ATLANTA -- The 2022 NBA All-Star Game isn’t until Sunday night. But 700 miles away from the host city, Darius Garland and Trae Young provided an early preview.
Two of the league’s brightest young point guards -- and All-Star counterparts who will be on opposite teams for the midseason exhibition inside Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse -- dueled throughout Tuesday’s matchup. In the end, Young’s Hawks got the better of Garland’s Cavaliers, 124-116, in the first half finale.
Cleveland goes into the break riding a two-game losing streak, its first multi-game skid since late December.
“We’ll be fine. We’ll be fine. We lost to two good basketball teams. Two players that are elite players -- Trae Young and Joel Embiid,” Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said in response to the losing streak. “They both had great nights. They had to have great nights to beat us. We’ll go back obviously, but we’ll come out confident and ready to go.”
Young -- voted an All-Star starter by a combination of fans, media members and players -- erupted for 41 points on 13-of-22 from the field and 4-of-7 from 3-point range to go with a game-high nine assists.
Garland, picked as a first-time reserve by NBA coaches, had a team-best 30 points and eight assists.
“I thought Darius was really good,” Bickerstaff said. “I thought he played a complete game for us on both sides of the ball. He did the things we asked him to do and that’s who he is. That’s why we’re in the position we’re in and that’s why he’s an All-Star.”
Three other Cavaliers -- rookie Evan Mobley (22), Kevin Love (21) and Jarrett Allen (14) -- reached double figures on a night offense wasn’t the issue. The Cavs shot 51.1% from the field and made 16 3-pointers. They dished out 30 assists on 45 made shots.
Surprisingly, the other end of the floor was Tuesday’s culprit. Defense has spearheaded Cleveland’s turnaround, as it entered the night with the league’s third-best rating. But the Cavs couldn’t contain Young and the rest of the Hawks’ explosive offense, giving up a whopping 66 points in the first half. The Hawks shot 53.8% from the floor and 42.4% from 3-point range overall.
Switches came too easy. Point-of-attack defense was weak. Triples were too often uncontested. Closeouts were sloppy. Rim protection lacked.
De’Andre Hunter’s wide-open 3-pointer from the top of the key, which gave Atlanta a game-high nine-point lead, was a perfect example. That play forced a perturbed Bickerstaff to call timeout.
“I thought tonight was more of an offensive game than a defensive game,” Bickerstaff said. “That’s a good basketball team that’s got a lot to prove. They came out and they played well. They put us in tough positions. Obviously the free throw discrepancy (27-12 in favor of the Hawks in attempts). But they do a good job of keeping you on edge because of their ability to draw those fouls. So usually where we’re able to be more physical and we’re more aggressive, tonight we weren’t because of that fear of the free-throw line and whistle. The way that the game went and the whistles were blown, we weren’t allowed to play defense.”
Following that brief stoppage around the five-minute mark, Bickerstaff drew up a set, freeing up Garland away from the ball for a corner triple to make it a two-possession game once again.
But the Cavs couldn’t get closer.
Atlanta’s Danilo Gallinari scored a season-high 25 points, giving Young plenty enough offensive support. The Hawks had five players score in double figures.
The night after Valentine’s Day, (Kevin) Love was in the air. Cleveland’s veteran scored 14 of his 21 points in the first half. With his eighth point Tuesday, Love reached 14,000 for his storied career and entered elite company. Love is just the fourth player in NBA history with at least 14,000 points, 8,000 rebounds and 1,400 3-pointers. The other three: LeBron James, Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki.
After a magical first half of the season, rising from futility back to respectability, the Cavs have lost two straight going into the break.
All-Star Weekend will be a chance to celebrate the first-half success, including All-Star nods for Garland and Allen, but it’s also time to regroup for a second-half playoff push -- a position Cleveland hasn’t been in since 2018.
The Cavs could use it.
“We’ve done a helluva job to be in the position that we’re in and that was the message to the guys,” Bickerstaff said. “The message was also to make sure that we take the break and use it wisely. Physically and mentally we all need to refresh. But this can’t be an opportunity where we come back and we’re not prepared for what’s ahead of us. We need to be one of those teams that’s coming out of the break firing.”
All-Star news
Shortly before the team charter landed in Atlanta, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver chose Allen as James Harden’s injury replacement for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game. Bickerstaff shared the news with Allen, who was playing a video game at the time.
“It’s a great moment, obviously, but it’s so Jarrett at the same time,” Bickerstaff said. “It was like literally he couldn’t pause his video game, so we tell him and he goes right back to his video game. But you knew how much it meant to him, you could tell by the smile on his face. It means a lot, the recognition from the league and from your peers and being able to participate in the league’s biggest party is a big deal for guys. We’re happy for him and he’s deserving.”
Ramping up
Lauri Markkanen missed his 11th game because of a high ankle sprain. Markkanen, who practiced a bit on Monday and then went through a pregame workout Tuesday night, will stay in Cleveland throughout the All-Star break and continue his rehab. Bickerstaff wouldn’t commit to Markkanen being ready for the first game of the second half.
Up next
The Cavs go into the All-Star break. Their first game of the second half is Feb. 24, when they travel to Detroit for a matchup against the Pistons. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
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