The Cleveland Cavaliers had a disappointing Thursday night as the Portland Trail Blazers beat them 103-95 at home.
Following the game, the Cavaliers had many questions about what went wrong and how they would move forward.
Speaking to Spencer Davies after the defeat, Darius Garland said that the Cavaliers are a “really good team” but admitted that “some days we just have those lackadaisical days, and that’s where we have to grow at.”
Garland believes the Cavaliers are a playoff team but they aren’t acting like it right now.
Darius Garland: “I think we all know that we’re a really good team, but some days we just have those lackadaisical days, and that’s where we have to grow at.
“We have to act like a playoff team as we talk about it.” #Cavs pic.twitter.com/SsgC7xhjts
— Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) December 1, 2023
They certainly didn’t look like a playoff team during Thursday’s game, as they were soundly defeated by one of the worst squads in the Western Conference.
Garland scored 15 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists and was one of several Cleveland players in double digits.
But that wasn’t enough and the team had horrible luck with three-point shooting and paled in comparison to Portland when it came to speed and energy.
This is something that fans have seen from the Cavaliers multiple times this season.
Garland admitted that the team has suffered from a pattern of taking steps forward and then falling backward right after that.
This is obviously something that cannot last if the Cavaliers wish to make the postseason.
It’s not enough to just reach the playoffs because the Cavaliers did that last year; instead, they have to push past the opening round and make a statement.
That will be hard to do with such a tough, competitive conference, and it’ll be all-but-impossible if the Cavaliers keep experiencing brutal losses like this one.
NEXT: Cavs Star Says Loss To Trail Blazers Is A "Turning Point"
