Three Major Takeaways From Cavs Near Collapse in Win Over Nets

The Cavs were certainly eager to get back on the floor on Saturday night for their home opener. Blowing a 29-point lead in the first contest of the season is not the way you want to introduce yourself to the rest of the league after you did something similar in the last playoff series you took part in.

Cleveland came in with championship aspirations, retaining most of their core guys, and replacing a few bench spots. Peyton Watson was the major acquisition, and as his comfort level grows, perhaps the ceiling could be a bit clearer.

Once again leading by double digits at halftime, there were still 24 minutes left to go. It didn't go so well in the fourth, but they did hold on. Something of a response. Not the best one, though.

With that said, here are my three major takeaways from the Cavs second game of the season.

Jaylon Tyson Found His Groove

The Cavs season-opening loss to the Sixers saw Jaylon Tyson take only six shots in 24 minutes, and only one of them came after the break. He was 0-4 from three-point land, and really just didn’t have it going. After getting limited minutes in the playoffs last season, he didn’t look his best.

But tonight was a different story. Tyson came out firing after halftime, hitting a couple of threes and aggressively getting it to the cup. He wasn’t holding back, and wound up finishing with 15 points overall across 21 minutes.

He’s going to be a major part of this bench unit in 2026-27, so nights where he is aggressive and scoring the rock like this will be crucial.

The Cavs Bigs Got Second-Half Touches!

Hallelujah! Rejoice, all. The Cavs biggest problem against the Sixers was going away from Jarrett Allen And Evan Mobley in the second half. That was not the case this time around, and it absolutely showed. It’s not like either of them had a dynamite half, but it was a major step in the right direction.

It sounds simple, but it is something that plagued them last time around. Allen is a very capable low-post player, and when they find him in position, he’ll provide points. As for Mobley, he helped the case, dishing a nice dime to his fellow big man with five minutes left in the ballgame.

There was also a nice example where, after Peyton Watson missed a three, he got the loose change back and hit Allen for an alley-oop. It’s important to utilize the weapons you have on the floor. 

When they were trying to add to a double-digit lead in the closing minutes, they found Mobley with a mismatch inside. Another prime example of improved court awareness.

The strategy of just watching the guards huck up shots and pass to one another is not a recipe for success. It was nice to see a quick turnaround on this one from Cleveland. Oh, and by the way, Jarrett Allen made a three-pointer in the second quarter. See below.

Late-Game Woes Need To Be Addressed

On opening night against the Sixers, the Cavs weren’t getting the best looks late in the contest. They were giving the rock away. Leaving points on the board at the charity stripe. Against the Nets in game number two, they had a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter. All of a sudden, they blinked, and it was down to four, with them on defense as well.

Donovan Mitchell went cold down the stretch for the second consecutive time. This is their guy, the one who signed a major summer extension. He wants to retire as a Cavalier, and he wants the pressure that comes with being the guy. It’s a respectable quality, but he has to rise to the occasion. He’s done it throughout his Cleveland tenure, but so far in 2026-27, not so good.

Against a team like the Nets, a young core with a few vets, a big lead has to be held. They have gone to the wire on back-to-back contests after possessing 20+ point leads after halftime. The schedule over the next three weeks will feature Minnesota, Atlanta, New York, Philly (again), OKC twice, and Washington, who looks much better.

This was supposed to be the “gimme” game, and it was anything but. Kenny Atkinson is going to have to really game plan for these situations better. They very nearly lost.

Back At It On Monday

Yes, the Cavs defeated the Nets. But, it was an ugly game to say the least. Whenever they would have a good stretch, they would allow Brooklyn to do the same right back at them.

Cleveland is back in action against Minnesota on Monday, 7:00 PM ET.