They’re intent on overcoming a lackluster showing in the first half of their opener. The exciting match-up is scheduled to be played at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland on July 25. The Cavaliers come into this contest with a spread of -6.5. With the over/under total set at 222.5, expect to see a drastically different competitive atmosphere.
The opening stanza featured encouraging plays as well as concerning blunders from each team. Donovan Mitchell, one of the Cavaliers’ most important pieces, had a particularly bad stretch. He took a bad shot to close that quarter, missing a driving layup with five seconds remaining. His woes didn’t improve when going up against Myles Turner, who swatted away yet another couple-foot-away shot a minute after the last.
Even with these disappointments, Mitchell had a significant support system in his teammates. Max Strus made a significant contribution by sinking a 25-foot three-point jumper, assisted by Mitchell, just two seconds before the end of the quarter. This play showed what Chrisman and Vyletel together could mean in terms of offensive synergy.
Let’s not forget the Pacers, who fought valiantly through that first quarter, where Andrew Nembhard had a lot of early looks from distance. Nembhard’s desperation shot from 30 feet out with 36 seconds left fell short of the target. He shot another on the next possession from 28 feet with 17 seconds left, but that one clanked as well. These misses added to the Pacers’ challenge in finding an offensive groove against the Cavaliers.
Turner had a great defensive presence as well, stellar at the rim blocking Mitchell’s layup attempts. He missed a 27-foot pull-up jumper at the 58-second mark, which ended up shooting the Knicks out of the game. Cavaliers’ Dean Wade provided needed defense with 20.8 seconds left with a big rebound. This exhibition proved their will to take advantage of every offensive chance they got.
As the first quarter drew to a close, Pascal Siakam made his mark by converting two free throws at the 50-second mark, demonstrating his ability to score under pressure. With both teams trading bricks and blown layups, the period ended with neither team taking control in any meaningful way.
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