The Cleveland Cavaliers overcame a heavy turnover game to win on the road against the Golden State Warriors.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Donovan Mitchell

25 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 5 turnovers

This was a weird game from Mitchell. He attempted some truly audacious shots in the first half, including the one below.

Yet, as much as I want to bemoan the quality of attempts like this, I can’t deny that Mitchell was scoring efficiently. I can’t say I love the process. But for tonight, I’ll live with the results.

Turnovers were an issue for Mitchell. Though each unforced error seemed to fuel his frustrations and make him more engaged defensively. As I said, this was a contradictory game.

Grade: B-

James Harden

19 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 4 turnovers

Harden’s defense has been as bad as advertised. It’s not fun watching him get backdoor cuts for easy layups. It is, however, fun to watch him throw lobs. The duality of man.

The Cavs closed this game behind two plays from Harden. First, he drew a double team and dished to Max Strus for a huge three-pointer. Then, he danced one-on-one for a tough floater in the lane to extend the lead to six with 21 seconds remaining. That will help your grade.

Grade: B

Evan Mobley

12 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal

Mobley has historically struggled against Kristaps Porzingis. With this in mind, he certainly handled that individual matchup better than in the past. Mobley didn’t appear as bothered by KP’s length and was able to help contain him on the other end.

Zooming out, Mobley lost this matchup in the non-Porzingis minutes. That was his opportunity to make his presence felt. Instead, Mobley lacked the aggression he had in March. Let’s hope he finds that again soon.

Grade: C+

Jarrett Allen

16 points, 13 rebounds, 1 steal

Allen is still clearly working through some pain in his knee. He hasn’t been as explosive with the ball. Though, he’s still converting most of his looks at the rim and playing a key role as Cleveland’s defensive anchor.

Gotta hit more than half of your free throws, Fro. He shot 6-12 from the line tonight.

Grade: B+

Sam Merrill

13 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals

We’ve seen a few games like this from Sam recently. He couldn’t find his rhythm from downtown, but he made up for it by getting downhill and creating plays off his gravity. Still, we’d like to see Sam get free for a big scoring night. He’s not out there to pass the ball.

Grade: C–

Max Strus

24 points, 2 assists, 5 rebounds

The Cavs lose this game without Strus Point, blank, period.

It wasn’t just his pair of triples in the clutch, but also his activity away from the ball. Strus helped the Cavs secure numerous rebounds with timely box outs — and he even forced a tough turnover on the Warriors by pressuring the ball on a defensive board.

Grade: A+

Keon Ellis

4 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal

I’m sobering up to the Ellis experience on defense. He isn’t as sound a defender as the blocks and steals would make you think. His game has some rough edges in terms of suppressing shot attempts and making the correct rotations.

That said, he’s given me the exact opposite impression on offense. Ellis has broken out of a box and become more than a traditional catch-and-shoot player. I’ve enjoyed watching him cut to the basket and play from the middle of the floor. He had two nice dunks tonight off of cuts.

Grade: D

Dennis Schroder

12 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 turnovers

Schroder nearly threw this game off the rails in the fourth quarter with a flagrant foul followed by a tech for complaining to the officials. Yes, he was being grabbed — but that was a bad time to get on the referee’s bad side.

He saves his grade by scoring efficiently tonight. Schroder shot 4-7 from the floor and 3-3 from the free throw line. That’s a big boost in a game where the Cavs struggled to score consistently.

Grade: B-

Thomas Bryant

3 points, 3 rebounds

The last few games haven’t been kind to Bryant. His impact is slipping as the season goes on. This wasn’t his best effort.

Grade: D

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — De'Aaron Fox scored 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting, and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Los Angeles Clippers 118-99 on Thursday night without Victor Wembanyama in the lineup to win their 11th in a row.

Wembanyama was rested on the second night of a back-to-back. He had 41 points and 18 rebounds in a 127-113 win at the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday.

The Spurs had six players in double figures, including Stephon Castle with 20 points and Dylan Harper with 19 off the bench.

San Antonio kept alive its hopes of catching Oklahoma City for the top spot in the West. The Spurs improved to 27-2 since Feb. 1 and 11-5 when Wembanyama doesn't play.

Kawhi Leonard scored 24 points to lead the Clippers with his 53rd consecutive game of 20 or more points. Bennedict Mathurin added 18 points off the bench and John Collins had 15. The loss dropped them to the ninth spot for the play-in tournament with their second straight loss after winning five in a row. Portland moved into eighth after a 118-106 win.

The Spurs led by 26 points in the first half. They shot 72% from the floor early in the second quarter, opening with an 11-2 run and hitting 20 of their first 28 shots.

The Clippers rallied in the third when they outscored the Spurs 34-19. Mathurin had 10 points and Leonard eight as the Clippers closed with a 14-4 run to trail 87-78 going into the fourth.

But the Spurs quickly regained the momentum. Castle scored eight of their 10 points in extending the lead to 99-84.

Up next

Spurs: Visit Denver on Saturday in final road game of regular season.

Clippers: Visit Sacramento on Sunday.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

The Cleveland Cavaliers pulled out a win against the Golden State Warriors. Let’s go over today’s winners and losers.

WINNER AND LOSER – Defense

On one hand, the Cavs played to their strengths by packing the paint and daring Golden State to shoot from downtown. The math worked in Cleveland’s favor as the Warriors shot just 12-44 from downtown. That’s a win for the Cavs.

Nonetheless, am I greedy for thinking the Cavs’ defense could have been even better? They blew a handful of possessions by simply falling asleep at the wheel.

Let’s take a look at a few examples.

This first clip is a prime example of ball watching. If any of Cleveland’s guards made an active effort to attack the glass, they might have secured this defensive stop.

Next, we see the Cavs… just completely ignore Gary Payton II in the corner.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand why you’d leave a non-shooting threat open. But, is it really smart to not even make the Dubs work for it? I’m not sure it’s wise to leave anyone this available on an inbounds play. Payton misses the shot, but my point remains.

Finally, here’s a clip of James Harden being backdoor cut for a layup. This happened a handful of times tonight.

The Cavs didn’t need to have razor-sharp focus to beat the Warriors in April. But they will need to be more dialed in later this month. This was another missed opportunity to build healthier habits defensively — even if the result was a win.

(Honorable WINNER mention for RealCavsFans. Thanks for the clips.)

LOSER – Turnovers

Unforced errors were the name of the game. The Cavs let a few mental lapses stop them from having a truly dominant night on defense. The same can be said for their sputtering offense.

Cleveland had double-digit turnovers going into halftime. But it wasn’t just the frequency at which they turned it over; it was how they threw the ball away.

There’s nothing more damaging than carelessly throwing the ball to your opponent. Granting the enemy a full head of steam going the other way with a numbers advantage is how you lose control of games. The Cavs flirted with this outcome throughout the first half, dangerously giving the Warriors plenty of opportunities to score in transition.

Golden State outscored the Cavs 23-8 in points off turnovers. A 15-point swing in one category is big in a game that came down to the wire.

The Dubs deserve some credit. Draymond Green, in particular, did a fantastic job guarding the pick-and-roll and was responsible for blowing up numerous actions. The Cavs’ ball-handlers had a difficult time getting comfortable against a pesky Warriors backcourt, too.

Things eventually normalized as Cleveland regained control in the second half. Still, it was a bit frustrating to see the Cavs spin their wheels for minutes at a time. This offense is too potent to get stuck in the mud. A single Cavalanche would have made this game feel much more digestible.

LOSER – That near collapse

The Cavs picked up a flagrant foul and two technicals in a span of 30 seconds. Toss in a few turnovers, and I can only describe this moment with one gif:

Thankfully, things didn’t go as badly as they could have. The Cavs pulled themselves back together just in time for a great finish.

WINNER – Max Strus

This was shaping up to be a bummer of a game. Turnovers and defensive errors were going to result in a frustrating loss.

Then Max Strus happened.

Strus poured on 24 points on 6-10 three-point shooting, multiple coming in the crunch time of the fourth quarter. His off-ball activity made it so the Cavs always had a release valve — and his pairing with James Harden is seamless. Any time the Warriors overloaded on Harden, Strus made them pay.

On defense, he ramped up the intensity by being aggressive on box-outs and getting into his opponent’s chest. All of the tone-setting things you’d expect from a winner like Max.

“Big Shot Max,” said Kenny Atkinson after the game. “It’s just certain guys whose DNA is made, make or miss, it’s either a big shot or a big offensive rebound. That’s why, now that I know him better, it’s like we need him at the end of the game.”

The Cavs know what they have in Strus. That’s why he’s already back in the starting lineup and playing 28 minutes just a few games after returning from injury. This is a guy who can help you win on the margins, as he did tonight.

Stephon Castle’s heady leadership and playmaking, interspersed with highlight plays from De’Aaron Fox, Keldon Johnson, and Dylan Harper, turbocharged a decisive 21-5 ambush in the fourth quarter to thwart a Clippers comeback. Without the services of MVP and DPOY candidate Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio (59-18) weathered a good first half by Kawhi Leonard to hold the rest of the Clippers to a total of 31 points, and clinched their fifth winningest regular season – tied with the 2004-2005 edition.

San Antonio’s Fox (22 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists) saw to it that Wembanyama would not be missed tonight in the road win. Stephon Castle (20 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds), Devin Vassell (14 points and 10 rebounds[!]), and Julian Champagnie (13 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists) ensured perimeter domination, while Harper (19 points and 5 assists) and Johnson (13 points and 6 rebounds) excelled yet again off the bench. The only pockmark on an otherwise excellent effort for the Spurs was giving up a handful of careless turnovers, by their standards, which resulted in over a dozen LA points at the other end.

Leonard (24 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists), as he has since the James Harden trade, single-handedly kept the Clippers in the game for most of the first three quarters. John Collins (15 points and 6 rebounds) and Darius Garland (11 points) supplied secondary offense, while Benedict Mathurin (18 points and 6 rebounds) came on strong in the second half.

A brisk and evenly-played first quarter featured San Antonio’s Castle and Vassell scoring fluidly while the Clippers’ Leonard built quickly on his first make to amass 11 early points. The referees allowed a good amount of physical contact as a handful of no-calls occurred for both sides. Harper and Fox carried the production later in the period to help San Antonio catch and surpass LA, and Harrison Barnes 100% rewarded Fox’s kickout with a quarter-ending three to make it 33-25.

San Antonio continued its recent trend of building 20-point leads through Fox’s supreme quickness and their defense locking down any Clippers attempts around the paint. The Spurs assisted on most of their second period baskets, and after a soaring tip finish from Carter Bryant, led by 22. More importantly, San Antonio was able to keep Leonard from going further off. Harper’s desperation heave put the Spurs up 24.

San Antonio was stung by an older foe than the Clippers – the third quarter bug – as Leonard kickstarted an LA run to slice the large lead in half. LA put forth a far tougher defensive effort to halt the Spurs’ momentum. Coach Johnson ran out an undersized lineup late in the frame featuring Harrison Barnes at the 5, and a Leonard Miller lay-up brought the Clippers concerningly within 12. Mathurin’s and-1 shaved the deficit to single digits. Two pairs of Kornet free throws spanning the third and fourth periods – amidst a sea of Spurs’ missed outside shots – prevented further calamity from happening and they were fortunate to go to the fourth up nine.

Observations

• ‘Stop Hacking Me!’ Sequence of the Game: After drawing a foul on Kris Dunn late in the third period, Harper backed Dunn down deep into the paint and toss a feather over his head and earned an and-1 to make it 83-64.
• Unofficially, this might be the best all-time Spurs roster ever at shooting from all points straightaway from the basket… Castle, Fox, Harper, Wembanyama…
• In the event of a first-round match-up with the Clippers, the best on-ball defenders for Leonard: 1) Castle, 2) Champagnie, and 3) Bryant and Barnes (12 fouls baby!).
• Castle keeps on getting unfairly hacked in the act of shooting, but denied free throw attempts that would typically go to more seasoned wingmen like Kyrie Irving or Steph Curry.
• Fun with numbers: Halftime score last night against GSW 70-49 / Score with 10:00 left in the third against LAC 70-49.
• OKC 127 Lakers 82 *statementgame
• Sequence of the Game #1: Early in the second period, Fox lived up to his nickname and ‘swipa’-ed it from an unsuspecting Dunn to get himself a transition slam.
• Sequence of the Game #2: Partway through the second quarter, ‘Beautiful Ball’ ensued one possession after Vassesll swished a catch-and-shoot three. The ball ping-ponged in a triangle formation from Castle (left wing) to Kornet (center) to Vassell (straightaway) for a triple.
• Sequence of the Game #3: Take it away Jacob Tobey: “Dylan Harper puts it up… AND HE PUT IT DOWN AT THE HALFTIME BUZZER! THE YOUNG KID CAN DO ANYTHING!” Harper’s 41-foot buzzer beater caused Wembanyama to put his hands over his head incredulously.

Game Rundown

From the tip, Lopez swished a Pop-a-shot from 16 feet and followed it with another from the baseline. Castle patiently ran the Chris Paul high-pick-and-roll perfectly for a jumper, and fed Kornet for a Passenger 57 lob. Leonard’s first two midrange jumpers kept LA right at San Antonio’s heels; Castle went right back at him to do a Kawhi-like fadeaway. The Clippers followed Leonard’s lead to grab a 3-point advantage. Harper was at his slithery best as he willed his way to the rim and guided balls funkily into teammate’s hands. Fox’s kickout to Barnes for a wing triple helped the Spurs exit the quarter up eight.

Harper guided Lopez deep into the paint and hit a smooth stepback jumper, and Champagnie followed with a triple. Then Fox’s steal and score off Dunn and subsequent floater over the same guy ended a 9-0 run to start the second. Lopez’s awkward flailing tip started the scoring again for LA. Kornet stoutly defended the interior in those opening four minutes. San Antonio glided past the 50 point mark with over seven minutes left. The Spurs defended so well that Leonard tried to bait the officials into a call on Fox by throwing his arms out Harden-style (no call!). The Spurs soared into the half ahead 68-44.

Leonard continued his stellar shooting – outscoring the Spurs 8-5 to the start the third. Champagnie impressively muscled home a banker and followed it with a putback to keep the lead safely in double digits. San Antonio threw a few traps at Leonard to force it out of his hands. Johnson drew Lopez’s fourth foul halfway through the frame, and then bullied his way deep in the paint to score over both Lopez and Leonard. From there the well went completely dry for the Spurs, and the Clippers pieced together an impressive 34-19 third quarter.

For the Clippers fan’s perspective, please visit Clips Nation.

San Antonio takes on Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets Saturday afternoon at 2:00 PM CDT on Amazon Prime Video.

Instead of talking solely about tonight’s opponent the Utah Jazz, I’m going to use this opportunity to talk about the teams in the lottery and discuss which team would win if the NBA rigged it and had their way.

We’ll go in reverse order of standings from the day this is written (April 2).

13. Miami Heat: I think the NBA would love to give a top 4 pick to Heat. It’s a big market and they’re kind of stuck right now. They’ve got some good pieces and adding Cam Boozer or AJ Dybansta (Darryn Peterson is not a “Heat Culture” guy) would make them quite the marquee team going into next season in the East. Still, their odds are too low and it would be too obvious if Adam Silver gave Pat Riley a top pick. Could they jump into the top 4? Maybe.

12. Portland Trail Blazers: Look, this is a good team. However, they’re still missing a superstar (apologies to Deni Avdija). Damian Lillard is coming back next year and that’s the story. And they’ve already tried the “Give the Blazers a top point guard and let Dame mentor him” thing and it didn’t work. I will say that giving them the top pick could allow the franchise to move on from the Chauncey Billups saga and get that player on television often since the Blazers could be considered contenders to finish in the top 6 in the West next season with a big addition in the draft.

11. Golden State Warriors: I think the Warriors will make the playoffs so they won’t have a shot here, but if they did, this is a tasty one for the league. They gave them a shot at LaMelo Ball and they took James Wiseman isntead, so they’ve failed at this before like the Blazers. But Steph, Jimmy, Draymond, and Boozer? Scary.

10. Milwaukee Bucks: If the Bucks win, we’ll know that Giannis is getting traded soon. This could be the NBA’s “Please trade him to a contender and we’ll give you the lottery” move. Milwaukee doesn’t own it’s own picks until like 2040 so this is their best chance for a while.

9. Chicago Bulls: Remember when the Bulls were 6-0 and actually looked like a good team? Yeah. Putting another star in Chicago would have the league drooling, but the Bulls have proven their ineptitude over and over since the Derrick Rose days.

8. Memphis Grizzlies: The Grizzlies also own Orlando’s pick at 14 if that turns into anything. The Grizzlies are clearly in rebuild mode after trading away Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. Both netted great returns and the Grizz have a chance to really good in five years. The top pick could kickstart that window. Dybansta or Peterson here would be great, but would suck as a fun of a Southwest Division team. I think they move into the top 4. This team and fanbase need something because the relocation whispers are going to get louder if they don’t show glimpses quickly.

7. Atlanta Hawks (via New Orleans Pelicans): The Hawks are good, and they have their franchise player in Jalen Johnson. They won the lottery recently and Risacher has been okay but averaged under 20 minutes a night in March. Does the league want to reward a team that just tried to pull of “Magic City Night?” I think not.

6. Dallas Mavericks: If the Mavs win the lottery again, we’ll know that Nico Harrison had assurances that they would when he traded Luka Doncic. Remember the “Now you see the vision” comments after they won the lottery last year? And suddenly, that trade would look slightly better (still awful, but less so). Pairing Duke boys Boozer and Cooper Flagg would be terrifying for a decade. Dybansta and Flagg would also be scary since it would give them two initiators and ball-handlers. It would also solve Dallas’s immediate need for a point guard, but so would Kingston Flemings, Darius Acuff Jr., or Keaton Wagler.

5. Utah Jazz: The league does not want to see the Jazz get the top pick this year after their blatant tank job. This would be the NBA’s worst nightmare and next season we would see teams at the bottom go even harder than Utah did this year. It would set a terrible precedent. No chance.

4. Sacramento Kings: Speaking of fanbases that deserve some hope, the Kings had one magic season after two decades of futility just to lose to the Warriors. The “Light the Beam” stuff was fun, but the Kings have proven that they’ll probably just surround their top pick with current members of the Chicago Bulls. Cam Boozer and Josh Giddey, anyone?

3. Indiana Pacers: Now we’re getting somewhere. The Pacers are already ready to be contenders next season with Tyrese Haliburton’s return. Team him and Pascal Siakam with Boozer or Peterson? That’s a contender in the East. But the Pacers were also fined for unethical tanking like the Jazz, so I think the league wouldn’t mind them slotting somewhere in the 3-6 range (and getting a really good player in this loaded draft).

2. Brooklyn Nets: I was tempted to write the Nets off after they drafted five players in the first round last year and none have produced. Egor Demin has shown flashes, but their best rookie in terms of analytics has been Malachi Smith, who has played nine games and wasn’t drafted and is on his second 10-day contract. Still, it’s tantalizing to put the top pick in New York and get some buzz back in the Big Apple’s lesser team.

And finally, at 1. Washington Wizards. The Wiz are bad, BUT there are some fun ideas to go with giving them the top pick. Alex Sarr is a good NBA player, and Kyshawn George has shown signs of being good. Next year, they’ll add Anthony Davis and a full year of Trae Young. They could draft any of the potential top picks and have clear minutes for them on day 1. Dybansta is probably the flashiest addition, but Peterson works here too in certain situations.

This a draft unlike several others recently where there’s been one star at the top and then some question marks afterwards. In this draft, there’s a clear top 3, then there’s a solid 3 or 4 after that that could be really good. So half of these teams are going to get a player with a lot of upside to excite their fanbases, but I think if the league is rigging this, it goes like this:

1. Dallas (if it was already agreed upon)
2. Washington
3. Milwaukee
4. Golden State
5. Brooklyn

Obivously, that’s not a draft order but you get it.

Tip-off

7pm CT

How To Watch

Space City Home Network

Injury Report

Rockets

Steven Adams: OUT

Fred VanVleet: OUT

Jazz

Keyonte George: GTD

Lauri Markkanen: OUT

Jusuf Nurkic: OUT

Isaish Collier: GTD

Elijah Harkless: GTD

The Line (as of this post)

N/A

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can

Sunday night on the road against the Golden State Warriors

This game was over once the ball went up. The Thunder showed the Lakers why they are 10 games behind the defending champs.

They suffocated them defensively as the Lakers didn’t make a field goal until the 7:07 mark in the first quarter. OKC jumped in front by as many as 23 in the opening quarter and scored 82 in the first half, essentially ending the contest.

To make matters worse, the Lakers also didn’t come out of this game healthy. Luka Dončić injured his left hamstring and exited the game in the third quarter, and Austin Reaves also appeared to be banged up, holding his back throughout the night. He was luckily able to play the rest of the game.

The only good news, or maybe it’s bad news, is that they’ll play OKC again next Tuesday. They certainly have plenty of room for improvement.

So, let’s dive into the loss. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

Jake LaRavia

33 minutes, 6 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 3-10 FG, 0-2 3PT, -15

LaRavia had a couple of nice defensive plays against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the first quarter. After that, his play matched the rest of the team, which was pretty rough.

Grade: F

LeBron James

26 minutes, 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 1 foul, 3-7 FG, 1-4 3PT, 6-8 FT, -37

LeBron was a non-factor in this game. He didn’t have any burst and the scoring never really materialized.

Grade: F

Deandre Ayton

20 minutes, 8 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 4-7 FG, -23

It’s hard to recall any positive plays from Ayton. He had a nice floater in the paint during the first half and that was about it.

Grade: F

Austin Reaves

27 minutes, 15 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 turnovers, 1 foul, 5-9 FG, 2-3 3PT, 3-3 FT, -23

These are the type of games where Reaves has to rise and perform. He did not. It’s the slimmest of silver linings, but at least he acknowledged it postgame.

Grade: D+

Luka Dončić

26 minutes, 12 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 6 turnovers, 3-10 FG, 1-7 3PT, 5-6 FT, -25

What a bummer it is that Luka hurt his hamstring in this game. Even before the injury, he struggled. He shot 30% from the field and didn’t handle the size and physicality the Thunder brought. Right now, though, all that matters is that his MRI comes back clean so he can continue playing.

Grade: F

Luke Kennard

33 minutes, 7 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 turnover, 1 foul, 3-8 FG, 1-4 3PT, -28

Kennard played a ton, especially in the second half when the game was out of reach. He didn’t do much, converting only one 3-pointer.

Grade: C

Rui Hachimura

18 minutes, 4 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 1 block, 2-9 FG, 0-3 3PT, -39

Hachimura was bad defensively and even worse offensively. Another player who didn’t do enough against OKC.

Grade: F

Jaxson Hayes

21 minutes, 12 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 3-3 FG, 6-8 FT, -17

Hayes did a good job in his role. He backed up Ayton, scored near the rim, and even shot well from the free throw line. It didn’t impact the game, but he played fine.

Grade: B

Bronny James

18 minutes, 10 points, 1 assist, 1 block, 3 turnovers, 4-8 FG, 2-4 3PT, -8

Bronny has been getting short rotational shifts recently and has played well in those spots. Against the Thunder, he did the same. He played hard, knocked down some shots, and defended okay.

There are many more important things happening, but it was great to see Bronny play well.

Grade: B+

Jarred Vanderbilt

12 minutes, 9 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 4-7 FG, 0-2 3PT, 1-2 FT, +2

Vando is always ready to work. He played for just 12 minutes, but brought energy and even scored a few baskets. Vando was the only Laker to have a positive plus-minus on the night.

Grade: B+

Maxi Kleber

Kleber played for just eight minutes, so he will not receive a grade.

JJ Redick

Redick called a couple of timeouts to try to stop the bleeding in the first quarter, but it didn’t help. He did what he could to put LA in a position to win, but the Thunder were just so much better in this game.

Grade: C

Thursday’s inactives: Marcus Smart, Nick Smith Jr., Chris Mañon, Kobe Bufkin, Dalton Knecht, Adou Thiero, Drew Timme

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

SAN FRANCISCO — “What if” has been the defining question of the Warriors’ season, and Golden State had to be left wondering the same after taking one of the NBA’s top teams to the wire but falling short once again with their superstar watching in street clothes.

The Warriors simply lacked the firepower to put away the Cavaliers, allowing a team playing its third game in four nights to score 18 of the final 26 points in a 118-111 loss.

The good news is the Warriors won’t be left wondering much longer, with Steph Curry reportedly set to make his long-awaited return on Sunday. In the meantime, an undermanned Warriors team put in a valiant effort but took its 18th loss in 27 games without Curry.

Gui Santos scored 25 and Brandin Podziemski sank a couple clutch 3s to finish with 23, but the Warriors had no answer for the closing power of James Harden and Donovan Mitchell.

Max Strus sank six 3s, including two in the the final 2 minutes, to finish with 24 points as Cleveland shot 44.4% from deep (16-for-36) and 51.2% from the field (42-for-82) to offset the Warriors’ 23 points off their 15 turnovers and a dozen more shot attempts.

What it means

There’s little the Warriors can do at this point about their position in the Western Conference standings, so all that matters is how they’re able to integrate Curry over their final five games.

The loss dropped them to 36-41, guaranteeing only their second .500 or worse finish in Steve Kerr’s 12 seasons. 

Turning point

Everything changed after Dennis Schroder delivered a hard foul on LJ Cryer early in the fourth quarter. Schroder fouled Cryer from behind under the basket and pushed him to the ground, earning a flagrant, and was assessed a technical only seconds later.

The play ignited the crowd inside Chase Center and the Warriors alike.

The Cavs were leading 94-87 at the time, but the Warriors used three technical free throws from Cryer and a pair of 3-pointers from Brandin Podziemski to take their first lead since the early moments of the first quarter with a 9-0 run that put them ahead 98-94 with 7:57 remaining.

Including calls against Draymond Green and Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson, there were three technicals and one flagrant called within a span of less than 30 seconds.

Cleveland held multiple leads of double digits early, but it was a battle from then on.

MVP: Gui Santos

Santos sank a clutch corner 3 that put the Warriors up 103-100 with less than four minutes to play and generally looked unbothered by a pelvic contusion that kept him out Wednesday night.

That was the last time the Warriors led, as Mitchell provided an immediate answer on the other end with his own triple and the Cavs outscored Golden State 18-8 the rest of the way.

Stat of the game: 54

The Warriors rested Kristaps Porzingis, De’Anthony Melton, Gui Santos and Gary Payton II in Wednesday’s loss to the Spurs with the intent of having them available against the Cavs.

The four players combined for 54 of Golden State’s points.

Everybody made an impact except Melton, who finished 2-of-12 from the field for five points.

Up next

Curry could be back in uniform the next time the Warriors take the court. After missing his 27th consecutive game with runner’s knee, Curry is set to be re-evaluated before Golden State hosts the Rockets on Sunday. If all checks out, it could be Curry’s first game since Jan. 30.