CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Cavaliers wanted to get younger and more athletic as the NBA Trade Deadline approached, and that was precisely what they got in the form of guards Jordan Clarkson, Rodney Hood and forward Larry Nance Jr., along with veteran point guard George Hill.
And in Tuesday’s 129-123 victory over the Brooklyn Nets at Quicken Loans Arena, the Cavaliers got plenty of help from those new players, as all four scored in double figures and affected the game in other positive ways.
“Anytime you get a close game, no matter what part of the season you’re in, no matter the competition, to see guys rise to the occasion, you know what can happen later on,” Cavaliers small forward LeBron James said.
Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue added, “I just want to see what I’m working with. I really don’t know the guys that much, that well. I just want to see in big moments, pressure situations how they perform, and they performed well. They’ve been performing well.”
While the Cavaliers’ newest additions struggled in the first half, they came alive after halftime, especially when the game was still on the line in the fourth quarter.
With the Cavaliers and Nets trading baskets throughout much of the fourth quarter, Nance and Clarkson were the first to step up. Nance made a game-tying shot, and then, on the next possession, Clarkson converted a driving layup that put the Cavaliers up by two, 103-101.
After Hood made back-to-back jumpers, Nance caught a pass from James and threw down a dunk. Later in the fourth quarter, Nance buried a 14-footer to draw the Cavaliers even, and when the Nets went back in front, Clarkson knocked down a go-ahead 28-foot three-pointer.
With 40.2 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Hood converted a three-point play that turned out to be the game-winning shot.
“From Jordan to G-Hill to Larry to Rodney and Kyle (Korver), they were phenomenal, and they’re the reason why we won this game,” James said.
Consistent throughout the second half, Hill finished the game with 26 points, as he converted nine of his 17 looks at the basket, including three of his four three-point attempts. Additionally, Hill pulled down three rebounds, handed out five assists and stole three passes in 37 minutes on the floor.
“Just talking about it before the game, I told him, ‘In their drop defense, the guy’s all the way back at the dotted line, so you’ve got to be able to come off, be aggressive, shoot your pull-up jump shot. Be aggressive,’” Lue said of Hill.
“I thought that set a tone for us early, him getting into his pocket, shooting his pull-up jump shot and opened the game up for us. We need him to be aggressive on pick-and-rolls, getting downhill and making the right play.”
Although the Cavaliers (36-24) beat the Nets behind a strong showing from the new players, James knows there is even more talent within the team and aims to pull it out down the stretch of the regular season.
“We’re not close yet,” James said. “It’s going to be a process. We have 21 games left. We want to continue to work it. We’ll continue to work it, continue to get better, but we’re not close to where we want to be, but I like the direction we’re going in.”
