Despite their incredible season, the Cleveland Cavaliers have faced a setback by losing three games in a row for the first time. The latest defeat came at the hands of the Houston Rockets, with Amen Thompson leading the charge with a triple-double of 23 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 135-131 victory at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
With this losing streak, the Cavs have slipped to a half-game behind the Oklahoma City Thunder for the best record in the NBA at 36-9. They still maintain a 4 1/2 game lead over the Boston Celtics for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Boston secured a win against the Dallas Mavericks with a 122-107 score on the same night.
It’s worth noting that two of Cleveland’s losses during this stretch have come at the hands of the Rockets, who currently hold the third-best record in the league at 30-14. The Cavs suffered a close defeat on Wednesday at 109-108 when Darius Garland missed two crucial free throws in the final moments.
In the rematch on Saturday, Garland tried to make amends by scoring a game-high 39 points and dishing out nine assists. Despite his stellar performance, the Cavs couldn’t keep up with Houston’s balanced scoring attack, which saw four players scoring 20 or more points.
The frontcourt dominance of Şengün and Adams, along with Thompson’s triple-double, proved to be the difference in the game. Although Mobley and Allen contributed, Tristan Thompson failed to score off the bench. Mobley returned to action after missing four games due to a calf injury.
While Cleveland fought back to tie the game in the fourth quarter, Houston ultimately secured the win by converting crucial free throws down the stretch. The Cavs will look to bounce back when they face the Detroit Pistons on Monday, while the Rockets continue their road trip against the Celtics.