Watching the Market: Cleveland Cavaliers at Atlanta Hawks
Cavs fell short of another 20+ point comeback.
Stock Up:
Did somebody say Craig Porter Jr.?
It’s been a few weeks since CPJ captured the hearts of Cavs Twitter but tonight, he shined in his limited minutes on the floor. Porter played just 15 minutes but put together 13 points on 6-8 shooting, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal.
Craig Porter Jr. puts on a series of moves and hits the floater
— NBA (@NBA) March 7, 2024
Cavs-Hawks | Live on the NBA App
https://t.co/uHWUNfNJAp pic.twitter.com/qJW15vXTbm
A strong drive to the basket led to an and-one slam and a few plays later, Porter put the moves on DeJounte Murray to remind us how talented the undrafted rookie is.
Jarrett Allen went back to work cleaning the glass as Cleveland’s lone big. He hauled in 19 rebounds and is averaging 12.1 rebounds in Evan Mobley’s absence this season. Allen’s 18 points gave him his 30th double-double of the season.
Isaac Okoro won’t stop getting better. He notched 17 points despite going 1-5 from downtown, barreling his way to the basket and stringing together a handful of dribble moves. Inside the perimeter, Okoro shot a clean 6-8 tonight.
Stock down:
Darius Garland is leaving much to be desired. The onus is on Garland to score in bunches with Donovan Mitchell on the sideline. 15 points tonight just won’t cut it. His inability to score inside the paint and a 3-11 shooting night from beyond it is too much for Cleveland’s offense to overcome.
Garland dished 7 assists tonight but a few crucial turnovers — and relentlessly being hunted defensively by Atlanta — was the nail in the coffin.
Sam Merrill is everyone’s favorite sharpshooter but his shooting has been anything but sharp in recent games. He shot a bitter 0-9 from deep tonight and was just 2-6 in Cleveland’s previous game. A little Merrill Mania might have turned the tides of this game. Instead, it’s going into the loss column.