Well, that was something. The Cleveland Cavaliers haven't dramatically dropped a game like that in... quite some time. While this game holds no sweeping conclusions for the season, this 109-108 loss to the Houston Rockets won't be forgotten anytime soon. Let's do our best to unpackage what happened.
The Cavs opened the game on a heater, burying three-pointers and leaping to an early lead. Houston responded quickly, turning the game into a rock fight by the second quarter. Both teams felt like they were dragging through the mud offensively as this turned into a defensive battle between two elite teams.
It wasn't until the final minutes of the fourth quarter that Cleveland seemingly cracked the code. A dominant 19-0 run put the Cavaliers back in front with two minutes remaining. Then, chaos ensued.
We won't complain about the officials. Certainly not when the Cavaliers were granted an opportunity to win on a silver platter. But a flurry of replay reviews -- all of which felt impossible to predict given the judgment of tonight's officiating crew -- made the final minute of this game feel like a whirlwind.
Alperen Sengun was uber-physical all game, working his way to 18 points and 11 rebounds. His floater tied the game with 60 seconds left and a loose-ball foul sent him to the free throw line to give Houston the lead.
At this point, Cleveland had 4 seconds to overcome a two-point deficit. This seemed like a piece of cake once Darius Garland was not only fouled on a three-point attempt -- but was hammered to the degree of a flagrant 1 penalty. This gave Cleveland three free throws and the ball.
Unfortunately, Garland crumbled under the pressure.
This was a shock in real-time. Garland entered this game as a 90% free throw shooter but missed five attempts at the line tonight. What's worse, he had been leading the NBA in clutch points per possession as one of the best closers of the season. You'd never guess that from this performance.
Aside from the heartbreaking ending, the Cavaliers have a few performances worth hanging their hats on. Jarrett Allen fought hard as the lone big, posting 17 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals. Ty Jerome scorched the Houston bench for 18 points in 25 minutes. And, while Garland blew it at the line, he led the team in scoring with 26 points.
The Cavaliers were already facing a challenge in this game against a good team on the road. Not having Evan Mobley, Caris LeVert or Isaac Okoro compounded that. Their blunder in the final seconds erased what could have been another incredibly inspiring victory, in a season that has already been full of them.