Cavs fall against the Sixers anew, remain winless in the preseason

Cleveland Cavaliers remain winless in the preseason

The Cleveland Cavaliers fall to 0-2 in the preseason after dropping their rematch against the Philadelphia 76ers at home, 113-97. Despite a highly-competitive first meeting, the Cavs came out flat early and were trailing behind for the rest of the game.

Cleveland had quite a lackluster start, especially on the defensive end, allowing the visitors to erect a 33-point opening quarter tally while only managing 20 of their own. This comes just days after an uplifting public scrimmage in front of loyal home fans.

Another stark contrast to the first meeting is how the Cavs’ starters remained on the floor for much longer, probably in an effort to make adjustments on both offensive and defensive execution after their lethargic start.

Center Jarrett Allen led Cleveland with 19 points, 12 boards, and a blocked shot, while fellow starters Darius Garland, Caris LeVert, and Donovan Mitchell each finished in double-figures as well.

The Cleveland Cavaliers still have plenty of time to figure it out

Still sitting out were Evan Mobley, out for 1-2 weeks with an ankle sprain, and veteran forward Kevin Love who reportedly knocked knees with a Sixers player during their first meeting.

Dean Wade, who had been rewarded with a starting spot in lieu of both Mobley and Love, was playing quite well before being taken out with an apparent ankle injury of his own.

While the Cavs weren’t particularly terrible on offense and that could very well be expected to be improved upon, the defense left a lot to be desired, especially on the perimeter. Philadelphia torched the Cavaliers’ basket with a scorching 42.5% from deep–something that will surely be addressed in the following practices.

Allowing a visiting team to build a 21-point lead in the first half just isn’t viable if the team wants to be taken seriously as contenders in an increasingly-competitive Eastern Conference.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will look to notch their first win in the preseason win as they host an equally youthful and upgraded Atlanta Hawks team at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on Wednesday, October 12th.