The Cleveland Cavaliers fell to 0-2 in the NBA preseason with a 129-117 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Thursday. Cleveland ended its previous preseason matchup with a four-point home loss to the Chicago Bulls. Cavs big man Evan Mobley highlighted Tuesday night’s game with 19 points and six rebounds. Cleveland will move on to face the Detroit Pistons on Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. EDT at Little Caesars Arena.
The Cavs, as a whole, hit just above 50% of their shot attempts at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse but nearly faced a 50/40/90 night from the Pacers. Indiana guard Bennedict Mathurin led the squad with 25 points as he sank eight of his 12 shots from the floor and five of his eight three-pointers. Six Cavaliers ended the game in double digits, including Cavs training camp signee and former Washington Wizards guard Jules Bernard.
Let’s dive into some of the top performers for the Cavs during their preseason loss to the Pacers.
Top 4 Cavs Performances in Cleveland’s Preseason Loss to the Pacers
Jarrett Allen
Center Jarrett Allen finished the night with 13 points and six rebounds. The former Brooklyn Nets big built off of a solid first game that saw him tie in total rebounds with Mobley. He hit six of his eight shots from the interior, including all but one from the paint. His connection with his Cavs teammates paved the way to four assists off cuts and drives from bigs and guards alike.
Allen must continue to be an important piece on the inside after ending the night with a team-leading 12 points in the paint and six second-chance points. The former All-Star used a variety of close-range shots to keep Cleveland on pace with the Pacers during his nearly 15 minutes on the floor.
Craig Porter Jr.
Guard Craig Porter Jr. finished the night with 14 points and four assists. He showed much-needed proficiency from the three-point line as he hit step-back and catch-and-shoot attempts from the perimeter. The 6-foot-1 guard’s night was highlighted by a leaping block to deny a paint attempt from Pacers guard Tristen Newton. The former Wichita State guard added one steal. He picked off a pass that led to a fast break score from forward Luke Travers in the third quarter.
Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson said he wanted to see Porter become more of a defensive presence for the Cavs in a Thursday preseason media conference.
“I think the offense is going to come,” Aktinson said. “He hit two 3-pointers tonight. You’ve got Darius (Garland) and Donovan (Mitchell), you’ve got to be able to play off the ball and make shots.
“He can get in the lane when he wants. He’s got the dribble moves to get into the lane. But I want him to really focus on the defensive side.”
Ty Jerome
Guard Ty Jerome had “rounded into form” during his 15-point, eight-assist performance, Atkinson said. He was an inefficient 5-14 from the field. Still, Jerome found his stride off a slew of solid passes during his 23 minutes on the floor. He showed signs of improvement from Cleveland’s four-point loss to Chicago on Tuesday, where he hit two of his 10 shots and went 0-6 from the three-point line.
“I thought he was better than the first night,” Atkinson said. “Ran the team a little better. His conditioning was a little better. That was part of the plan tonight: Getting him minutes. Getting him some good minutes. I thought he was good.”
Jaylon Tyson
Rookie Jaylon Tyson finished with a well-rounded 11 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals. He was seemingly all over the floor on both sides of the court. The Cal product hit his lone three-point attempt. He continuously cut through Indiana’s defense with strong drives to the hoop. He picked off passes with ease while dishing the ball for a handful of open looks from all across the halfcourt.
“He’s everywhere,” Atkinson said. “Don’t count him out. I think he’s a ‘find a way’ guy. He’s just going to find a way…
“He’s kind of a jack of all trades. He can do so many things. I love that he is not afraid. He is going to try to throw the behind-the-head pass. He’s got a little flair to him. He’s a really interesting player for us.”
