The Spurs had been doing well at masking major absences, but couldn’t survive one more in their visit to Cleveland. Luke Kornet joined Victor Wembanyama in the injury report, and the blow to the interior defense was too severe to patch over. The Cavaliers scored 80 points in the paint and dominated the third quarter on their way to a 130-117 win.

There were no surprises in the matchup, at least on the defensive end. The Spurs, missing their two rim protectors and starting Bismack Biyombo, struggled to keep the Cavaliers out of the paint from the get-go. The driving lanes were open and Evan Mobley did damage as a scorer and passer despite getting doubled aggressively. On the other end, things weren’t as predictable. San Antonio mostly relied on jumpers, as the paint was clogged, but thrive

See Full Page