The Cleveland Cavaliers were in action on Wednesday against the Orlando Magic.
The Cavs, who won the game 103-92, had a four-point lead at halftime, but head coach J.B. Bickerstaff wasn’t satisfied with the way his team performed over the first two quarters.
After the game, he admitted that he sent his squad a harsh message at halftime.
#Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he wasn’t thrilled with his team’s first half performance tonight, saying that it wasn’t their brand of basketball.
Bickerstaff said he can’t repeat what he said at halftime to his guys since his mom is watching and will wash his mouth out.
— Evan Dammarell (@AmNotEvan) October 27, 2022
When asked how many swear words Bickerstaff used, #Cavs star big man Evan Mobley simply said, “a lot”. https://t.co/IQMJYx2mbu
— Evan Dammarell (@AmNotEvan) October 27, 2022
Here’s what Bickerstaff had to say when he was asked what he didn’t like about Cleveland’s performance in the first half.
“Everything,” he said. “I don’t think we played Cleveland Cavaliers basketball in the first half. Defensively, I didn’t like the way we were competing. Things were too easy. I thought we were trying to do too much offensively instead of taking the play in front of us. I didn’t like our attention to detail.”
In the second half of the game, the 43-year-old coach got the response he wanted from his squad.
“They responded well,” he said. “They took it, they understood it. There was a fire lit, and I appreciate those guys for their responding.”
The Cavs are 3-1 on the season after Wednesday’s win.
A Balanced Attack
In Wednesday’s game, Cavs newcomer Donovan Mitchell struggled for really the first time this season.
He finished with 14 points on 5-for-19 shooting from the field and 1-for-7 shooting from deep.
Fortunately for Cleveland, several players stepped up to help carry the load, and a balanced scoring attack got the Cavs the win.
All five starters finished in double figures, and Cedi Osman — who didn’t start— also got there.
Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen were particularly impressive in the win.
Mobley went for 22 points, three rebounds, and three assists while knocking down nine of his 15 shots.
Allen, meanwhile, had 18 points and a whopping 16 rebounds while shooting 7-for-11 from the field.
Cleveland has played well despite being without star guard Darius Garland, whose return will only make the team better.
