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Cavs Top 3: Donovan Mitchell struggles and the Cleveland Cavaliers fall against the Minnesota Timberwolves

By Chad Porto

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JANUARY 14: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers dribbles the ball while Anthony Edwards #1 of the Minnesota Timberwolves defends in the third quarter of the game at Target Center on January 14, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Cavaliers 110-102. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JANUARY 14: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers dribbles the ball while Anthony Edwards #1 of the Minnesota Timberwolves defends in the third quarter of the game at Target Center on January 14, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Cavaliers 110-102. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) /
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The Cleveland Cavaliers fell apart in the fourth quarter, losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and their wildly inconsistent outings continue as the team lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves 110-102 on Friday night. The Cavs wrapped up their five-game road trip with a record of 2-3, and the loss to Timberwolves capped off what should be considered a disappointing trip.

Every team the Cavs played, save for the Denver Nuggets was under .500 when they arrived, and they managed to drop games to the Nuggets, Timberwolves, and Utah Jazz. It’s one thing to lose to the Nuggets, as big man Nikola Jokic is screaming for a potential third-straight MVP season. The Jazz and T-Wolves however are barely playoff contenders at this point.

The worst part about the outings is that it’s not one thing. Yes, the perimeter defense was bad against the Nuggets, but the Cavs played hard against the T-Wovles and Jazz. Inconsistent use on the bench didn’t help, Donovan Mitchell missed one game and struggled in another, and the Cavs’ interior defense fell apart when tested.

Maybe it’s the road trip as a whole, as it can drain you of your energy, but the team can’t keep relying on these reasons as excuses.

This team has got to get more comfortable giving other players shots besides Mitchell and Darius Garland. The team is just 22nd in the league in assists, and while it’s not an indication of ball movement, it is a pretty telling revelation on how this team can get caught up in iso plays and poor shot selection.

Every possession should see the ball get moved around until someone gets the best shot possible. It’s fine to rely on Mitchell every so often but when he struggles as he did against the T-Wolves, the Cavs just fall apart. This team has too much talent to fall apart on offense ever.

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Cleveland Cavaliers top 3 vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves

1 Point – Kevin Love

20 minutes, 6 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, +1 BPM
.285/.500/.000

2 Points – Caris LeVert

31 minutes 12 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, +4 BPM
.500/.000/1.000

3 Points – Jarrett Allen

34 minutes, 19 points, 2 assists, 6 rebounds, -4 BPM
.800/.000/1.000

Cavs Top 3 Seasonal Standings

  1. Donovan Mitchell –54 Points
  2. Darius Garland – 43 Points
  3. Evan Mobley – 29 Points
  4. Cedi Osman & Jarrett Allen – 28 Points
  5. Caris LeVert – 20 Points
  6. Kevin Love – 19 Points
  7. Isaac Okoro – 9 Points
  8. Dean Wade – 3 Points
  9. Lamar Stevens & Raul Neto – 2 Points

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