Cavaliers Lose To The Timberwolves 104-91: Game Recap 3/22/24

Post-Game Recap

3 Notes Around the Loss

1 – Tired

For the first time in the 2023-24 season, the Cavs looked tired as a team when the final horn sounded.  The Cavs were tied in the middle of the third at 62-62, and the Timberwolves outscored them by 13 from that point on. 

2 – Three-point shooting 

Cleveland also struggled to score from deep, making only seven threes while shooting 24%. Minnesota was 14-27, shooting 52%.

3 – Twenty

The Cavs failed to have anyone score above 20 points in the game.  Caris LeVert and Darius Garland tied for the team-high in points with 19. 

Game Recap

On his beach towel giveaway night, Mike Conley led the charge with 21 points, joined by Naz Reid who contributed 18 points, propelling the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 104-91 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday.

Anthony Edwards showcased his skills with 16 points and 13 rebounds, while Rudy Gobert dominated the boards with 15 rebounds. Jaden McDaniels added 15 points along with three steals and two blocks for the Timberwolves (48-22). Their sharp shooting from beyond the arc, hitting 52% of their 3-point attempts (14 for 27), kept them in contention with the first-place Oklahoma City (49-20) in the Western Conference playoff race, following the Thunder’s win against Toronto.

Minnesota currently holds the third position, trailing Denver (49-21) by just one game.

For the Cavaliers, Darius Garland led the scoring with 19 points, Caris LeVert added 16, and Jarrett Allen secured his 35th double-double of the season with 15 points and 13 rebounds. However, despite their efforts, a depleted Cleveland team, missing All-Star Donovan Mitchell for the third consecutive game due to a broken nose, suffered their fifth loss in seven games.

Naz Reid, returning from the concussion protocol and inserted into the starting lineup, made an immediate impact. With the crowd rallying behind him, Reid ignited the fourth quarter with a crucial 3-pointer and a ferocious dunk, extending the Timberwolves’ lead to 84-70.

The Wolves relied on their role players to fill the void left by All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns, who watched from the bench as he continues to recover from a torn meniscus in his left knee, missing his eighth consecutive game.

Minnesota’s proficiency from beyond the arc in the first half, including four 3-pointers from Jordan McLaughlin, paid homage to Towns’ absence. However, the Cavaliers mounted a comeback in the second quarter, led by sharpshooter Sam Merrill, to claim a three-point lead at halftime.

Despite their earlier successes this season, winning 17 out of 18 games at one point, the Cavaliers find themselves grappling with injuries to key players like Evan Mobley and Max Strus, which may be affecting their performance on the court.

Up Next

At Miami on Sunday night.