The Cleveland Cavaliers came into Wednesday night’s battle with the Miami Heat off of a heartbreaking defeat. Miami lobbed to Andrew Wiggins as time expired in overtime to hand Cleveland a disappointing loss.
Just two days later, and missing all of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jaylon Tyson, things were not the same for the Cavs.
The supporting cast knew they had to step up, and boy did they ever. Powered by 3rd-year un-drafted guard Craig Porter Jr, they were able to pull a surprising win out of their hat.
Let’s get more into that.
Craig Porter Jr. Sparks Cleveland Cavaliers
Coming into the fourth quarter, the Cleveland Cavaliers trailed by four points. It had been a back-and-forth affair with the Miami Heat for much of the night. Cleveland didn’t grab the lead in the first three quarters, but had made things close on a couple of occasions.
Throughout that time in the game, Craig Porter Jr. was able to give them some big buckets. He hit a few triples, and was getting to the basket, while also playing incredible defense. Porter played a team-high 32 minutes off the bench, and every one of them was important.
Tyrese Proctor hit a few huge jumpers. Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who was +20 in his 17 minutes, brought the energy De’Andre Hunter was hitting jumpers, and finished with 21 points.. Jarrett Allen was all over the paint. He had his first 30-point game in almost two years. Lonzo Ball knocked in four triples and finished the day with 15 points and eight assists.
Once the final quarter started, the entire team was making things happen. The defense held Miami to just 16 points. They poured in 30 of their own, cleaning the glass and forcing timely turnovers.
The guy who gave the most, next to Allen’s 30 and 10, was easily Porter Jr. The undrafted standout out of Wichita State came to play. He finished with 19 points, nine assists, four blocks, and was +21 in his 32 minutes on the court.
It’s worth a reminder that CPJ led his team in all five of points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks as a senior. His full skillset was on display with the team down three All-Stars.
This was not the first big game for the un-drafted Cavs guard in the league, but it serves as a nice reminder that you can find talent anywhere by knowing where to look.
Up Next for the Cleveland Cavaliers
Now that the team has Jarrett Allen and De’Andre Hunter at their best, they look to stay hot. Cleveland will be playing against the Toronto Raptors on the second night of a back-to-back set on Thursday. While both of Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley are set to return, Lonzo Ball will be sitting out.
The production they got across the board in their previous came serves as a great reminder. The team has stars, but it is depth thats wins the short-handed games. That was the problem in last year’s postseason.
As more players circle into the lineup, the team should have plenty of options to pick from. Guys like Craig Porter Jr, Tyrese Proctor, and Larry Nance Jr. will have their chances to contribute. It will just vary by night.
At 8-4, the Cavaliers sit at #2 in the East behind the 10-2 Detroit Pistons, who they have actually beaten.
The team can absolutely celebrate Wednesday’s victory. And then it’s right back to the grindstone.
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