The Cleveland Cavaliers suffered a 119-132 loss to the LA Clippers on Tuesday, March 18. It was the Cavaliers’ second straight loss, following their March 16 defeat by the Orlando Magic.
During his postgame news conference, Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson cited a lack of discipline as a core reason his team suffered its second straight defeat.
“They played great,” Atkinson said. “Elite shot-making performance by them. A poor defensive performance by us…Our lack of discipline, fouling them, putting them on the line. And then giving them second-chance points. Even though they did have an elite shot-making game, we didn’t do the little things. We weren’t disciplined on the margins. That’s why you give up 132 points.”
Cleveland has now lost 12 games this season. Atkinson’s team still boasts the best record in the NBA. The Cavaliers are still viewed as a genuine contender to win the 2025 NBA championship. However, there is a growing blueprint on how to rattle the inexperienced contender.
Six members of the Clippers rotation scored in double-digits. Four of those six scored 20 or more points. The Cavaliers fell to a complete team performance from a Kawhi Leonard-led team. Cleveland must do a better job of guarding for the full 24 seconds and contesting without fouling.
Secret To Beating Cavaliers Revealed
When speaking at a March 16 postgame news conference, Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley explained how his team overcame a Cleveland team that boasts the best record in the NBA.
“I think challenging them defensively,” Mosley said. “You gave them a 38-point first quarter, and I think us understanding exactly who we are and what we need to do. We made shots tonight, which is good, but we challenged them defensively to come out and play the certain style of Magic basketball that we know we can play, flying around. We still have to be better at cleaning up the offensive rebounding, but our job of getting guys off the line, flying around, covering for each other [and] playing with multiple effort all night long.”
It would appear the Clippers followed Mosley’s blueprint. The Clippers did everything they could to challenge the Cavaliers’ defensive structure, from forcing them to guard in isolation to making them rotate when guarding motion offense. It will be interesting to see how the Cavaliers are forced to guard in the coming weeks.
There’s No Need For Cavaliers to Worry
Despite losing their last two games, there’s no need for the Cavaliers to worry. Atkinson’s team is still among the favorites to win a championship this season. Two losses don’t mean the franchise has suddenly been found out, and their ability to contend has vanished.
Over an 82-game season, losses are inevitable. The Clippers are also a tough matchup, especially this late in the season as they fight to find their own rhythm and prove themselves as a threat in the Western Conference.
While seeing the Cavaliers drop two straight games is far from ideal, there’s no reason to believe this is anything more than a blip. Atkinson and his coaching staff will figure out how to counter the current offensive approach teams are taking against his roster. It’s highly unlikely we’ll see the Cavaliers stutter over the finish line, especially after such a dominant season to date.
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