Keep the big picture in mind as the Cavaliers head into Christmas break – Terry Pluto’s Scribbles

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Scribbles in my notebook after the Cavs’ 111-101 loss in Boston Wednesday night. All the quotes come from postgame Zoom interviews:

1. The Cavs faced the Celtics with Tacko Fall and Dean Wade in their starting lineup. Missing were three usual starters: Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley and Isaac Okoro. Allen and Okoro are out with COVID-19. Mobley is resting a sore hip.

2. Allen, Mobley and Okoro are the heart of the team’s rugged defense. That’s why I’m not going to spend a lot of time writing about this loss. Yes, it would have been nice for Lauri Markkanen to show up with a big game. Instead, the 7-footer from Finland looked lost without his tall buddies on the front line.

3. Markkanen was 2-of-12 from the field, missing all five of his 3-point attempts. He had nine rebounds in 33 minutes. That was good. But he seemed too content to stay away from the basket on offense. Too often, he was firing up long jumpers even when they kept banging off the rim. He was shoved around by Boston’s Patrick Williams (21 points, 10-of-12 shooting, 11 rebounds).

4. The Cavs are going to need more from Markkanen if Allen and Mobley are going to be out for a while. And don’t ask in the age of COVID-19 when any of these players will be back. That keeps changing. Mobley has a hip problem and the Cavs will be careful with their prized rookie.

5. Boston had all of its starters on the court except Al Horford. I would have loved to see the Cavs play this game just with Allen, perhaps the most underrated player in the NBA. The 7-footer is averaging 16.8 points, 10.8 rebounds and shooting .702 from the field. It’s like he almost never misses a shot. He is a savvy passer, a serious shot-blocker and willing paint defender.

TACKO'S FIRST NBA START — Cleveland Cavaliers center Tacko Fall had 10 rebounds and four points in 19 minutes vs. Boston Wednesday. John Kuntz, cleveland.com

6. With Mobley and Allen out, Coach J.B. Bickerstaff started Tacko Fall. It’s fun to watch him play because the man is HUGE. He looks even bigger than his 7-foot-6, 311-pound frame. He tries so hard. He has such a wonderful attitude. But the skill level is not high. There is a reason most of his pro experience the last three seasons has been in the G-League.

7. To be fair to Tacko, the Cavs played some of their best defense with him on the court. He had 10 rebounds in 19 minutes along with a pair of blocks. He scored four points. This was his first NBA start. He had played only 25 total minutes this season prior to Wednesday night.

8. Bickerstaff on Tacko: “He did a good job. He protected the paint…challenged some shots.”

9. Tacko would be best coming off the bench in short stretches to confuse opponents with his sheer size. Darius Garland mentioned how Boston “didn’t come into the paint” when Tacko was in the game. Bickerstaff will have to use him in the next few games until Allen or Mobley comes back.

10. Tacko has played four games for the Cleveland Charge in the G-League and the big man has been dominating, averaging 22.3 points, 12.5 rebounds and shooting .760 from the field.

11. In Tacko’s 19 minutes Wednesday, the Cavs were outscored by six points. That wasn’t bad on a night when Wade (minus-16), Ricky Rubio (minus-20) and Markkanen (minus-10) were much worse. Wade was a disappointment in his start. He played 23 minutes, scored only six points (2-of-5 shooting) with three rebounds. Like Markkanen, he looked passive. And like Markkanen, more will be needed from him if the Cavs go long stretches without Allen and Mobley.

12. Rubio looked tired, even though the Cavs hadn’t played for three days. He shot 2-of-12 from the field. His shots were short. He had four turnovers compared to six assists in 31 minutes. Watching a lot of Rubio and Garland in the backcourt underlined how the Cavs missed the 6-foot-5 Okoro at shooting guard. He brings defensive toughness to the backcourt, and athleticism on the fast break.

13. Credit Kevin Love with continuing to be relentless coming off the bench. He had 18 points and 12 rebounds in 23 minutes. I sense Bickerstaff wants Love to remain in the super-sub role, holding his minutes under 25 per game. The Cavs have been able to keep Love healthy. They missed the boost that Rubio and Love coming off the bench together usually gives the team.

14. Along with Love, Garland played at his usual high level. He knew the Cavs needed him to score more than usual with so many key players out. Garland delivered 28 points on 11-of-22 shooting. He was on the court for a season-high 40 minutes. He is developing into a star, a modern version of Mark Price.

15. A year ago, the Cavs would have been blown out in a game like this with three starters missing. They stayed engaged and kept it somewhat close. I like how Bickerstaff after the game mentioned being unhappy with the lack of ball movement and some of the players tending to go 1-on-1 to create their own shots. Staying away from that, sticking to their motto of “One More,” as in one more pass, has been a key to their rise – along with the defense.

16. The Cavs are off until Sunday. They have a 19-13 record. They have won 10 of their last 13 games When healthy, they are a playoff, defensive-driven, unselfish team. And that’s why the basketball picture is bright as Christmas comes.

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