Evan Dammarell Articles - Page 29

The winds of change are blowing off the shores of Lake Erie, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are beginning to feel them. Despite making it to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Cavs not having Jarrett Allen was a difference maker against the Boston Celtics, for better or worse. Sure, having Allen out there would’ve made a […]

Disappointment and anguish were understandably high after the Cleveland Cavaliers saw their playoff run and season end at the hands of the Boston Celtics. In the fallout that followed, many called for the Cavs to fire head coach J.B. Bickerstaff immediately. But now that Cleveland is several days removed from its season-ending loss, it’s clear […]

Unless a team finishes the season as NBA Champions, there will be fallout when the season ends. Only a few days after being eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Cleveland Cavaliers appear to be experiencing some fallout of their own, including with the Cavs’ starting backcourt of Donovan Mitchell and […]

The season is on the line for the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 against the Boston Celtics. Down 3-1, the Cavs are hoping to steal another win against the Celtics in Boston to bring this series back to Cleveland for Game 6. Unfortunately, it appears that Cleveland is without Donovan Mitchell, their most important player, […]

By the time the final buzzer sounded in their 109-102 Game 4 loss to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Cleveland Cavaliers knew they had given their all. Even without Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen, several Cavs players stood up to the formidable, star-studded Celtics and went down swinging. But playing for […]

For the Cleveland Cavaliers, a consistent theme that has unfortunately plagued them all season long is injuries. One of the more recent victims of the nagging injury bug is sharpshooting big man Dean Wade, who missed two months of action before taking the floor in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston […]

The Cleveland Cavaliers could fall to 3-1 against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, which understandably causes unease. That unease quickly becomes impending dread when Cleveland superstar Donovan Mitchell’s availability for Game 4 remains up in the air. Mitchell is dealing with a strained left calf and was not seen on the court […]

Many considered the Cleveland Cavaliers a longshot heading into this Eastern Conference semifinal matchup with the Boston Celtics. According to point guard Darius Garland, regardless of how everyone else feels, the Cavs were looking to shock the world and eliminate the Celtics, the NBA’s best regular-season team. Cleveland’s 118-94 Game 2 victory over Boston gave […]

In the NBA Playoffs, in every battle, there’s a game within a game that few notice, adjustments between either side. In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics, the Cleveland Cavaliers saw Derrick White and Jaylen Brown firing away from the perimeter. In Game 2, the Cavs adjusted and clamped down […]

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics were in a dogfight exiting halftime of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. At least it felt that way until the Celtics opened the second half on a 14-0 run, with the Cavs not stopping the bleeding until Donovan Mitchell connected on a turnaround jumper nearly […]

Riding high off their Game 2 win, the Cleveland Cavaliers have some big news. They will host the Boston Celtics for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals and could see the return of some familiar faces. No, it won’t be Ty Jerome (ankle) or Craig Porter Jr. (knee) who have been sidelined for the […]

After looking overmatched and overwhelmed in Game 1, when the Cleveland Cavaliers went down 14-5 early to the Boston Celtics in Game 2, it felt like it would be the same result on a different night for Cleveland. Instead, the Cavs flipped the script, stunning the Celtics at home and sending this series back to […]

Although the Cleveland Cavaliers were steamrolled in the second half of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics, there’s reason for optimism as the series continues. Based on the tone heading into Game 2, it’s as if this interaction of the Cavs has the mindset of a team that’s made six […]

Cleveland Cavaliers big man Jarrett Allen is currently considered a game-time decision heading into Game 2 against the Boston Celtics due to his nagging rib injury. Allen suffered the injury during Game 4 of the Cavs’ opening-round series against the Orlando Magic when Magic forward Franz Wagner reportedly “pierced” one of Allen’s ribs during one […]

After Darius Garland boasted that the Cleveland Cavaliers would shock the Boston Celtics and the world in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, it looks like he and his teammates were the ones who were shocked when the game began. Well, as long as you don’t include Donovan Mitchell. In the Cavs’ 120-95 Game […]

The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t have time to celebrate after they closed their first-round matchup against the Orlando Magic. The Boston Celtics, who had finished their first-round battle with the Miami Heat in five games, were rested and waiting to go blow for blow in the second round with Cleveland. On paper, the Celtics are the […]

In Game 1 against the Boston Celtics, Jarrett Allen is a game-time decision for the Cleveland Cavaliers due to his nagging rib injury. Allen, a constant defensive presence on the interior for the Cavs, missed Cleveland’s last three games in their round one tilt with the Orlando Magic due to the same injury. There hasn’t […]

When Donovan Mitchell was asked postgame if “Playoff Spida” was back after the Cleveland Cavaliers won Game 7 over the Orlando Magic, 106-94, he couldn’t help but chuckle. All throughout his career, Mitchell had been known as a big-time player who always steps up whenever the lights were the brightest. But, after years of frustrating […]

From the outside looking in, it feels like everything is on the line for the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Orlando Magic. If the Cavs lose, Donovan Mitchell may ask for a trade. Players other than Mitchell could be moved. Coaching and front office changes could be made. Simply put, there could be a legitimate, wholesale […]

Watching Donovan Mitchell drop 50 points in a series-clinching game against the Orlando Magic was exactly why the Cleveland Cavaliers moved heaven and earth to acquire him. Especially when it’s clear that this young Cavs team still isn’t as battle-tested, and when things got tight they failed to meet Mitchell at the summit. All of […]

After a strong win in Game 5 and a 3-2 lead, the Cleveland Cavaliers are riding positive momentum as they go on the road to face the Orlando Magic for Game 6. But if Cleveland wants to finish this series and move on to face the Boston Celtics in the second round, they have to […]

For whatever reason, some of the highest postseason moments for Cleveland Cavaliers involve a block. Sure, the actual Block will always belong to LeBron James after his heroics in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, winning the Cavs their first championship and Cleveland its first title in over 50 years. But the big-time defensive […]

Heading into Game 5 of the ongoing playoff saga between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic, guard Darius Garland seemed frustrated. After four games of inconsistent, somewhat listless play, Garland was hearing the noise and feeling the heat surrounding him. While it might seem repetitive, there were good intentions behind them. It sounds like veteran […]

All season long, Cleveland Cavaliers veteran forward Marcus Morris Sr. has made it clear he wants to play and, more importantly, play in the playoffs. But through the first four games in Cleveland’s opening-round tilt with the Orlando Magic, Morris had only played fifteen minutes in garbage time during the Cavs’ two road losses to […]

Of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ typical starting lineup, Max Strus was the only member not averaging double-digit scoring numbers in the first round against the Orlando Magic. All series long, the Magic have hounded Strus, making life hard for the Cavs sharpshooter to find a rhythm and give Cleveland a scoring punch from the perimeter. Sure, […]

After dropping two games in a row to the Orlando Magic in the NBA Playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers are trending in the wrong direction. Despite seemingly physically and mentally breaking Orlando, Cleveland has looked like a shell of themselves and is searching for answers to regain their long-lost identity. Armchair general managers and analysts will […]

Hours before the Cleveland Cavaliers were set to face the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of the NBA Playoffs, a fourth injury had hit the Cavs. Jarrett Allen, Cleveland’s best player against Orlando, was surprisingly listed as questionable due to a right rib contusion and was considered a game-time decision. According to Cavs head coach […]

After bludgeoning and bullying the Orlando Magic to a 2-0 lead in this opening-round Eastern Conference playoff matchup, the Cleveland Cavaliers are reeling. Despite so many believing Cleveland had broken Orlando physically and mentally, the Magic recollected when the series shifted to the Kia Center, winning two in a row at home by bullying the […]

While the Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t been great on offense in the first round against the Orlando Magic, it’s still surprising to see how much Donovan Mitchell has struggled. Unfortunately, after nine playoff games played with the Cavs, this has become somewhat of a recurring theme for Mitchell. Sure, in Game 1 against Orlando, Mitchell erupted […]

After two humiliating road losses in the opening round against the Orlando Magic, the Cleveland Cavaliers are lost. The Cavs will find their way home to host the Magic for Game 5 of this opening-round Eastern Conference playoff series, but they’re lost on offense against Orlando. Cleveland has been unable to rely on one of […]

Although it’s been said far too much, the playoffs don’t truly begin until the road team wins. Neither team has lost at home in this ongoing first-round battle between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic. So, with Orlando hosting Game 4, how can Cleveland break the trend? Well, it’s hard to imagine the Cavs make […]

Despite the Cleveland Cavaliers bullying them to open this playoff series, the Orlando Magic weren’t about to sing their swan song. Instead, the Magic liked their wounds and took what the Cavs have done to them all series long, which Cleveland had learned from the New York Knicks last postseason, and flipped the script. Whenever […]

While the Cleveland Cavaliers have had no problem taking care of business against the Orlando Magic in the first round of the NBA Playoffs to this point, it’s fair to wonder when forward Dean Wade will return to the floor – especially now that the Cavs have ruled Wade out for the remainder of the […]

Although the Cleveland Cavaliers have been outright dominant in their first-round NBA playoffs matchup against the Orlando Magic, they aren’t invincible. While both games have been a defensive slugfest, the Magic have discovered a way to slow down Donovan Mitchell’s scoring impact for the Cavs. It requires Orlando to send multiple defenders, forcing Mitchell into […]

In the first-round playoff battle between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic, Jarrett Allen has been playing like a big man possessed. Through two games, Allen has averaged 16.0 points on 60.0% shooting, 19.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.5 blocks in 37.0 minutes per game. Allen has become the arbiter of Orlando’s fate, […]

Heading into Game 2 of their first-round playoff matchup with the Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff opened up on what adjustments his team needed to make after their series-opening win. Well, maybe adjust isn’t quite the right phrase for Bickerstaff, who admitted his team wasn’t perfect in Game 1 but wanted them […]

On paper, a team that starts two seven-footers like the Cleveland Cavaliers means that opponents should pack the paint against them. With so much size on the frontline, the Cavs can wreak havoc inside if left unchecked, which seems to be why the Orlando Magic took that approach to open Game 1 of the first […]

Heading into this postseason, some players on the Cleveland Cavaliers had something to prove after last season’s playoff meltdown against the New York Knicks. Doubly so for Donovan Mitchell, who was no exception to proving his doubters wrong. After coming out lackluster against New York last year and dealing with a bothersome knee injury leading […]

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach JB Bickerstaff challenged Cleveland big men Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley throughout the week in the buildup to Game 1 of their first-round NBA playoff series against the Orlando Magic. Bickerstaff wanted Allen and Mobley to control the flow of Orlando’s offense by grabbing nearly every rebound possible. Well, the duo […]