WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff didn’t give his guys a rah rah speech when he took over for departed John Beilein on Wednesday evening. He simply laid out a few core principles -- a short-term goal of being both the most competitive team and the most unselfish team.
Mission accomplished. For one night.
The Cavaliers rallied from a 16-point deficit and withstood one last Wizards push to open the Bickerstaff era with a gutty 113-108 win.
“In the first half, I thought we were playing hard, we just didn’t have a purpose,” Bickerstaff said. "And then in the second half we settled down, started playing harder and with a purpose. And then our defense got much better and catapulted us to the win.”
The Cavs trailed for nearly 42 minutes. They were down by 16 in the first half. They gave up 41 in a sloppy first quarter. Committed a whopping 22 turnovers. But they never stopped fighting, showing the heart, competitiveness and sacrifice that Bickerstaff hopes can become the foundation during this difficult rebuild. The Cavs showed what can happen when five guys play with grit and come together for one common goal.
Collin Sexton wrestled with Thomas Bryant late in the fourth quarter, scrapping for a critical possession that ended with a Wizards miss. Sexton also helped pester Bradley Beal at times throughout the game, hoping to wear him down and take away his legs, so the Eastern Conference’s leading scorer over the last month couldn’t erupt like the previous meeting. Beal finished with 26 points Friday night, but was just 9-of-28 from the field and 1-of-10 from 3-point range.
Tristan Thompson -- and others -- gave multiple efforts on the defensive end, closing out hard, protecting the paint, challenging drivers, not allowing Washington to get the clean looks that fueled a fast start. Thompson even came up with two timely blocks in the final minutes, strutting toward the bench while coaches and teammates smiled, laughed and encouraged him to run back and help on offense.
The unselfishness didn’t specifically show in the box score. The Cavs only had 19 assists on 43 made shots. But eight came in the fourth quarter, as the Cavs executed in the most critical moments -- a problem at various points this season.
The rally began with just two starters on the floor -- Darius Garland and Sexton. The young backcourt duo was flanked by Larry Nance Jr., Dante Exum and Thompson.
Bickerstaff might’ve been temped to swap in Andre Drummond and Kevin Love. But he didn’t. In his first major decision as leader, he resisted the temptation, put his trust in the group that sparked the turnaround -- until subbing in Cedi Osman, one of the night’s “unsung heroes," for an exhausted Exum around the two-minute mark.
“It was a grit, a rhythm,” Bickerstaff said. “They were playing well as a unit and they were pretty much the group that came back and got us the lead, and held on to the lead, so just felt like they should be rewarded.”
While on the bench, Drummond and Love -- two All-Stars and the team’s most accomplished players -- didn’t urge the coaches to put them in, didn’t sulk about not being out there in crunch time. They showed support the whole way, hopped up to congratulate guys and celebrated the biggest plays of the fourth quarter, many of which came from Cleveland’s developing guard tandem.
Sexton scored 14 of his 25 points in the final quarter, finding his offensive rhythm right in time. Garland poured in eight of his 15, including a clutch 3-pointer at the 6:29 mark of the fourth quarter that put the Cavs in front for good.
Thompson finished with a double-double, scoring 10 points to go with 11 rebounds and two blocks, playing the entire fourth quarter.
“It’s his character. It’s who he is,” Bickerstaff said of Thompson. “The game, his team and this organization means more to him than anything. So he’s willing to sacrifice. He goes out and competes, and he changes the game with his energy, his effort and his versatility on the defensive end. You can switch him on the smalls, he can block shots at the rim. He feeds everybody else, and they feed off of him and his energy. The young guys see it, and it shows them the way. That’s proper leadership.”
As Bickerstaff came off the court, Nance jumped him from behind. The two shared a big hug. Then Cavs fans perched above the tunnel shouted to the coach and players: “This is a new era! We’re 1-0. Keep it going.”
After a tumultuous and shocking few days, it’s a good start.
Early exit
Rookie Kevin Porter Jr. picked up his fifth foul on a charge at the 4:31 mark of the third quarter. Immediately after, Porter screamed at the official while Bickerstaff tried to intervene. It was too late. Porter, who barked all the way to the bench, picked up a pair of technicals on the play, leading to an early ejection. Entering the night, Porter had reached double figures in scoring in a career-high seven games. That streak ended Friday, as Porter had just three points on 1-of-3 shooting.
Equaling Swish
Love buried a pair of 3-pointers in the first half, extending his streak to 12 straight games with multiple triples. Love is tied with JR Smith for the franchise record.
Up next
The Cavs will play the second game of a back-to-back against the Miami Heat on Saturday night. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m.
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