The Cavaliers came out on fire, making each of their first 10 shots, but the Trail Blazers were able to stay right with them and only trailed 34-31 after the first quarter.
Portland really turned it on the second thanks to some strong play from point guard Damian Lillard, and took a 55-50 lead into the half. They then went a huge run to start the third quarter, grabbing a 13-point lead, and cruised to the easy victory.
Turning Point:
The Blazers started the third quarter on a 12-4 run, turning a slim five-point halftime lead into a double-digit cushion. That put them in control of the game, and they never gave it back to the Cavs.
Key Stat:
After going 10-10 to start the game, the Cavaliers shot just 21-75 in the last three and a half quarters. That's far from the offensive juggernaut we thought Cleveland was going to be.
Cleveland MVP:
Kevin Love continued to be his usual productive, efficient self for the Cavaliers, finishing with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Unfortunately, he didn't get any help from the rest of his team.
Portland MVP:
Lillard broke out of his slump and was the player that took over the first round of the playoffs last season. He dropped 27 points on the Cavs to go along with six rebounds and seven assists while severely outplaying Kyrie Irving.
What Did We Learn?
Cleveland's offense was really disjointed for most of the game, as you could tell their players still aren't used to playing together. That will come in time, but their sloppy defensive rotations were exposed.
Portland continually made the extra pass on offense and found a man WIDE open, simply because the Cavs were lazy and not playing team defense. Cleveland's offense will eventually take care of itself, but their rotations (or lack thereof) are much more alarming.
As for the Blazers, their lack of depth isn't surprising, but it doesn't make it any less worrisome. They got only 11 points from their bench tonight, forcing their starters to pick up the slack. Lillard, Aldridge, & Co. were able to do that, but Portland needs their reserves to be more productive to avoid wearing out their key players over the course of the long season.
What’s Next?
Cleveland travels to Utah to face the Jazz tomorrow night, while the Blazers will welcome the Mavericks into the Moda Center on Thursday.
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