Cavs Top 3: Kevin Love makes his old team pay but Cleveland still loses

Kevin Love couldn’t carry the Cavaliers past the Timberwolves.

The Cleveland Cavaliers can’t catch a break. The team has now lost two of three since the All-Star break and a big reason for that is the lack of Darius Garland. His lower back issues have kept him limited, and that has hurt the team’s offense. That doesn’t mean the offense is inept without him, but they’re punching blind a lot of times. Kevin Love did all he could to bring the team back and dang-sure nearly did it.

Unfortunately, an errant final shot from Cedi Osman and a turnover on a rebound by Evan Mobley sealed the fate of the Cavs in the final moments. Still, the Cavs got a lot out of replacement Brandon Goodwin, and without Rajon Rondo to help out in Garland’s stead, any positive play from Goodwin is going to help things out.

The defense struggled at times against the Timberwolves, capitalizing on mismatches, like Osman trying to cover Karl Anthony Towns on the perimeter on that go-ahead three-point shot. Rondo’s defense off the bench is sorely missed and while Garland isn’t going to win an NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award anytime soon, he does try on defense, which is something.

The game was a hard-fought, tough-loss, with the Cavs losing 127-122, and falling to 36-25 on the season.

Kevin Love makes his old team pay in loss

Cavs Top 3

1. Evan Mobley
2. Cedi Osman
3. Kevin Love

Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley did the best they could, but the Timberwolves were just too much for the duo to repel. Mobley and Allen both did well offensively but Mobley was a bit more dynamic defensively and facilitating others into the game as well. Mobley had 15 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists, with a  BPM (box +/-) of -2. Goodwin nearly got the one-point, but Mobley was someone that was challenged far more often and that deserves some respect.

It’s good to see Cedi Osman having a good game all around. He shot well from three, hitting 5-9 from behind the arc, and hitting 6-8 free throws to finish with 21 points. He also had five assists and a BPM of +6.

Lastly is Kevin Love, who helped get the Cavs back to even with the Timberwolves near the end of the fourth period. He finished with 26 points, five rebounds, four assists, and a BPM of +7. His late-game heroics helped the Cavs tie the game up, and his usefulness this season can’t be understated.

Yearly Standing:

1. Jarrett Allen (64 points)
2. Darius Garland (63 points)
3. Kevin Love (56)
4. Lauri Markkanen (38)
5. Evan Mobley (37 points)
6. (*Tie*) Cedi/OsmanRicky Rubio (32points)
7. (*Tie*) Dean Wade/Isaac Okoro (10 points)
8. Dean Wade (7 Points)
9. Rajon Rondo (6 points)
10. Lamar Stevens (4 points)
11. Brandon Goodwin (3 points)
12. (*Tie*) Caris LeVert/Dylan Windler (1 point)