Cavs Display Defense, Depth In Overcoming Injuries, Setting Suns

When it comes to Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson , no obstacle is too big to overcome.

That seems to be what weve learned through his first half-season in Cleveland.

It was on display again Monday, when the Cavaliers coasted to a 118-92 home win over the Phoenix Suns.

Despite missing Evan Mobley (calf), Isaac Okoro (shoulder) and Caris LeVert (wrist) perhaps their top three defenders the Cavs leaned on creativity, depth, resilience, you name it.

A night like tonight kind of proves that man we can go 11 deep, 12 deep, Atkinsontold reporters.

We had three rotation guys out, and normally in the NBA, youre like, Man, this is going to be a real tough one.

I did feel like that before, but this kind of reassures me that we can go deep, we can deal with injuries.

...

To have our guys step up with that elite performance makes me feel real good about where we are.

The Cavs didnt just rely on their starters.

Atkinson wasnt afraid to experiment with unconventional rotations, a move that paid off significantly.

With just over four minutes left in the first quarter, veteran center Tristan Thompson checked into the game alongside Sam Merrill , Ty Jerome , Georges Niang , and star starter Donovan Mitchell .

Thompson, who averages just 6.8 minutes per game, played a surprising 26 minutes in total, grabbing 10 rebounds and anchoring a defense that stifled Phoenixs offense.

Atkinson praised Thompsons resilience, noting how rare it is for any player to log that many consecutive minutes.

I think he played 18 minutes straight, which is, its tough for anybody to do in this league, Atkinson said.

Part of the thinking was, man, if we could save ( Jarrett Allen s) minutes, that would be really helpful.

Then I asked him, You want to come out? Hes like, No, no, Ill stay in.

He loves to hoop.

Whether we play three on three, one on one, one on one against the coaches.

He just loves the game.

...

We just love everything he brings to the table.

The Cavaliers (36-6) mixed zone and man-to-man defensive schemes to keep Phoenix off balance.

They also forced nine first-half turnovers, while committing only three of their own.

By the end of the game, they had forced 17 turnovers, a point of pride for Atkinsons squad.

Its a tough defense to score on if you think a shot is going to come open for you without you pressing the issue, Suns star Kevin Durant said .

We couldve drove it a little bit more, but we dont play against zone every game.

We dont have a zone package yet.

Offensively, the Cavs were not without their challenges early in the second quarter, struggling to maintain their usual spacing and offensive flow.

But the Suns failed to capitalize.

When Allen and Dean Wade returned to the floor alongside Darius Garland , the game shifted.

The Cavs offense came alive, scoring 32 points in the second quarter, with Allen, Garland, and Mitchell combining for 22 of those points.

Mitchell led the way with 33 points, with Garland adding 16 and seven assists.

Rookie Jaylon Tyson also provided a crucial spark, coming up with timely defensive stops and knocking down a 3-pointer.

Tyson finished with 10 points and five rebounds in just 15 minutes.

You never know when your moment is going to come, said Niang, who recorded eight points and six rebounds.

How fitting is it for when guys are out, that not only does (Tyson) impact us defensively, but he gets rewarded with making two threes.

Ive seen him work countless hours running to those spots to get those shots.

By halftime, Cleveland had established a 13-point lead, holding Phoenix to just 19 points on 6-of-19 shooting in the second quarter.

The Cavs defensive intensity, combined with timely offensive contributions from their depth, proved to be too much for the Suns.

So basically, this one was a testament to the Cavs versatility, their deep roster, and their ability to thrive even when facing significant injury setbacks.

Box Score | Cavs 118, Suns 92 This article first appeared on Hoops Wire and was syndicated with permission..

This article has been shared from the original article on yardbarker, here is the link to the original article.