Cavaliers fall to Kings 120-113

BY TIM SHIRER

CAVALIERS BEAT WRITER

(CLEVELAND, OH) - Entering Sunday’s game at Rocket Arena the Cleveland Cavaliers (63-16, 33-6 home) needed just one more win or a Boston Celtics loss to clinch the number one seeded in the NBA’s Eastern Conference. They were hosting the Sacramento Kings (38-40, 19-21 road) who were not only fighting for their post-season lives but beat the Cavs on March 19 in Sacramento 123-119. On Sunday evening the Cavs, along with some questionable calls by the officials and the NBA replay center fell to the Kings 120-113 and will have to wait one more game to clinch the number one seed in the East.

The Cavs played from behind to start and took their first lead with 8:48 left when Max Strus found Jarrett Allen in the paint to give the Cavs a 9-7 lead. With 7:57 left Allen picked up his second personal foul when he fouled Domantas Sabonis. Sabonis hit both free throws and the game was tied 12-12. With 6:12 left in the opening quarter, the Cavs took a 21-15 lead when De’Andre Hunter hit a three from near Cavs alternate logo. But just over a minute later, with 5:05 left the Kings tied the game up 21-21 and then took a 23-21 lead with 4:42 left when Zach LaVine scored hit a jumper. With 3:01 left after a Ty Jerome turnover Sabonis scored at the other end, giving the Kings a 28-23 lead. Jerome made his return after missing multiple games due to left knee tendinitis. With 1:10 left after Hunter forced a Kings turnover Donovan Mitchell scored to cut the Kings lead to 28-27. When time ran out in the first quarter the Kings led 31-27. Sabonis led all scorers with 15 points. Mitchell was pacing the Cavs with eight first quarter points. Both teams turned the ball over three times, however the Kings turned those turnovers into seven points while the Cavs managed only three points off of the Kings’ miscues. The Kings shot 50% (12 of 24) from the field while the Cavs shot 44% (11 of 25). Three-point shooting in the first 12 minutes was less than stellar from both clubs as the Kings shot 27% (3 of 11) and the Cavs were even worse shooting just 17% 2 of 12) from long range. The Kings also outhustled the Cavs on the boards 12-11.

With 8:55 left in the second quarter the Cavs tied the game 33-33 when Jerome drove the lane and scored. The Kings struck right back and with 8:22 left took a 37-33 after Mitchell fouled Malik Monk, he made both free throws. With 6:22 left the Cavs regained the lead 40-39 when Isaac Okoro drove the lane and scored. Then on the next possession the lead grew to four points when Okoro drained a three from the corner. With 3:42 left the Cavs’ lead was 50-45 when Hunter hit a three from the top of the arc. As the second quarter clock ran out the Kings Keon Ellis through up a wild shot from half court that went in and cut the Cavs lead to 57-56. The shot was reviewed and confirmed to be a basket. Sabonis was still leading all scorers with 19 first half points. Mitchell led the Cavs with 12. The Cavs shot 51% (24 of 47) in the first half while the Mings shot 49% (23 of 47). The Kings outrebounded the Cavs 23-22.

With 9:54 left in the third quarter the score of the game lost all significance as Mitchell left the game after an apparent left ankle injury. He was clearly in pain as he left the court stopping several times on his way off the floor. With 8:40 left the Cavs lead was 67-61 after Hunter hit his third three in the game. Sabonis cut the Cavs lead to 73-69 with 5:46 left in the third with a left hook shot. Then with 5:03 left Strus was called for a personal foul and then a technical foul after he showed displeasure with the call. DeMar DeRozan shot and made the technical and Monk converted both free throws to pull the Kings to within one point at 73-72. The Kings looked as though they would take the lead with 4:29 left but Sabonis was called for an offensive foul, his fourth personal of the game and the Cavs were awarded possession of the ball. The Kings challenged the call and won and took a 74-73 lead. With 3:42 left LaVine hit a three to give the Kings a 79-73 lead. With 3:02 left on the clock and the Cavs trailing 79-75 Rocket Arena exploded in applause as Mitchell returned to the floor. With 2;15 left LaVine hit another three, giving the Kings their largest lead to that point 85-75. With :37.1 left Sam Merrill fouled DeRozan, and he hit 1 of 2, giving the Kings an 88-77 lead and then with just :07.3 left DeRozan hit a three, putting the Kings ahead 91-77. The quarter ended with Sacramento leading 91-79. The leading scorers for both teams remained the same.

The Cavs scored the first 10 points of the final quarter to cut the Kings lead to 91-89 with 10:08 left when Mobley scored on an alleyoop from Mitchell. Then with 8:38 left Jerome drove the lane, hit the shot and was fouled. He converted the foul shot, and the Cavs trailed 95-94. After the Cavs stopped the Kings on the next possession they took the lead with 8:06 left when Jerome scored in the paint. With 7:47 left Merrill picked up his third personal when he hit Sabonis on the arm. Sabonis hit both free throws to give the Kings a 97-96 lead. The lead went back and forth for the next several minutes, then with 6:06 left the Kings took a 105-101 lead when DeRozan scored from the outside. Cavs bench boss Kenny Atkinson took an immediate timeout. With 5:16 left the Cavs regained the lead 106-105 when Strus hit Allen in the paint. The Kings regained the lead quickly at 107-106 with 4:59 left when Trey Lyles dunked and then extended the lead to 110-106 with Ellis scored. The Cavs responded with a three by Strus with 4:03 left to cut the Kings lead to 110-109. With 2:28 left Mitchell was fouled by Lyles. The Kings challenged the call and not surprisingly the call was overturned, and the league office was in full force attempting to make sure the Cavs had to wait a little longer to clinch the number one seed in the east. There was a jump ball, Allen took control of the jump ball and then turned it over. LaVine hit a three at the other end giving the Kings a 116-111 lead with just 1:56 left. The Kings stopped the Cavs on two consecutive possessions and then the Cavs played Matador defense on the other end allowing LaVine to drive the lane with no resistance to give the Kings a 118-111 lead with :46 left on the clock. In the final minutes, the Cavs could not hit the broad side of a barn, and the Kings secured the season sweep with a 120-113 win.

The final score was close, but the Kings did outdo the Cavs in every statistical category even though they received a little help from the officials and the NBA office in the final minutes helping keep the Boston Celtics number one see hopes alive for another day. The Kings outshot the Cavs 53% (44 of 83) to 52% (46 of 88). The Kings by far out shot the Cavs from behind the three-point line 42% (14 of 33) to 26% (10 of 38). Finally, the Kings out did the Cavs on the boards 40-39. LaVine ended up leading all scorers with 37 points. Jerome led the Cavs with 20, Mitchell had 19.

The Cavs will be in action next on Tuesday night when they host the Chicago Bulls (35-42, 19-19 road). It will be the fourth and final regular season meeting between the two clubs. The Cavs lead the season series 3-0. Gametime is 7 p.m.