazz, the Wine and Gold hit the road for a pair, both in the City of Brotherly Love – facing off against the Sixers on Wednesday and Friday night. The Cavs come home for a big MLK Day matinee matchup against the World Champion Thunder before getting back on the road for a matchup with the Hornets in Charlotte next Wednesday. From there, Cleveland closes out the month of January with three of their final five here at Rocket Arena.