CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cavaliers needed a few minutes to knock off some rust. But once it came off, the shorthanded Cavs dominated a significantly shorthanded Toronto Raptors team, 144-99, on Sunday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The 144 points scored by the Cavaliers are a season high.
Kevin Love took advantage of his first start of the season with 22 points, including 11 in the opening quarter. Love was 6-for-9 from 3-point range and added nine rebounds and two assists.
“I think sometimes, people have forgotten who Kevin Love is, and those open threes and things like that that he’s able to get and knock down,” Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “He’s an elite shooter. He can make those shots and make you pay.”
The Cavaliers got off to a sluggish start, trailing by as many as five in the first quarter. They had played just one game in the last eight days as a COVID-19 outbreak on the team caused their game vs. the Hawks on Dec. 19 to be postponed, and they haven’t been able to practice much.
But they took the lead for good with the help of a 12-0 run between the first and second quarters.
The Cavs doubled up the Raptors, 46-23, in the third quarter, including a 15-0 run. Garland had 11 of his 22 points in that third quarter, including three 3s in a span of 61 seconds.
“I think it was (rust), just not being on the floor with each other for the last couple of days,” said Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland, who had 22 points and eight assists. “It was kind of weird in the first half. But in the second half, I think the second quarter, we really got going. We started making shots. Defensively, we started getting stops.”
Lauri Markkanen had an 11-point second quarter on his way to 20 points.
Dean Wade (17), Denzel Valentine (17) and Ricky Rubio (16) also scored in double figures. Valentine’s 17 points were a season high for him, and Wade matched his best scoring output of the season.
“We’re fortunate that up and down our roster, we have guys that when we can put them in the game that they can contribute,” Bickerstaff said. “(Denzel) plays with a toughness and an intelligence, and then obviously, the ability to make shots where you give him an opportunity, he can help you.”
Both teams, like most in the NBA, are dealing with outbreaks of COVID-19.
The Raptors played Sunday’s game without 10 players from their roster. Six of their seven top scorers are in the NBA’s health and safety protocols and the seventh, Goran Dragic, has been away from the team since late November for personal reasons.
They only had four players from their regular roster available for the game.
The Cavs entered the game with seven players in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, including Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.
R.J. Nembhard was cleared from the protocols shortly before tipoff and played in the fourth quarter.
Isaac Okoro was questionable for Sunday’s game, but did not play as he continues reconditioning. Okoro was placed in the health and safety protocols on Dec. 16, meaning Sunday was the 10th day for him since entering the protocols.
“The league has really gone through it,” Love said. “It’s not just us. It’s been every team. You look at the Raptors, they’re probably one of the top two or three teams in the past week or two that have been hit the hardest. Obviously the team that looks by the numbers been hit the hardest (has been) the Chicago Bulls. But it’s everybody.”
Yuta Watanabe led the Raptors with a game-high 26 points and 13 rebounds.
Up next
The Cavaliers travel to New Orleans for a Tuesday night matchup vs. the Pelicans. Tipoff is at 8 p.m. Eastern.
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