Cavs dominate Giannis-less Bucks | Cleveland Cavaliers podcast

Cavs dominate Giannis-less Bucks | Cleveland Cavaliers podcast

On today’s show the Cleveland Cavaliers absolutely took care of business against the Milwaukee Bucks George Zing led the way we’ll talk about his performance and much more on today’s show are locked on Cavs your daily Cleveland Cavaliers podcast today’s episode is brought to you by Game Time download the game time app

Create an account and use our code locked on for $20 off your first purchase I’m Chris Manning the man over there in in what appears to be a turtleneck it’s color blocked it says very cool on it yes okay that’s Evan damal thanks again to Jake Stevens as always for production

Cavs bucks Cleveland absolutely shellack the yanis l Milwaukee Bucks takes care business George Nang with a career high in points Donovan Mitchell with a big Knight overall a pretty clean win for the Cs who Trail for all of 13 seconds of this game Evan what’s your big takea

Away from Cavs bucks um on a less serious note um it was Greek Heritage night in Cleveland and if I’m yanis sanmo I’m asking for a trade immediately after my team did not defend my part of my like my uh Heritage and a Arena that I do not play in normally but

My big takeaway is just this is another example of the Cavs kind of having unsung heroes every night and it’s not always Donovan Mitchell or Jared Allen without Evan Mobley and Darius Garland out there and you’re seeing role players step up with George and yang being the guy who really

Got some shine in this game after having a career high 33 points but yeah like this one for me was just it kind of felt like it was over in the first few minutes of this game especially when Cleveland just really stretched that lead wide open to start it and there

Were moments like you said like whether the Bucks temporarily took the lead for a few seconds or whatever it was like the Cavs just seemed like they were a cat playing with their food in this game and sure there’s no Giannis in this one so that certainly hurts the appeal overall

Um and like maybe grading out how this game went but I I think like the Cavs had the right game plan for how to contain Damen Lillard and then when Giannis wasn’t available it really empowered JB Baker staff and Isaac aoro really to turn the screws even tighter

On Dame and also like Chris Middleton as well just like two of the bigger stars um that were on the floor from Milwaukee and just made life difficult for them all game long and it got Out Of Reach like Midway into the third quarter is when I think um Adrien Griffin called

Off the dogs and started subbing in guys um that rarely play from Milwaukee and that’s what I knew I’m like okay credit credits to JB you really schemed up a plan to make Dame uncomfortable and it made it even more uncomfortable without Yannis out there yeah I mean no Yannis

Obviously lessons I think what we can learn from this and how you can build it forward and and all of that but you get up by 20 early you have the first quarter you do you have the second quarter you do when you when you win the

When you win the second quarter by 15 and then you win the third quarter by 16 you’re just constantly as you said turning the screws building it up and you just got big knights from in a lot of different ways there’s a lot of different guys you could look at as

Having stand up performances Nang obviously I think comes to mind first because you got a career high 33o night from Nang and he was Uber efficient was 13 to 14 from the field Mitchell has 31 Allen has 21 and 13 Merill gives you you 10 Levert gave you nine like Levert

Didn’t even didn’t play well at all he was one to seven from the field 02 from three and it just didn’t matter that’s how far they pulled ahead to win this game and just totally dominate the Bucks and this is now 11 and3 without Garland without Moy Garland closer obviously to

Coming back we just talked about it on our last show but you’re you’re winning games that you wouldn’t have expected to win you’re taking advantage the fact that Giannis didn’t play there’s some there’s going to be value at some point in the fact that they won this

Game and if it gives them an extra buffer in the standings if if it gives them an extra little tiebreaker over over at some point whatever it’s going to be there’s going to be value in Cleveland being a team that won this game that if you would have guessed a

Week ago based on who was playing and who wasn’t that they might not of there’s just going to be a boost from from getting a win like this oh absolutely um you you can even look at it like in the hard brass tax numbers like they are two games currently out of

Third place in Eastern Conference three games out of second place in the Eastern Conference um depending on how this upcoming trips goes along with what happens to Philly for sure and definitely what happens in those two games and three nights in Milwaukee next week like we could be staring

Down uh I don’t want to say the barrel but looking at a landscape where the Cavs really have handled a lot of this adversity that was thrown to them where it felt like the biggest blow in terms of just what they had been dealing with all season long in losing Garland and

Moy and like they’re still standing and they’re still thriving and I I think there is something very interesting about that um George neang called it refreshing um I I don’t think it was like pot shots at his time with Doc Rivers and Philly or his time with Quinn Snider and

Donovan Mitchell and Rudy goar and Utah but like there is something endearing just by the fact that the the Cavs could have crumbled um at any point in this stretch and there are going to be nights maybe they don’t continue this six game winning streak or kind of keep winning

In such a dominant fashion like they have been but at least for now in the in the short term it has them in a very nice spot in Eastern’s Conference standings and they are knocking on the doorstep of maybe climbing into that top three race versus when we were having

This conversation back when they lost to Lost to Toronto and they in the eighth seed in Eastern Conference and were’re saying okay play playoff like it has been staggering at least in my eyes to see how much they’ve kind of turned things around since that New Year’s Day

Loss to the Raptors and how they continue to kind of keep putting together like these really solid winds where there’s not just like a consistent individual performer of course there’s like Donovan Mitchell Jared Allen but like you have a standout in one of the role players I think for me like that’s

The most encouraging because it gives the Cavs a lot more trust when things are tight again and um that’s it’s maybe something they didn’t have uh at times last season especially when they like Donovan Mitchell said they started so red hot the start of the year last year

That when the test came like they maybe weren’t fully prepared but like this time around like maybe they do have a little bit more of a punch chance there’s where this ends up we don’t know but they’re hitting some kind of stride they’re hitting some sort of

Positive energy right now and where this ends up where it looks like when when Moy and and Garland come back that’s going to be a really big deal and if this is continuing I think more than anything else the fact that this team is just playing a lot better than you would

Have expected without those two guys I mean I me we’ll end on this for the segment before we get into Awards next this to just me had being 11 and three without those guys I think far exceeds any expectations you could have had for them without Garling without Moy yeah

Externally I think that’s certainly the case I mean NJB and D been that TI up out that tonight they they weren’t surprised and I think you know just it’s a culture win for them and also just an easy way to say like yeah we believe in our strength and numbers blah blah blah

But yeah like again they were on a three four game slide including like a very very frustrating and I I’d say like kind of embarrassing loss to the Celtics and then they lose Mo and Garland like that and you’re thinking okay this season could very well be over before it starts but they

They’ve handled this test very well I they’re not through the woods quite yet because scarland and Moy aren’t on the floor without a minute’s restriction but like they are getting through the thick of the Wilderness and they’re almost on the way out to the other side and I am

Just very fascinated to see what this team looks like as they kind of Enter The Stride after they add those two faces back to the rotation to kind of see like okay like how how legit can Cleveland really be when they are at full strength and they are are reallying

Themselves From the Inside Out coming up Game of War there’s a certain guy who goes by G wagon now he’s been upgraded from a minivan who I think is going to win MVP or at least be one of our MVPs we’ll talk about him and the other Awards after

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MVP excuse me it’s um it’s George dang for this game um career high uh really hard to believe that he had 20 points in the first half like it kind of just was a little bit of a z outcome I I think his step back three-pointer to really

Crystallize it could be a play of the night nominee but like you know have a night George yangang like we’re we’re really starting to see him look more and more comfortable we’ve talked about this quite a bit over this stretch and also just like watching the end kind of get

Acclimated out on the floor with this new team like he is really finding a touch and rhythm with this Cav’s offense he’s really taking advantage of the fact that the Cavs are becoming a lot more three-point heavy without Garland and Moy out there and tonight was a perfect

Example of it where like every shot seemed like it was just going to go in for him and unfortunately only one of his 14 attempts didn’t connect for him he was unbelievable I did know he had some of these things in him I just it

Was cool to see him just get to continue also to play like there’s definitely a little bit of you want all the guys who are in your rotation maybe not to have to be at the end of a blowout game and it would have been nice to just have

Like one other body I guess to get out there and not have neang but this I did think for a moment I will say that when I saw Tristan Thompson checking back in I’m just like jeez Damen Jones three-pointer really get him to hook that fast well they played they played

The you got they play Thompson they played Thompson and Jones together I know I thought Jones was getting a hook for Thompson already I was just like holy cow yeah you know games are over when you get the Tristan Thompson Daman Jones front court but n that is some Byron Scott level stuff

Right there folks with Tristan Thompson at the power forward spot yeah it’s wild um n was awesome didn’t know he had that in him they mid to me I I went with Mitchell vver just because I thought he really was the Domino one early and kind

Of was the one who got them out to a 20 point lead more than anybody else uh so there’s there’s that with that but both guys I think very deserving those are the two guys at The Shepherd of everything they did and again Yang is been really great of late has really

Settled in and that guy was awesome in this game and that that’s why you go get a guy that him in the first place yeah yeah Mitchell was great he Mitchell was really really good in this game for sure um I think for me it it was one of those

Early plays where he just like really bullied and I I’ll just tip my hand like when he had Andre Jackson Jr on skates like really early into this game I’m like this one might be over before it gets started because like Donovan was just like ripping from three-point range

Anywhere like he was just getting any shots he wanted it kind of looked like he was just you know really bullying Milwaukee’s defense quite a bit um you notice the Bucks went to a two three Zone and they took a Cavs a second to maybe kind of unlock that and I think

They went to that because Mitchell was just killing them from all over the floor but yeah Mitchell was Sensational in this game and also like I said when he had Andre Jackson Jr on skates when he um faked him out like that and Es saw Jackson Jr fall like that was my play

The night I do have another pick though but I want to hear yours yeah play the night for me uh the pass Mitchell made to n on the kick out uh second quarter I think it was just like Mitchell getting into the paint and then just pulling a

Pass out of nowhere with Exchange body control just unbelievable stuff from Mitchell in that moment as a Creator and getting downhill and and finding a shooter on the wing I mean I can’t use one of the words I have in our notes because we we don’t use

Cuss words on there but goodness what a pass from donov Mitchell and there you could have picked a bunch of plays in this game which is kind of the fun part of watching a game that they’re just shocking the other team it’s a glorified layup line every possession yeah or like

Even if they have like there was a play in the second quarter think that was like a busted play and then they end up getting like a loose ball and then Sam Merill just like slides up from the corner and takes a three and you’re like

Sure or like Isaac aoro had a bunch of good defensive plays in this game or the Isaac aoro lob pass to Jared Allen on the fast break just because I’m like that’s that that was another moment like okay this game’s officially over because they’re just going to be trying fun

Stuff until JB eventually calls off the the main dogs and let some of the other bench guys play so but my my honorable mention is when fases at denmo blocked Donovan Mitchell then proceeded to talk trash as Mitchell like was in the uh kind of like the photographer row and

Then you watch him get back like he’s like beating his chest talking trash then you watch him get back on the other end and gets proceeded to gets smothered by Jared Allen with a nice really nice Allen Block and then you see Mitchell just get like an easy to hand dunk like

I don’t know why man but like I’ve seen those thanes low lights on um Twitter lately and they make me chuckle but like just getting the full fases at in a kmo experience and just like that brief in yet really like made the day for me I’m

Like this is great this game’s got everything yeah thanasis is is one of one all right uh stat of the night for me so Cavs were dominant basically every category the only one that was close to even was turnovers they had 11 that the Bucks had 10 Cavs had 17 points off of

Turnovers though the Bucks only had seven Cleveland converted there it’s just another way that they really cleaned up bunch of other ones you could pick and uh they had the biggest lead of 47 at one point in this game uh they still 11 to two second chain Point

Advantage 33 to8 fast break Advantage just a ton of different things you could go with but Evan what’s your stat of the night uh this was the I’m had to correct it after the fact because they’re riding it for a second and then some garbage buckets kind of change this but this is

The fourth largest margin of victory in Cavs franchise history at 40 points um and it’s also the 135 they put up is the 12 most points scored ever uh Chris you may know this but what is the largest margin of victory in Cavs history like

This number blew me it was 68 points in 1991 when they beat the heat 148 to 80 yeah um I would have guessed in the 50s would have been my like would have been my guess and it would have been like second LeBron era like they just shellacked a

Random actually the second most was in 2021 when they beat the Raptors 14 4 to 99 and after that it’s just a bunch of 43 Point wins 40s 39s I’m trying to see like LeBron era wise what we’re looking at here uh second LeBron era the largest margin of victory

Was 39 points um against the Charlotte Hornets when they won 129 to 90 it’s just interesting to think like wow there’s some just like crazy offensive performances um but like this one it got out of the way out of the way really quick and um boy oh boy they were not kidding when

They said the Bucks certainly are not the same team they were defensively last year when uh especially with nois out there yeah all right after this there’s a big trade in the Eastern Conference that is going to have an impact on the Cavs Pascal cakam is an Indiana Pacer

We’ll talk about what it means for Cleveland and goo got locked on Raptors and locked on Pacers technically locked on Pelicans 2 cuz kir Lewis was involved in that trade so three pod you listen you right after this one but we’ll talk about SE yakum and its impact on the Cavs after

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Purchase so cakam is an Indiana Pacer and here’s why I think this matters you can again go check out locked on Pacers for the analysis of that J what it really means for Indiana and and what Tony East who does a really good job over there thinks of it but here’s the

Middle of the East right now and I’m going to include Philly in this as the three SE Philly is at 26 and 13 right now Cavs are 24 and 15 Nicks 24- 17 heat 24 and 17 Pacers 23 and 17 the magic 22 and 19 below that uh there’s a lot of sadness

Looking at you Atlanta who did beat the the the magic as we’re after we recorded this or before we recorded this de Jon Murray game winner this middle of the East I think from three and we’ll see what Philly does to8 with Orlando is going to be really

Competitive this is going the Cavs are playing awesome right now they’re 11 and three I think Garland being back will be good for them ultimately even if there’s some to figure out ditto with Moy those are two of their best three players two their best four players however you want

To rank them they’re really important and that the talent level gets higher just be prepared I think with with Indiana making this aggressive move and with the quality of some of these other teams I think for a real battle within the the rest of the EAS conference yeah it certainly is going to

Be a battle like the Raptors are kind of being this team that allow these inseason power moves for teams that are cluster in the Middle with the New York getting OG and anobi who according to Jake fiser um the Pacers were trying to get before they set their sights on Pascal

Cakam um and then more so recently like now like you have the Raptors sending Pascal seak to Indiana like it’s a fun wrinkle for um excuse me just because like for the Cavs at least like this is another division opponent this is a team the Cavs have struggled with at times

This season already and um I I’m interested to see how they handle it just because like it’s another bigger team like you look at yanis and brook or now you look at Pascal and Miles Turner or you have like Mo versus Mo and Allen like there’s a excuse me again um

Actually let me Pause let tickle on the back of my throat um good I’ll just start back at the top 3 2 1 yeah it’s interesting just because like Toronto’s kind of been like the merchant for these teams that are in that grouping that are making the power moves whether it’s um Oobi going to the

New York Knicks or it is uh um Pascal seak joining the Indiana Pacers but now like it does make the middle of the Eastern Conference a lot more hyper competitive like the margin of error is already pretty thin enough like I’ve been talking about how the Cavs have really climbed that ladder

From the a seed after that loss at Toronto to kind of breathing down the necks of Philly but like a loss or two tumbles them back and things and it helps teams like New York or Indiana or Orlando or Miami or even Philly just because of how like tight is just across

The Spectrum or the Rubicon for these guys and so it’s it makes it fun I think I think it makes it a little bit more interesting for Cleveland because this is a in division opponent that you’re dealing with um just because you know it’s Indiana and Cleveland playing the same division but

Like it’s an interesting test for Mo Allen because seak and Turner is just like already a tough Duo on paper but like they hit certain pressure points on clevan specifically and it just makes it a little bit of a tougher outing especially now like that this isn’t Indiana team the Cavs have struggled

Against like I wonder how the Cavs kind of handle things next time they both face each other and uh it’ll be an interesting way to see how GP picker kind of prepares the Cavs for that that scenario especially if Mo is healthy for that next game I I just think from a

Basketball fan perspective too like we we win with stuff like this you can think what you want about the trade you can analyze it however you see fit but there’s going to this is going to be fun and if you look ahead on the schedule Cavs have two more games against Indiana

They play in in Indiana on March 18th that’s going to be the last game of a little bit of a road trip where they are they start in New Orleans they go to Houston then they finish in Indiana three three very different cities there end of the year second and last game of

The regular season after after they play Memphis two days before they get the Indiana Pacers at home in a game that could have real value a game that could mean something for that team a team a game that that could have impact on playoff seating depending on where things go end of the

Year that that makes that fun that makes that interesting more than it already was going to be so I think just from a purely basketball fan perspective that’s really darn cool that we’re getting something like this yeah and I think just again like the fact that like the

Margins are so thin already and like it’s going to be hyper competitive down the stretch like it it makes like you said like those games in March have higher Stakes when sometimes at that point in the season you start to realize like who does or maybe doesn’t have it

Um and in that scenario like it just makes it even more fun and exciting for all the teams involved like I and also just like like you said as a basketball fan like the duo of Turner and cakam is fun with tyres Halton on top of that and

They still have buddy field they still heal excuse me they still have Benedict mathine like the Pacers still have a lot of their parts um cost them Jordan Nora Bruce Brown and three first round picks like I I can I can question the Optics maybe of giving up three first to get a

Guy alak unless he’s like going to commit to you long term but regardless it’s a fun move just because it’s a sud sudo power move to in the Pacers case hopefully like separate the golf a little bit or the gap of what you’re maybe dealing with on

A game to game basis in this kind of weird middle that’s happening in the East and it at least makes the challenge for other teams that haven’t made those moves or maybe have made those moves in the past like really like line up and rise up to the OCC

We’re going to end there I’m Chris Manning that’s s DL thanks again to Jake Stevens as always back tomorrow with more lock on CS talking about stock up stock down the trade market all that and more thanks for tuning in enjoy the rest of your Day

On a new episode of Locked on Cavs (Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024) hosts Chris Manning (@cwmwrites, The Just Basketball Show, SB Nation’s Fear the Sword, Forbes Sports) and Evan Dammarell (@AmNotEvan, Right Down Euclid) discuss the Cavs’ dominating win over the Giannis-less Bucks, give out game awards (MVP, stat of the night, play of the night) and talk about what the Pascal Siakam trade means for the middle of the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

This episode was produced by Jake Stephens. The intro music is from our friends at Astral Radio.

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