As they were going through their first leg of the latest back-to-back, nothing was phasing the Cleveland Cavaliers. Production was coming from all over the board in their game with the Washington Wizards, and they just let them have it all night.
The latest Cavs win can be credited to a number of players. Jarrett Allen had a big double-double. Darius Garland showed the flashes of who he was before his injuries. Donovan Mitchell did his thing. Evan Mobley added a double-double. Sam Merrill shot 80% from deep.
But the angle that this piece is taking will focus on the team’s second-round pick. Tyrese Proctor went off in the fourth quarter to ensure Cleveland would have a favorable point differential in the NBA Cup.
Tyrese Proctor Shows Fourth Quarter Magic in Cavs Win
The game was already well in hand in DC before Cleveland took the starters out in the fourth quarter. And this meant a bigger opportunity for some end of the bench guys. After a strong showing in the NBA Summer League, Tyrese Proctor has gotten some early minutes for Cleveland. Despite being the 49th overall pick in last year’s draft, he’s gotten chances to show what he can do.
Coming into Friday’s game though, Proctor had a career-high of just five points. It would be a little different this time around. After an uneventful six-minute stint in the first half, Proctor locked in from the second he entered the game. The Aussie knocked down five triples in the fourth quarter alone, nearly tripling the previous career-high he had set on opening night.
A big part of the Cavs 64-18 season was last year was their depth. As Lonzo Ball and Dean Wade didn’t play on Friday, others got the chance to do a little more. This was not the first time Proctor was given an opportunity. But it was the first one in which he showed his game with the top dogs.
They already have one of the hottest shooters in the league in Sam Merrill knocking down crazy threes off the bench. He’s over 50% on the season in six games, leading the league in makes per game. And now another one is emerging out of the woodwork. Defenses beware.
A Historic Victory for the Cleveland Cavaliers
The 148 points that the Cleveland Cavaliers scored on Friday night was tied for the third most in a game in franchise history. They made 20 out of their 45 attempts from beyond the arc, and shot nearly 50% for the contest. After struggling with free-throw disparity, they led this game 31-23. Literally, nothing went wrong.
A victory like this will do wonders for their point differential in the NBA Cup race.
When Tyrese Proctor is making threes like he was in the fourth quarter, the team will get even better. Nae’Qwan Tomlin also provided quality minutes in the games waning moments.
Every coach hopes to get as much rest for their players on the front end of back-to-backs. Zero Cavs starters played more than 28 minutes in the victory. A win not only on the scoreboard, but for fatigue too. As they prepare to battle the Chicago Bulls, they should have all their energy.
Just a quick note: In that previous 148-point outing by the way, they allowed just 80 points. Their 68-point margin of victory against the Miami Heat in 1991 was the largest in NBA history at the time.
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