CLUTCH: Craig Porter Jr. POWERS Undermanned Cleveland Cavaliers to WIN Over Miami Heat

CLUTCH: Craig Porter Jr. POWERS Undermanned Cleveland Cavaliers to WIN Over Miami Heat

On today’s show, the Cavs coming down to Miami. Don’t have Darius Garland, don’t have Donovan Mitchell, don’t have Evan Mobley. They still find a way to get him win. We’ll talk about Craig Porter Jr’s heroics, Jared Allen’s big game, and of course, an injury update, a positive one on Darius Garland. That’s all straight ahead on today’s edition of Locked on Cavs. You are Locked on Cavs, your daily Cleveland Cavaliers podcast, part of the Locked Onet. your team every day. What’s up everybody? My name is Danny Cunningham and you’re listening to another edition of Locked on Cavs, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, now the number one sports podcast network in America. You can find this show anywhere you get your podcast. That means Apple, that means Spotify, that means anywhere else. Please give us a fivestar rating, leave us a nice review, and of course, be a friend. Tell a friend about the show. Make sure you’re subscribed. Make sure a friend is subscribed as well. And if you’re watching the show on YouTube, do us a favor. Hit that thumbs up button for us. Click subscribe and hit that notification bell so you don’t miss latest locked on Cavs content. And today’s show brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new FanDuel customers can bet just $5. And if your first $5 boat wins, you get $300 in bonus bets to use all across the app. Head to fanduel.com to get started today. The Cleveland Cavaliers get a 130 to16 win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday night. They did not have Donovan Mitchell, who was out with a rest designation. They did not have Evan Mobley, who was also out with a rest designation. They did not have Darius Garland who was out with an injury management designation. We’ll get to that what we learned about that on Wednesday. They did not have Jaylen Tyson who missed his game with a concussion. And they found a way to get a win. We have to start with the guy who Kenny Atinson called heroic after the game on Wednesday and that would be Craig Porter Jr. And Craig Porter Jr. did not start in this game. The Cavs rolled out a starting lineup of DeAndre Hunter, Dean Wade, Jared Allen, Sam Merrill, and Lonzo Ball. Um, of that group Jared Allen was the best. I thought DeAndre Hunter did some good things as well. Balonza ball had some moments. Sam Merrill was not very good and I thought Dean Wade didn’t necessarily have a great night. But Craig Porter Jr. despite for how good Jared Allen was in this game and he had 30 points. He had 10 rebounds. He was much more of a force I think in this game than he has been really at any other point throughout the season so far for the Cavs. Um and it’s not just him. Like I think that the group deserves a lot of credit for getting him involved, maybe in a way that they haven’t necessarily been able to consistently throughout the year, but make no mistake about it, the best player on the floor in this game on Wednesday was Craig Porter Jr. CPJ finished tonight 19 points on seven of 12 shooting, a perfect three of three from beyond the ark. He had four rebounds, he had nine assists, he had four blocks, he had three steals, and after the game, Kenny Atinson added that he had 11 deflections as well. Craig Porter Jr. did everything the Cavs needed on this night. And I think that is a huge thing to ask of a role player like Craig Craig Porter Jr. who doesn’t necessarily always know how many minutes he’s going to have. Um, it wouldn’t surprise me if there are games when the Cavs are at full strength, if they’re ever at full strength, where maybe he doesn’t play. But I think that this game is a great encapsulation of how he has grown as a basketball player because for him to come into this game, you know, kind of having a role that fluctuates a little bit and obviously there’s so much more being asked of him on a night where the Cavs don’t have Donovan and they don’t have Darius. for him to step up in the way that he did was to me the most impressive part about this. And yes, the scoring is great and he’s not going to go seven of 12 every night and he’s not going to go a perfect three of three from beyond the arc every night. Like that stuff is great, but to me what stood out was the little things. It was the 11 deflections. It was the fact that as a guard and yes I know he does have this this reputation as a very good shot blocker because he is but to come into this game and have four blocks and they were impressive. It’s not like they’re cheapies where you’re kind of stripping the guy as he goes up and it gets counted as a block shot because that does happen but they were legit blocks. Like that was one of the things like whoa Craig Porter Jr. did it again. um he had three steals and there was a point at the end of the third quarter where I put out on Twitter and in the the chat on my substack the inside shots like Craig Porter Jr. has an opportunity for a 5×5 game. And if you don’t know what that is, it’s having five or more points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. Obviously, he didn’t get there. He did not have he finished with four rebounds. He finished with four blocks, and he finished with three steals. But for a guy like him to come close to that like we don’t see that sort of game often in the NBA. Five by five games are something that are very rare but we really don’t see it from role players. We don’t see it from guys like a Craig Porter Jr. So for him to come in and have the impact that he had and he was a team best plus 21 in this game and I’ve talked about plus minus a lot and how sometimes it feels like it tells a story and sometimes you look at the box score you’re like really that guy was a a plus or minus whatever number because it didn’t necessarily feel like that in the 32 minutes that Craig Porter played on Wednesday night it felt like he had a massive impact. It felt like the Cavs were always doing really good things when he was on the floor. To me, this was maybe the most in command of a basketball game that I think he has looked so far in his career. And maybe there was a game that you can point back to a couple of years ago where it’s like when he had his breakout and he had some really big nights when Darius Garland broke his jaw. Sure, like maybe you can point to that. But for it to happen in this spot, and it’s not like this was some must-win game for the Cavs, right? If it were a must-win game, you wouldn’t have seen the guys sitting that were sitting, particularly Donovan and Evan. But it this feels to me like it could be a positive moment for this team. And I say that because coming off of Monday night’s loss, which was I suppose a bad loss, like the Cavs are a team that I think it’s fair to say is more talented than Miami. Um they didn’t necessarily play all that well. They had an opportunity and they had just a catastrophic play at the end of the game on Monday. For them to without their three star players respond the way they did, play as hard as this group did, which I thought was led by Craig Porter Jr., I look at that as just such a positive sign overall for the Cavs. Now, it it’s, you know, we talk about the rest stuff and we will get to that coming up in a little bit, but to me, this is a game that is it’s a program type of win. This is a win that I think signifies that the player development is in a good place. And I will talk about some of the younger guys that played because Tyrese Proctor had a part in this. Naquan Tomlin had a part in this. Luke Travers had a part in this. Kenny Atinson played 11 guys on Wednesday night and it felt like all 11 of them in some way, shape or form did contribute to the win. And not every game is like that. Like there will be games where Kenny plays 10 guys or Kenny plays 11 guys. It’s like yeah, these two they were on the floor. I don’t know that they necessarily contributed to the victory, but to me it felt like everybody that touched the floor for the Cavs in this game contributed to the win. And I think when you don’t have your star players, that’s a really really good sign. And the other aspect of this that I think is important is maybe not everybody from this game. Like I would be surprised if one Luke Travers is on a standard NBA contract, which the Cavs do have space for one. Um, I wouldn’t anticipate anyone signing one anytime soon, but it would like surprise me if they need him in the playoffs, which on a two-way you’re not eligible for the playoffs. So, outside of him and maybe Naquin Tomlin, I think that everybody that played and had an impact in this game at some point in the postseason, which the Cavs expect to be a very long postseason, is going to be called upon to help them win a basketball game. like Thomas Bryant brought stuff to the floor on Wednesday night. That’s important. Obviously, what Craig Porter Jr. did, what some of the younger guys did. I think that this is a really good moment for them to build on. And I think that aside from, yes, the team always wants to win these games. But finding a way to win the games when your best players don’t play to me is a really, really good sign. Right. I talked about the win over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday that good teams win the game, the Cavs play on Friday night, but against Washington where they won by 30 or whatever it was. I know the score changed in that one, but great teams find a way to win the second leg of that back toback. Good teams, I don’t think, find a way to win in the situation the Cavs were in on Wednesday night. And yes, what happened Monday was a bad loss and like that is one that might stick for a little bit. I don’t necessarily think it will stick with the team though after this. I think that this was a sign that the Cavs are headed in a very positive direction and I think overall, yes, it’s not like they went out and beat the 73 and9 Warriors team. I think that this Miami Heat team is pretty good. I expect them to be a playoff team. No, they didn’t have Bam Adabio. They didn’t have Tyler Hero. It’s not like they were at full strength either. But that was the same Miami Heat team out on that floor that beat the Cavs much closer to full strength on Monday night than they were on Wednesday night. So I thought overall this was a great response by the Cavs and that to me is one of the more important things that can come out of what happened on Wednesday. Like I said, Craig Porter Jr. Kenny Atinson called his performance heroic on Wednesday night. It was very, very good. Another guy that I thought did some really good things who didn’t necessarily have a big part in Monday’s game, Jared Allen. I want to talk about his play plus some of the younger guys contributing and what it can do for them straight ahead right here on Locked on Cavs. But first, today’s show is brought to you by Wayfair. The holiday season is right around the corner and that means it’s time to get your home ready. 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Head to wayfair.com right now to shop Wayfair’s Black Friday sale for up to 70% off. That’s a great deal. That is wayfair.com wyfir.com. The sale ends on December 7th. Thank you again for making today’s edition of Locked on Cavs your first listen. Thank you for making Locked on Cavs your first listen every single day. Like I said earlier, you can find the show anywhere you get your podcast, Apple, Spotify, or anywhere else. And if you want more from this game, you can check out my Substack, the inside shot. Right now, 30% off all annual subscriptions where I will go into great depth um with some interesting stats that I found from this one over at my Substack. A link is in the show description. Jared Allen, I thought, had a very, very good game on Wednesday night. He finished the night with 30 points. He had 10 rebounds. I thought that one of the things that was important and Kenny was asked by Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com prior to the game about Jared Allen’s involvement because entering Wednesday night of the 15 players that had played in fourth quarters so far this year, Jared Allen ranked 14th in minutes in fourth quarters. The Cavs have at times more often than not actually opted to close games without him. Now, part of that has been games that they were up big, right? Like you think of the Detroit game, for example. You’re not going to close out that game with Jared Allen because you’re winning by 30. Think of the Washington game. Like some of those games do factor into this, but go back to Monday night. Jared Allen in the fourth quarter and overtime combined, that is 17 minutes of action, played 1 minute and 44 seconds. He had been I don’t want to say he’s been like the forgotten man, but I do think the Cavs have discovered that they can close out games without him because they can have more optionality when Jared Allen is not on the floor and Evan Mobley is at center. And as we have talked about several times on this show, the Cavs historically have been better with Evan Mobley at center. just like that is what the number is and I don’t know if the numbers so far this year is a big enough sample size to say one way or another as far as that goes but when you look at previous seasons that is how it’s been and Kenny was asked about it and he gave an answer that I found to be very interesting and he talked about pace because while Jarrett is a big that I view as a mobile big it’s not like he’s the same athletic type of player that Evan Moley is. You can’t necessarily with Jared on the floor just run up and down. You can’t be a trackme type team with Jared Allen as your center. And a lot of the teams that the Cavs have played and Miami is a good example of this. Although I do think the Cavs won this game because they controlled it. Like this game was played in Cleveland’s image and Monday’s game was played in Miami’s image and that to me was the biggest difference. But I think Jared Allen dictated a lot of that because if you think back to Monday, it’s not like Miami played Jared Allen off the floor. I don’t think that was the case. But I look at it and say, “Well, Jared Allen didn’t or the Cavs, maybe more accurately, didn’t play him on the floor, if that makes sense.” Right? Like we hear about guys that get played off the floor because they can’t hang on one end or the other. And I don’t want to say that Jarrett can’t hang against an uptempo team, but that’s not where he’s best served. So what the Cavs did and I thought was very good and a big reason why they won this game on Wednesday night. What they did was they made Miami adjust to him. Miami at times is a team that likes to play small, especially with Bamabio out, right? Khal Wear starts the game at center for Miami and he played 27 minutes. He was good. Not great on Wednesday night, but I thought he was very good. I thought he was better on Monday, but they don’t want to have him on the floor a ton. And the Cavs on Monday, because they had Evan, they had Jared, they didn’t play Jared a ton, right? Well, on Wednesday, they didn’t have Evan. Jarrett played more minutes on Wednesday, obviously. Played 27 minutes, but Thomas Bryant also played 12 minutes in this game. 13 essentially. So of the 48 minutes that the Cavs played on Wednesday, they had a true center on the floor for 40 of them. And Evan Mobley, for as good as he is at center, he’s not a true center. Like he’s a power forward that can be very good at center. Maybe one day he becomes a true center, but that’s not what he is right now. So for the Cavs to have 40 minutes of a true center on the floor, and Thomas Bryant was very impactful in his minutes, too. He played 13 minutes. Like I said, he was a plus 14 in those 13 minutes. And it really felt like he brought a lot of energy, but Miami had to adjust to that. Miami couldn’t play the style of basketball that they played on Monday night because the Cavs were the team that played with more force in that area. Jared Allen so frequently would be able to get a switch because the Cavs did play. It’s not like the Cavs are walking the ball up the floor and pounding it into the hardwood before getting into their offense. They want to play quick. They don’t want to play break neck fast, but they want to play quick. So, what Jarrett was able to do is the Cavs would find mismatches in transition pretty frequently. There were times where Da’Von Mitchell was switched on to Jared Allen in the post. There were times where Andrew Wiggins, Himeme Hakez, name your Heat role player here, was switched on to Jared Allen in the post. And what the Cavs were able to do well on Wednesday night that they didn’t do on Monday night is get Jared Allen the ball. And that’s why he had 30 points because Jarrett, as I’ve talked about so often, like is Jared good enough to score 30 points in a game? Absolutely. But what Jarrett can’t do is Jarrett can’t go get his own 30 points in the game. He needs help getting there. That’s the big difference I thought is that the Cavs were able to get him the ball so much more frequently on Wednesday night. Thought Lonzo Ball did a terrific job of this. I thought Craig Porter Jr. did a good job of this. I just thought overall there was a team effort into doing this and that’s why the game was played in the Cavs style as opposed to Miami style. That to me was a big difference between Monday and Wednesday. And Jared Allen was the guy overall that benefited from it. Like I said, I thought Thomas Bryant brought a lot of energy. I thought he did some things. And for him to be the fourth center on this roster, I think really speaks to how good this team is. Because last year, who was the fourth big for the Caps? They didn’t have one. Their third big was Tristan Thompson, who is not in the league. Their third big this year is Larry Nanch Jr. And I don’t think that Larry has gotten off to the best start to this season. I thought he was okay on Wednesday night, but he hasn’t been necessarily great so far this year. But the fact that they’ve got somebody in Thomas Bryant who’s the fourth center that more often than not is going to take DNPCDs, but when he’s needed, he can step up and bring what he brought on Wednesday night. That’s a really, really healthy place for this team to be as a roster. As for some of the young guys that did contribute to this win, Tyresese Proctor wasn’t super efficient. Four of 15 from the floor, had 12 points, but he hit a couple of big shots in the fourth quarter. I thought he was very good and on both ends of the floor, too. Like yes, he fouls a little bit too much and he can find himself out of position defensively, which I think is pretty common for a rookie, but the more I watch him, it feels like the more comfortable he looks on an NBA floor, which that’s not nothing for a second round draft pick that was picked 49th overall. Tyresese Proctor this year, you know, expecting him to be a big contributor to winning at the level that the Cavs want to win is not fair. But at some point, Tyresese Proctor, I do think, is going to be an NBA rotational player. And moments like this one are really, really big for him because he’s going to only grow from this moment, from these moments because this obviously isn’t his first opportunity to go out there and make an impact for the Cavs, but having these moments on the road where on a night where Tyrese can go out there and play free, where he can get 23 minutes because it’s not just, oh, I got to give three minutes here because someone’s in foul trouble. he can get into rhythm a little bit more. Um, I think that he has looked a little bit better with the basketball in his hands than I expected him to. Like he had a really nice move to get to a floater in the first half of this game that just didn’t go down, but he was able to shake his defender loose in a way that I wasn’t sure Tyres Proctor was going to be able to do after the Cavs drafted him. And even at the start of summer league, it didn’t necessarily look like that was where he was most comfortable. So to see that growth already from him, I think is a really good sign. I think that’s a very positive thing to look at. And then two, just organizationally for the Cavs to have two guys on two-way contracts and Naquin Tomlin and Luke Travers come in and make an impact. I think that’s a great thing for the roster. Um Naquin Tomlin I thought was very good defensively. Thought he rebounded the basketball very well when he was in there. Luke Travers, who you know, offensively I’m just not sure that he is really really like NBA caliber as an offensive player, but defensively I thought he did some good things. I really did. I thought that he had some great moments defensively. Had a couple of block shots in this one. Um, and it’s not like, you know, those guys are necessarily going to be counted on, but in a November game in which the Cavs did not hold a lead until the fourth quarter. They tied the game uh just before halftime, Norm Powell had a three-point play before the buzzer and then they didn’t lead until the fourth quarter. Like that is a real thing that happened for that group. for those guys more specifically like Naquon Tomlin in 17 minutes 18 minutes round up there seconds-wise he was a plus 20 Tyresese Proctor in 23 minutes was a plus 19 Luke Travers in 12 minutes and I thought that his stint in the second half was so much better than his stint in the first half he was a plus 11 and they were playing in moments that mattered. So if you think about this, the Cavs took their first lead on a Luke Travers basket. It was the only basket that he scored, but that was the basket that gave the Cavs their first lead. And then they go up by four because Naquin Tomlin or go up by three because Naquin Tomlin has a tip in. Like those are winning plays from players that aren’t necessarily NBA ready. And I do think that Naquin probably has a little bit more of an NBA future than Luke does. But for those guys to make winning plays in the moments that they made them, I think is such a good thing for their development. And that’s why this is an organizational victory. This is a win that is about the program the Cavs have. It’s because they’re able to develop players that can turn into stuff, right? We’ve talked that’s what Sam Merrill is. Sam was a draft pick in the G-League draft after being the 60th overall pick in the NBA draft and it not working out in Milwaukee and then having injuries and then the Cavs pick him in the G-League draft and ultimately sign him to a 10-day contract months later. That’s what Dean Wade, who was undrafted, is those are the That’s what Craig Porter Jr. is. Those are the types of developmental stories that the Cavs have and because of where the Cavs are at financially in terms of the second apron that the Cavs need. So I think these moments and these guys not only getting the opportunity that they got on Wednesday night, but a being able to come through in that opportunity I think is really important for the their development as basketball players and is something certainly to be very happy about coming out of Wednesday night in Miami. Now, before the game, we got an update on Darius Garland’s toe. We’re going to talk about that. It was a positive one. I will say what the Cavs said Wednesday morning, and I will also read what Kenny Atinson had to say prior to the game on Wednesday next right here on Locked on Cavs. But first, today’s show is brought to you by Built. Nobody likes paying rent. I don’t like paying rent, but I have to pay rent. But paying rent is a little bit better when you get something for it. That’s where Built comes in. Because Built is changing the game by turning your rent payment into real rewards that you can actually use. 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Even if you miss the start of the game or if you just want to ride the hot hand like you could have with the Cavaliers on Wednesday night. The Cavs entered this game five and a half point underdogs in Miami. Thought that was a fair line. Was honestly a little bit surprised that it wasn’t just a little bit higher considering who was out for the Cavs, but they found a way to get it done and you could have made some money with FanDuel. As for Thursday, the Cavs are back in action. They take on the Toronto Raptors at home tonight. As I talk to you, I’m in Miami. I hope to be in Cleveland. Um, airline dependent for Thursday, but the Cavs are 7 and 12 point favorites as of 12:10 in the morning on Thursday. We don’t know who’s going to be available, but the Cavs are favorites in that one. And if you’ve not joined FanDuel, now is the time because right now FanDuel is giving new customers $300 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins. So, just head to FanDuel.com. That is fa due.com to sign up and play your game with FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Thank you again for making today’s edition of Lockdown Cavs your first watch on YouTube. And if you are watching right now, do us a favor. Hit that thumbs up button for us. Click subscribe. Hit that notification bell so you don’t miss Lockdown Cavs content. Darius Garland did not play in this game. And I talked on yesterday’s show about how it was interesting, if nothing else, that the Cavs listed him him out with injury management because he left the game on Monday night with a what was a left great toe injury and a lot of people were concerned and rightfully so. It’s the same toe that Garland had surgery on back in June. It’s the toe that cost him the playoffs basically. Like he played in some of the games but he did not look like Darius Garland at all. So on Wednesday morning, the Cavaliers put out their vaunted status update. It is the thing that whenever you see Cavaliers status update cross your inbox, it’s always, “Oh man, what happened?” It’s the news that nobody wants to see, but with Darius, it wasn’t negative. So here’s what the status update read. Cavaliers guard Darius Garland injured his left great toe during Monday night’s game at Miami. Further evaluation postgame and Tuesday by the Cavaliers medical team revealed a contusion. The incident occurred during the second quarter when Garland made incidental contact with heat for Nicola Yoic on a drive to the basket. Garland will receive daily treatment and continued with the established postsurgery management plan. He is listed as out for Wednesday’s game in Miami and his return to play availability will be updated as appropriate. So to me that sounds like a pretty pretty positive statement from the Cavaliers because when you see somebody go through what Darius did this off seasonason and last postseason, you instantly think, “Oh man, this is not good.” You think the worst and it was not the worst. It was I think the best case scenario given that we knew he was injured and that is something to be happy about. Obviously, I don’t know how much time Darius Garland’s going to miss. Maybe he plays tonight. I’d be very surprised if he does, but maybe he does. And Kenny Atinson was asked about it before the game and he said, quote, I mean, obviously relieved. I think it was a little bit of a freak collision with Yoic. I think it was he experienced a little bit of stiffness, but it wasn’t grave or anything like that. I said this before, this is not an easy injury to come back from. We see it in the NFL like we see it I follow all the quarterbacks who have had a similar injury. I think everybody thinks with this one, you can just kind of take it off like you’re coming back from an ankle sprain. This is different. I’ve read up about it a lot. I’ve been educated by our group. So, we just got to have patience and Darius has to have patience, right? You’re not just going to all of a sudden be allstar DG. So, he understands that. It’s just he’s a competitor, wants to do great for the team, but like I said, glad it wasn’t anything really concerning. So, it’s not to say that Darius is going to instantly be back. And like we’ve talked about so many times and and the messaging has been this is going to be a progress. Darius Garland, you’re not expecting him, you shouldn’t be expecting him to look like an all-star, look like an allNBA player early on in the season. We have talked so frequently about the big picture and we talked about this a lot on yesterday’s show with the Cavs resting a couple of guys, but there’s nobody to me that embodies this year being about the big picture more frequently than what or I guess more I guess more would just be the best way to say it. Nobody embodies it more than Darius Garland because Garland is not going to be at his best right now. He’s not going to be in my opinion at his best anytime soon. The Cavs need Darius Garland to be at his best in April, in May, and in June. That is what is important. That is what matters. And I talk all the time about how in some games, did the Cavs get closer to winning a championship? And I think there’s a case like for the way this game played out, this is a game that they can look back at and say, “See, we are capable no matter who’s on the floor.” And that’s a positive thing. But if Darius Garland struggles through times or has, you know, I don’t even want to necessarily call it a setback, but a flare up maybe is a better way to term it, but he’s ultimately okay for it. I think that this is just part of the process. And I look at this and say, yes, the Cavs avoided a scare, and that is the most important thing is that Darius Garland did not get seriously injured on Monday night. That D that it’s a contusion. There’s a little bit of stiffness, but it sounds like he’s going to be okay. That’s what matters because the Cavs are going to need Darius Garland when it counts. They don’t need him to be great right now. They need him to get healthy. They need this injury to heal. But overall, I think this was a very, very positive sign for Garland and of course for the Cavs as well. Now, Jaylen Tyson also missed this game on Wednesday night because of a concussion. Penny Atinson said that he was experiencing some symptoms postgame. Um he talked to the athletic staff and not feeling great. They examined him, said he had a concussion. Don’t know when he’s going to be back. I would imagine that he’s going to be out at least a week if not a little bit longer. If he has a concussion, we’ll see what happens there. Um I would imagine that it happened on a play, there was a play, I believe it was in the third quarter on Monday night where it looked like Sam Merrill accidentally kicked the back of Tyson’s head. That might have been the time where it happened. Um, I don’t necessarily have further details on that, but overall I would expect him to miss about a week and and as we exit today’s show, this was, I think, a very impressive win for the Cavs. Now, they have to turn around, get back to Cleveland late or I guess early Thursday morning, and then do it all again against the Toronto Raptors. So, as long as my flights are on time, I’ll be there as well. But no matter what, even if my flights aren’t on time, there will be an episode of Lock on Cavs tomorrow morning. We’ll talk about whatever happens in the Cavs and the Raptors tonight. Donovan Mitchell should be back. Evan Mobley should be back. Don’t know about Darius Garin would be a little surprised if he plays on Wednesday night, but overall the Cavs should be in, you know, a more closer to full strength version of themselves on Thursday against Toronto. So, as we get out of here, please, if you haven’t already, make sure you subscribe to this podcast wherever you get them. Apple, Spotify, if you’re an Apple person, subscribe on Spotify. If you’re a Spotify person that has an iPhone, subscribe on Apple as well. And if you’re watching on YouTube, do us a favor as we get out of here. Hit that thumbs up button for us. Click subscribe and hit that notification bell so you don’t miss latest locked on Cavs content. I’ll be back tomorrow talking more about the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Cleveland Cavaliers stun the Miami Heat 130-116 as Craig Porter Jr. steps up with a heroic performance amid star absences.
Danny Cunningham unpacks how the Cavaliers thrived without Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, and Evan Mobley, celebrating Craig Porter Jr.’s all-around impact and Jarrett Allen’s pivotal role. The conversation spotlights contributions from young talents Tyrese Proctor, Nae’Qwan Tomlin, and Luke Travers, revealing how Kenny Atkinson’s rotation strategy is reshaping the team’s identity. Hear what a positive injury update means for Garland and why this win signals growth across the roster. With an eye toward the upcoming Raptors clash, the analysis zeroes in on Cleveland’s defensive intensity, bench depth, and keys to maintaining momentum.

Check out Danny’s Substack, The Inside Shot: https://theinsideshot.substack.com/
Email the show: LOCavsmailbag@gmail.com
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