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Cleveland Cavaliers: Small Lineup Leads To Win

By Jamyson Frierson

Nov 27, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) shoots the ball during the first half against the Charlotte Hornets at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) shoots the ball during the first half against the Charlotte Hornets at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Cavaliers played small-ball against the Charlotte Hornets in the fourth quarter of the game on Friday.

The Cleveland Cavaliers went defensive and small with Matthew Dellavedova and Richard Jefferson in the fourth quarter as they won a tough game against the Charlotte Hornets 95-90.

This was exactly what the Cleveland Cavaliers needed after a bad loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. The Cavaliers did what they had to do to win against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday. The Cavs got a pleasant surprise as Timofey Mozgov returned back to the lineup ahead of schedule and Dellavedova returned after sitting out Wednesday’s game with a sore ankle.

Mozgov started out hot with six points, but he only finished with eight points and three rebounds against Al Jefferson, who hasn’t been known to play tough interior defense in his career.

However, it was a different story for Dellavedova.

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He only had seven points on 3-of-11 shooting, but in usual Dellavedova fashion, he made his impact on the defensive  side of the ball. He made two clutch three-pointers in the middle of the fourth quarter, and was hounding Kemba Walker as he held him to 2-of-6 shooting in the quarter.

While some of you might be wondering why I would mention Dellavedova doing what he does best in his role–he was an intricate part of the small lineup that David Blatt put out there in the fourth.

With Mo Williams struggling to guard Walker, and Kevin Love being matched up against Marvin Williams and Frank Kaminsky III–Blatt decided to play Jefferson since he brought more versatility on both sides of the ball.

The game was close for most of the quarter, but the Cavaliers took a four point lead after J.R. Smith hit the biggest three-pointer of the game. It took all the energy out of the Hornets and Time Warner Cable Arena. This could potentially be one of Blatt’s best coaching decisions already this season.

He risked the three-point shooting of Williams, and the rebounding, low post and shooting ability of Love. It all worked out in the end against a team with multiple stretch big’s and one of the best centers in the NBA with Jefferson. The Hornets had won seven straight games at home.

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The Cavaliers will travel back home to Quicken Loans Arena Saturday as they will go against the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets have lost five of their last eight games.

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