Cavs, Missing Three Starters, Outlast T-Wolves in OT Thriller
A Friday-night ESPN matchup featuring two contending teams, albeit without much of their star power, lived up to expectations, as the Cleveland Cavaliers came out victorious in overtime against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Cavs were without their All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, as well as starters Evan Mobley and Max Strus. Despite the absences, the surging Cavs squad weathered the storm and picked up the home win in front of a raucous crowd at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. The Timberwolves just received news today that All-Star big-man Karl Anthony-Towns would undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus, and they will reevaluate him in a month before the playoffs begin.
In KAT’s place, T-Wolves sixth man Naz Reid is a primary piece in picking up the scoring, and he did so tonight in a dominant fashion, recording a career-high 34 points. Naz Reid went 7-11 from the three-point line, while the rest of the team went a dismal 1-19 from deep. Star guard Anthony Edwards, who was fresh off a 44-point, game-saving block performance, scored 19 points on an inefficient 7-26 from the field and was held scoreless in the fourth quarter and OT. For the Cavs, center Jarrett Allen stepped up with a career-high himself, dropping 33 points and 18 rebounds. Allen went a whopping 15-21 from the free-throw line and hit timely shots in the overtime frame to seal the victory. Guard Darius Garland made a statement himself, contributing 34 points to go along with eight dimes. Garland, Allen, and Issac Okoro all recorded 43 or more minutes played, a testament to the lack of depth that the Cavs currently possess.
The Cavs improve to 41-22 and move into a tie for second place in the Eastern Conference standings. They will look to get Mitchell and Strus back in the coming days, and Mobley will hopefully return to action in two to three weeks. The Cavs have established themselves as a clear top-four seed heading into the playoffs, and their depth is proving to be quite strong amidst a myriad of injuries throughout the year. Their nine-man rotation of Garland-Mitchell-Strus-Mobley-Allen, LeVert-Okoro-Niang-Wade has a strong combination of defensive versatility and offensive firepower, making them a dangerous threat to the top dogs in the East.
