J.B. Bickerstaff Sent The Cavs A Harsh Message During Wednesday’s Game

Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff of the Cleveland Cavaliers talks to his players during the third quarter against the Washington Wizards at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on October 23, 2022 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Wizards 117-107 in overtime.
(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

 

The Cleveland Cavaliers were in action on Wednesday against the Orlando Magic.

The Cavs, who won the game 103-92, had a four-point lead at halftime, but head coach J.B. Bickerstaff wasn’t satisfied with the way his team performed over the first two quarters.

After the game, he admitted that he sent his squad a harsh message at halftime.

Here’s what Bickerstaff had to say when he was asked what he didn’t like about Cleveland’s performance in the first half.

“Everything,” he said. “I don’t think we played Cleveland Cavaliers basketball in the first half. Defensively, I didn’t like the way we were competing. Things were too easy. I thought we were trying to do too much offensively instead of taking the play in front of us. I didn’t like our attention to detail.”

In the second half of the game, the 43-year-old coach got the response he wanted from his squad.

“They responded well,” he said. “They took it, they understood it. There was a fire lit, and I appreciate those guys for their responding.”

The Cavs are 3-1 on the season after Wednesday’s win.

 

A Balanced Attack

In Wednesday’s game, Cavs newcomer Donovan Mitchell struggled for really the first time this season.

He finished with 14 points on 5-for-19 shooting from the field and 1-for-7 shooting from deep.

Fortunately for Cleveland, several players stepped up to help carry the load, and a balanced scoring attack got the Cavs the win.

All five starters finished in double figures, and Cedi Osman — who didn’t start— also got there.

Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen were particularly impressive in the win.

Mobley went for 22 points, three rebounds, and three assists while knocking down nine of his 15 shots.

Allen, meanwhile, had 18 points and a whopping 16 rebounds while shooting 7-for-11 from the field.

Cleveland has played well despite being without star guard Darius Garland, whose return will only make the team better.

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