For twelve minutes, Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers looked unstoppable.
They marched into the Intuit Dome and put on an offensive clinic, torching the Los Angeles Clippers for 45 first-quarter points—their highest-scoring opening frame of the season. The ball movement was crisp, the energy was high, and the defense made life difficult for a Clippers team loaded with future Hall of Famers.
Then, in what has become an unsettling pattern, everything fell apart.
Cleveland’s red-hot start evaporated, replaced by sloppy execution, stagnant offense, and defensive breakdowns.
Over the next three quarters, the Cavaliers managed just 74 points, including an ugly 17-point fourth quarter that sealed their fate. Meanwhile, the Clippers took full control, exposing Cleveland’s weaknesses and walking away with a 130-118 victory.
What made this loss sting wasn’t just the defeat itself—it was how eerily familiar it felt. The same issues that doomed them in their previous loss to Orlando surfaced again: a star player struggling in crunch time, poor shot selection, and a defense that failed to get stops when it mattered most.
The Cavaliers have spent most of the season proving they belong among the NBA’s elite. But if these late-game collapses continue, they might find themselves running out of time to fix what’s broken.
The Cavaliers didn’t shine against the Clippers in Hollywood
A game like this is when a team needs its star the most. But instead of taking over, Donovan Mitchell vanished when the Cavaliers needed him most.
After a decent first half, Mitchell completely fell apart, going 1-for-10 from the field in the final two quarters and finishing the second half with just five points. This wasn’t a one-time fluke, either—just days earlier, he shot 3-for-12 in the fourth quarter against the Magic, another game where the Cavaliers unraveled late.
Some might point to his recent groin injury as a reason for his struggles, but the reality is simple: he got his shots. He had space. He just couldn’t convert. And as Mitchell’s shooting woes mounted, Cleveland’s offense ground to a halt.
His teammates didn’t fare much better. Max Strus was the lone bright spot, going 5-for-5 in the second half for 12 points. The rest of the Cavaliers? A dreadful 13-for-39 (33.3%) overall and 1-for-17 (5.9%) from three.
It’s one thing to have an off night. It’s another for an entire team to lose its identity the moment things get tough.
Cleveland’s defense cracked under Los Angeles’s pressure
While the offense sputtered, the defense, typically the backbone of the Cavaliers’ success, was equally to blame for this loss.
Los Angeles shot 54.8% from the field and 45.7% from deep, picking apart Cleveland’s defense with ease. Kawhi Leonard led the charge, dropping 33 points on 12-of-19 shooting, but he was far from the only problem.
Ivica Zubac dominated inside, finishing with 28 points and 20 rebounds, exposing Cleveland’s inability to control the paint.
James Harden controlled the tempo, chipping in 22 points while orchestrating the Clippers’ offense.
Bogdan Bogdanović didn’t miss a single shot, going 8-for-8 from the field for 20 points.
Zubac’s dominance on the glass was particularly concerning. The Clippers outrebounded Cleveland by 20, punishing them with second-chance points and easy interior baskets.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson didn’t sugarcoat what happened.
“They played great,” Atkinson admitted. “An elite shot-making performance by them and poor defensive performance by us. Our lack of discipline and then second-chance points, we didn’t do the little things. That kind of defensive performance, you’re not surviving in a playoff atmosphere.”
Darius Garland is keeping Cleveland cool despite losing skid
Losing happens. Even the best teams drop games throughout a long season. But what’s happening to Cleveland is bigger than just two losses.
Their recent 16-game winning streak, the longest in the NBA this season, was built on suffocating defense, balanced scoring, and relentless effort. Yet in their last two games, those strengths have disappeared.
This team hasn’t just lost twice in a row. They’ve been outplayed, out-hustled, and out-executed in the second half of both games. And for a team that’s supposed to be peaking ahead of the playoffs, that’s a massive red flag.
Darius Garland tried to put things in perspective, urging everyone outside Cleveland’s locker room not to panic.
“[We’ll] worry about us,” Darius Garland said. “Just keep trying to get better, harp on the things that we need to get better at, and get ready for the playoffs. That’s our mindset. That’s what we’re looking forward to. Just tighten up the screws. I know everything is under a microscope right now since we have been on our run. Two losses. It’s basketball. Everybody loses and everybody wins. Is what it is.”
Garland is right—teams have bad stretches. But Cleveland’s problem isn’t just bad luck or a tough shooting night. It’s a pattern of failing in big moments.
The Cavaliers have spent months proving they belong in the conversation with the league’s best. But now, under the bright lights, against real competition, their flaws are being exposed.
Yes, there are still games left to correct these issues. But once the playoffs arrive, there won’t be any second chances. And if Darius Garland and the Cavaliers can’t figure out how to close out games, their season could end much earlier than anyone expected.
The time for excuses is over.
It’s time for Cleveland to prove they’re more than just a team that looks good when things are easy.
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