Cleveland Cavaliers’ youngsters stand up, beat 76ers 112-109 in OT, matching season’s longest win streak – cleveland.com

PHILADELPHIA — It wasn’t pretty, it took five extra minutes and they almost blew it with a wretched third quarter and a few mistakes late, but the Cleveland Cavaliers have matched their longest winning streak of the season — and they can thank their promising young core for it.

The Cavaliers won their third straight game, beating the East-leading Philadelphia 76ers for a second time this season, 112-109 in overtime. This time, Philly had MVP candidate Joel Embiid, who finished with 42 points (just not Tobias Harris).

No Andre Drummond, who didn’t make this trip as the organization continues to look for a trade partner. No Kevin Love, who is unlikely to play before the All-Star break because of a high-grade calf strain. No Matthew Dellavedova, yet to suit up this season thanks to a severe concussion and recent appendectomy. No Larry Nance Jr., the do-it-all unsung hero of the team’s fast start who is making steady progress following surgery on his left hand but still isn’t close to a comeback. Taurean Prince (personal reasons) and Cedi Osman (back spasms) were also unavailable. All six veterans were expected to provide support and experience.

The Cavs’ kids are learning to stand on their own.

Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff discussed the burden that the youngsters have been forced to carry as a result of the injuries. He admitted the growing pains that come with it. His hope: The organization will be better for it. That experience will eventually pay off. Call it baptism by fire.

“Any time you get a tough win like this, it validates what you’re capable of,” Bickerstaff said. “I don’t want to jump the gun because we’re going to keep being tested. Every single day is a new test for us and we have to answer those tests. I feel like we’re improving, I feel like we’re getting better as a group. Are we there yet? No, we’re not finished. But I think we’re getting better and we’ve got to continue to answer the bell when tested.”

Sexton scored a team-high 28 points on 11-of-27 shooting to go with five rebounds, three assists and three steals in 45 minutes. With less than two minutes remaining and the Cavs trailing by one, Sexton drained a go-ahead 3-pointer before saluting 76ers assistant coach Sam Cassell, letting the opposing bench know how big his … um … guts are.

Darius Garland scored 11 of his 25 points in overtime. He also had nine assists. Garland said early Saturday morning even though opposing defenses have been determined to keep him from getting into the paint, he’s going to keep playing his own game. He did just that, slithering to the lane for crafty finishes and patented floaters, two of which came in the overtime period to keep the Sixers at a distance.

“I thought he was really good and I thought that’s growth and steps in the right direction,” Bickerstaff said of Garland. “He’s got the green light to make the right play. They were backing off of him, so he’s got to make those. He had confidence to stick with it and down the stretch he found it, those finishes around the glass and those little floaters.”

Isaac Okoro had his best night as a rookie before fouling out. He scored a career-high 15 points to go with eight rebounds, three steals and three assists. Okoro tallied Cleveland’s first three points in OT.

Jarrett Allen, the defensive anchor, battled Embiid throughout. Allen finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Even Dean Wade, the 24-year-old fill-in starter, contributed with six points and 12 rebounds. The Cavs are 3-0 since inserting Wade into the starting group.

After leading for the entire first half, taking a nine-point lead into the break, the Cavs opened the third quarter with six straight misses, forcing Bickerstaff to call timeout, trying to regroup. They missed two more shots before Okoro’s offensive rebound putback allowed them to finally break the ice. Despite coming out of the locker room flat and scoring 16 points in the third, the Cavs were clinging to a two-point lead going into the fourth quarter.

They made just enough plays over the final 17 minutes. They showed sufficient poise against one of the league’s best that was 14-2 at home, overcoming four straight misses at the end of regulation and then a costly turnover that allowed the 76ers to make it a one-possession game with 20 seconds left in OT. Cleveland fought all the way to the final buzzer, capping a grueling February with a third consecutive victory, one spearheaded by four of the Cavs’ most important building blocks, combining for 82 of their 112 total points.

That’s what growth looks like. Saturday’s game, more than any other, was a glimpse into the future.

Homecoming

Undrafted rookie swingman Lamar Stevens, a Philadelphia native, was back home for the first time in his NBA career. Stevens received extended playing time, failing to score in 19 minutes.

Streak snapped

Early in the second quarter, Dylan Windler missed a corner 3-pointer, ending a streak of nine made triples that covered two games. It was the longest consecutive streak from beyond the arc since Kyrie Irving in 2015. He finished with eight points, not a trey among them.

Up next

The Cavs will wrap up this mini two-game road trip in Houston on Monday night. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m.