*** After rebounding with a win on Saturday following a rough four-game roadie, the shorthanded Cavaliers made it two straight – knocking off the Rockets in overtime on Monday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Donovan Mitchell scored 20 of his game-high 37 points in the third quarter and three Cavs reserves notched double-figure scoring as the Wine and Gold won their fifth home game in the last six outings.
*** The Cavs took the lead early in the fourth quarter on Georges Niang’s triple and led by six with just over four minutes to play before the Rockets rallied back to tie the game when Houston’s Alperen Sengun split a pair of free throws to end regulation. But Cleveland opened the extra session with a 9-2 run, capped by Sam Merrill’s huge three-pointer with 1:37 to play that helped seal the deal.
*** On the night, Donovan Mitchell went 14-for-27 from the floor, including 4-of-11 from deep and 5-of-5 from the stripe, netting 28 of his 27 points after intermission, handing out a team-high tying six assists and blocking a pair of shots in the win.
*** With the shorthanded Cavs seeking help in the backcourt, veteran guard Sam Merrill answered the call on Monday night – erupting for a career-high 19 points, going 6-of-11 the floor, including 5-of-10 from beyond the arc – drilling the bomb in overtime that put the Wine and Gold up seven late in the OT session. The 4th-year man from Utah State added four boards, three assists and a steal in the win.
Sam Merrill | Cavs vs Rockets Post Game | 12.18.2023
*** Merrill talked about grabbing the opportunity that was in front of him. “No matter what the minutes were, I felt good about myself as a player. I had a really good Camp and I feel confident every time I step on the floor. With the minutes I’ve had, I feel like I’ve been able to take advantage of them. And that’s all you can do – you can’t control your minutes and what happens when you get them. You just have to try to play well when you do.”
*** The win was the Cavaliers second overtime victory this season – (dropping the Sixers in Philly on November 21 – and 11th straight overall. The Wine & Gold have dropped an OT came since May 2021 against Phoenix.
*** When Max Strus canned the first of his two three-pointers early in the third quarter, it marked the 500th triple of his NBA career. Overall, Strus finished with 17 points on 5-of-13 shooting, drilling three threes on nine attempts.
*** After averaging just 21.0 assists per game over the four-game road trip, the Wine and Gold – despite playing without their starting point guard – have averaged 30.5apg over the last two games since returning home.
*** Donovan Mitchell talked about the Cavs handling playmaking duties as a group. “The biggest thing is it’s going to be by committee. Last game, I had 13 and tonight I had six. Isaac had six, Vert had five, Sam had three. So, it’s going to be as a group, no one person can do what Darius Garland does – that’s why he’s special – and that’s why we have to do it as a group. And I think that creates a lot of unpredictability within the team. When you have the starters out, you might not know where the ball is going and that’s the case around the entire league. So, just continue to do a great job as a group to make up for the guys that are out right now, and that’s the biggest thing.”
*** It’s been a while since an opponent used the “Hack-a-Tristan” strategy that Houston employed midway through the third quarter, intentionally fouling the backup big in the backcourt and sending him to the stripe. Thompson came into the game shooting .412 (7-of-17) from the stripe this season. He went 2-of-8 on Monday night.
*** Like the Cavs, the Browns have won two straight – and a pair of starters from both sides of the ball were in the house on Monday night – linebacker Anthony Walker and wide receiver Elijah Moore, seated baseline alongside the Cavaliers bench.
*** The Wine & Gold’s week of Western Conference visitors wraps up with a back-to-back later this week – welcoming Lauri Markkanen, Collin Sexton and the Jazz to town on Wednesday night followed by a visit from Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson and the Pelicans. The Cavs travel to Chicago in the final game before Christmas on Saturday night and wrap up the calendar year with a stop in Dallas followed by a home matchup against Milwaukee.