“Isaac Okoro is the best perimeter defender in the league, hands down,” said Cleveland Cavaliers coach JB Bickerstaff on the scrappy swingman after their stunning 113-104 overtime victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Entering the game as underdogs, the Cavs didn’t relent against the Western Conference’s top-seed. With three starters missing, Cleveland handled the best road team in the league in gritty fashion.
Okoro put the clamps on All-Star guard Anthony Edwards, holding him to just 19 points on 7/27 shooting, with only six of those points coming in the second half and overtime of this game.
With starters Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Max Strus out due to injuries, Cleveland managed to outlast Minnesota, who were potentially fatigued after a narrow 113-111 victory in Indiana the previous day.
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Jarrett Allen, who was initially challenged by Rudy Gobert’s presence in the first half, showed resilience in the second half when he was needed most. Allen finished with a career-high 33 points to go alongside a game-high 18 rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and two steals. The Cleveland big man shot 9-of-19 from the field and 15-of-21 from the foul line, with ten of his points getting scored in overtime.
Darius Garland compensated for six turnovers by leading the team with 34 points and eight assists. He shot 13-of-26 from the field, 2-of-10 from three-point range, and sank 6-of-7 free throws.
Cavs’ sixth man Caris LeVert had a strong performance with 15 points, five rebounds, and eight assists.
Naz Reid had a stellar shooting night, going 7-for-11 from beyond the arc, and scoring a career-high 34 points for the Timberwolves. He also made a crucial rejection with 3.8 seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime.
However, the rest of the team struggled from beyond the arc without star center Karl-Anthony Towns on the floor. Edwards and Mike Conley combined to miss all 12 of their three-point attempts, which certainly didn’t help Minnesota in their attempt to win this game.
This game saw multiple momentum swings, with both teams going on big scoring runs throughout the night. Cleveland rattled off 16-2 and 23-11 runs, and Minnesota went on a 17-4 surge, with each of these runs taking place before halftime.
The Cavs managed to keep the game close by frequently drawing fouls and getting to the free-throw line, as they took 18 shots from the charity stripe in the third quarter alone.
Despite the game’s fluctuating momentum, neither team managed to gain a lead larger than nine points on the night. In the end, Cleveland maintained control and secured a nine-point victory.