By james art Cleveland Cavaliers face their first difficult period of the season after losing their third consecutive game on Saturday night, losing 135-131 to Houston Rockets at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
Despite the phenomenal performance of Darius Garland, who almost led Cavalars to a dramatic return, Cleveland could not finish the rally after lagging behind 17 at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Garland’s penalty at 1:51 leveled the match to 124, but the CVS failed to maintain momentum as Houston pulled away in the last moments, becoming the second team this season, which defeated Cleveland twice.
The rear box of the quarrel made an impressive exit, combining 82 points with 51% firing from the floor. Garland finished with the highest 39 points in the match, including 4-from-7 of the three-point range and a perfect 7-for-7 of the penalty line, while adding nine assists. Its recent form is exceptional, an average of 26.7 points per match at 53% shooting in his last nine games, with at least seven assists in seven of these competitions.
Donovan Mitchell contributed 33 points to the loss, scoring 11 for 27 of the game and adding seven assists. This was scored by Mitchell’s fifth game with 30 points in his last seven exits, which further consolidated his offensive power.
Georges Niang is also significantly activated by the bench, contributing to a record of 21 points, firing 6-from-7 beyond the arc and adding four rebounds and one stolen ball. Niang’s performance reflects the success of the Ty Jerome shooting, which had an exceptional game the night before, recording 8-8 of three points in Philadelphia.
However, the cavaliers fought in defense, especially in the last period, where they allowed 47 points. The Houston and Amen Thompson Alperin Segun, who recorded a triple-double, created Cleveland problems throughout the match.
“We’re just going through a difficult period,” said chief coach Kenny Atkinson after the match. “We had some injuries, so now your list is thinner, now you’re playing more against boys. Somehow cascading, but we need a day off to regroup. But I do not see slipping in chemistry or leadership. We have a great leadership and I’m sure we’ll recover right away. “
Looking forward, Cavaliers are ready to close January with a series of challenging matches. They will face Detroit Pisant on Monday before the match, traveling to Miami on Wednesday and then accepting Atlanta Hawks on Thursday. After rare Friday and Saturday, CAVS will face Luka Doncic and Dallas Maverix next Sunday afternoon.