A song by metal band Twisted Sister, "We're not going to take it anymore, is not about frustrated, slipping sports teams, but it nonetheless describes the attitude of the Cavaliers these days.
The Cavaliers lost six of seven and three straight games before defeating the Toronto Raptors, 104–96, March 6 at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
"I think everyone is (marked) in the right way," forward Laurie Markkanen said after the morning shootout at Cleveland Clinic Court in Independence. "We know that if we do what we should, we'll be fine. Obviously, we take everything seriously, but we're also talking about having fun with the game.
"When you're losing, it's easy to get carried away. You see when we were having success at the beginning of the year, how much fun we had on the floor as a group. That's what we're trying to do. "
#Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff answers a question about how his team responded to losing Jarrett Allen to a quadriceps injury. pic.twitter.com/gDvuV0Ta8K
— Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) March 7, 2022
Coach JB Bickerstaff likes this approach of his players. The way he sees it, the team is collectively considering getting back on track rather than blaming one or two players for not gaining weight.
"When it's expressed in the right way, it can be very helpful," Bickerstaff said at his pregame news conference. "I think it comes from them understanding what they need to do to accomplish this as a team.
"We've been very lucky with this group. We haven't had such moments of individual despair overtaking the team and making people feel like they have a lot to do on their own. It seems like the year has been a collective:' This is where we are. We have to figure out a way to make it work. Let's do it together."
#Cavaliers fans are really into it tonight at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for the game with Toronto. Listen to the roar after Kevin Love drained 3. The joint is packed! pic.twitter.com/OLzEvfJdZw
— Jeff Schudel (@jsproinsider) March 7, 2022
The game wasn't a must for the Cavaliers, but it was one they desperately wanted. The Cavs (37-27) are still sixth in the NBA East, but they are now three games to the seventh-placed Raptors. Had Toronto won the lead would have been one game.
"(It showed) we know how to respond to the moment," Bickerstaff said. “We had individual people, but it was still the team that did it. Whoever we called, they gave us what we needed.”
The Raptors were short-handed and played like that. All-Star guard Fred VanVleet, averaging 21.4 points per game, missed the game with a pain in his right knee. Small forward OG Anunoby, averaging 17.5 points a game, is out with a fractured right ring finger.
The Cavaliers are still without injured backup guards Caris Levert (leg) and Rajon Rondo (toe). Then, late in the first quarter, Jarrett Allen left the game with the quadriceps and no return. Cav misses to make his rebounding shot. At his postgame news conference, Bickerstaff had no update on Allen's situation. The Athletic is reporting that Allen also suffered a fractured finger.
A 13-point lead in the second quarter for the Cavaliers came down to 62-61, with 6:28 left in the third quarter. Darius Garland scored on the driving lay-up to stop the bleeding, then Evan Mobley slammed home an alley-up off Garland. Garland pulled out a Rainbow 3 to get the Cavaliers up to speed again.
But the basket that really made the joke Markkanen talked about back in the game, the one that brought the players to the Cavaliers bench and the one that brought the sold-out crowd at the Rocket Mortgage fieldhouse to their collective feet, was a soaring, loud To extend the lead to 84-68 with 8:38 to play the driving dunk by Dean Wade.
"I wasn't surprised," Markkanen said after the game. "Maybe my bench reaction sounded like I was shocked, but I knew Dean Wade could do it.
“Everyone tells him to be aggressive, and the next play he does. It's clearly nice to have him. It got us moving too, so it was a big game for us. ,
The Cavaliers are in the fray for the next three matches. They play with the Pacers in Indiana on March 8, the Heat in Miami on March 11, and the Bulls in Chicago on March 12.