Photo Credit: Cleveland.com
Jordan Clarkson put on a show at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, as the Cleveland Cavaliers took down Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies 114-107.
The win tonight resulted in the Cavs second winning streak of the season after the win over Charlotte Wednesday night.
It was an electric crowd inside the arena as Morant, the rookie of the year favorite, made his first appearance in Cleveland.
Morant was limited in scoring most of the night, only scoring eight points while tallying 11 assists.
During the first half, Morant elevated and soared through the air to try and throw down a dunk.
Kevin Love set up to take the charge, but Morant missed the dunk in a moment that sent a buzz through the crowd.
After almost getting posterized, Love tweeted a humorous reaction to the missed dunk.
https://twitter.com/kevinlove/status/1208212568701054976
Morant was the least of the Cavaliers worries, as turnovers plagued the team all night, finishing with 17 in total.
The defense was sloppy for a large portion of the second half, looking to spell doom for a second straight home win.
However, Clarkson had other ideas.
The guard exploded for 33 points off the bench, reaching 20 points by the end of the first half.
Clarkson ended up going six-of-eight from beyond the arc on the night to make up for defensive shortcomings.
Coach Beilein adjusted his rotations to keep Clarkson in rhythm as the hot hand in the offense.
Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson posted double-doubles on the night in helping to secure the win.
Fellow 2019 rookie Darius Garland outscored Memphis’ Morant by notching 14 points.
—-Up Next—-
The Cavaliers play host to the Atlanta Hawks Monday. The Cavs will then hit the road before returning home against the Charlotte Hornets on January 2.
Sean Fitzgerald is a member of the Black Squirrel Radio Sports Department and a Sports Coordinator and co-hosts Pass the Mic Sports Talk. Follow him on Twitter @fitzonsportsbsr for insights and occasional livestreams.