The Cavaliers are the worst team in the NBA in defending 3-pointers, and showed it in new ways Tuesday.
View full sizeJamario Moon went airborne in trying to defend Orlando's Hedo Turkoglu in the fourth quarter Tuesday, but all of the Cavaliers' efforts couldn't prevent the Magic's long-range onslaught in a 110-95 triumph at The Q.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- There's an art to defending 3-pointers in the NBA.
It requires running out to meet the shooter, going against every instinct in your body that wants you to pull up a few feet in front of your opponent and dare him to sink a basket from 23 feet, 9 inches. It means flying at a shooter, forcing him to hit a tough shot or making him dribble if he wants to find open space.
It's a technique the Cavaliers have yet to master in this season of rebuilding. They are the worst in the NBA in defending 3-pointers, and they showed it in new ways Tuesday as Orlando sank 19 3-pointers in posting a 110-95 victory at The Q.
Cleveland dropped to 8-23, losing its 14th game in the last 15.
The Cavaliers failed at defending the 3-pointer all night, but no more so than in the fourth quarter when Orlando sank seven of 10 from long distance -- three from Gilbert Arenas, who tallied a game-high 22 points.
It was in the fourth quarter when Magic reserves bested Cleveland's bench, ballooning what had been a 75-74 third-quarter advantage to as much as 17 by the time Jameer Nelson sank a three with 4:30 remaining to give Orlando a 102-85 lead.
"The toughest thing to guard in the NBA is closing out to a guy," Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson said. "Basically he can do what he wants to do just because you're at full speed trying to get to him. It's a tough thing to do."
The Cavaliers have struggled with it all season, as opponents hit a league-best 41 percent from 3-point range. Minnesota set a new franchise record with 18 3-pointers in a 129-95 victory over Cleveland on Dec. 4.
Tuesday, Orlando set the new Cleveland opponent record with 19 threes in 31 tries, for 61-percent accuracy.
It's a frustration for coach Byron Scott, who stressed Orlando's accuracy since trades two weeks ago brought sharp-shooters Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson and Arenas. Those three players combined to hit 11-of-19 beyond the arc; only Turkoglu made fewer than 50 percent of his attempts (2-for-5).
"We've got to be committed to running guys off that line," Scott said. "I know at times you feel a little vulnerable as a player doing that, but it has to be something we do. We're the worst in the league right now. We've got to get better at it."
They fared worst in the fourth quarter, when reserves played the first eight minutes. In all, Orlando outscored Cleveland, 35-21, in the fourth quarter, breaking open what had been a game made close mostly by the defense and hustle of Anderson Varejao.
Varejao was his typical annoying, hair-flying self in defending Magic center Dwight Howard, and was particularly effective in the third quarter when he played all but the final 39.3 seconds. He finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and a career-high five steals, but his true value didn't appear in merely numbers.
He frustrated Howard to the point where the Orlando center made sure to send a hard shoulder into Varejao after making one layup late in the game. He was so fiery that he punched himself in the face after a sequence where he blocked Turkoglu, stole a ball and sank a reverse layup midway through the third.
"Who's the so-called best center in this league right now?" Scott asked. "Because I think Andy's up there. I don't think he gets enough credit for how hard he plays and the things he's been able to do for us."
The Cavaliers might have wasted Varejao's effort, but they also escaped with minimal damage to forward Antawn Jamison after a frightening first-quarter collision. Jamison and the Magic's Nelson collided knees at full speed, and Jamison spent several minutes on the court in pain. He wore a protective sleeve on his right leg after the game, but said the bruised knee isn't expected to hamper him.