CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cavs entered Thursday night’s matchup against the Toronto Raptors with expectations rooted in their defensive identity.
They have the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in Evan Mobley. They have one of the league’s premier rim-protecting duos in Mobley and Jarrett Allen. And yet, in a 126-113 loss that left fans shaking their heads, Cleveland surrendered 60 points in the paint and 28 fast-break points, looking anything but elite.
This defensive collapse was the focal point of the latest Wine and Gold Talk podcast, where host Ethan Sands and cleveland.com columnist Jimmy Watkins broke down head coach Kenny Atkinson’s blunt postgame assessment:
“We didn’t have it. They were great,” Atkinson said. “I think they kind of flew by us, [were] quicker to every loose ball

cleveland.com

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