Cavs veteran’s postgame speech warns against complacency after Friday’s unsatisfying second half

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Not satisfied.

The Cavs are off to their best start in franchise history, extending their streak to 10 straight wins on Friday in a 136-117 thrashing of the Golden State Warriors. Yet, what will resonate most for Cleveland isn’t the victory itself — it’s the insight gained in the aftermath.

After two quarters, the Cavs held a franchise-record 41-point halftime lead over the second-ranked defense in the NBA after pouring in 83 first-half points — tying the team record for points in a half. They were riding high, draining shots and feeding off a seemingly unstoppable rhythm. Yet, as the game progressed, the Cavs’ confidence began to morph into complacency. Cleveland lost its focus, veering away from the disciplined play that has led them to an unprecedented start to the season.

As the final buzzer sounded, it was clear the Cavs had won, their 136-point total tying the franchise record for 130-point or more games in a season — a feat achieved in half of their victories so far, matching the high-scoring pace set by the 2016-17 and 2017-18 teams.

But the way the Cavs finished the game didn’t sit well.

Learning about themselves and the new offensive schemes under Kenny Atkinson in his first season in Cleveland, while securing wins, has been a key benefit for the Cavs to start the season. And veteran big man Tristan Thompson, brought back to Cleveland as much for his experience and leadership as his on-court play, didn’t want the team to take that for granted.

“Can’t screw around with the game,” Thompson told cleveland.com about his postgame speech. “We were up 40. We should have closed it out where in the fourth quarter starters get rest, especially with a back-to-back.

“We got to take advantage of moments like that, especially how crazy our schedule has been. We’re just telling guys, let’s handle business right away and so fourth quarter starters can sit, get ready for another tough one tomorrow.”

Thompson has become a trusted locker-room voice and an extension of Atkinson’s coaching staff on the bench. Thompson’s postgame speech emphasized a crucial reality: the season is long, and opportunities to rest starters in blowouts are invaluable for a team with championship aspirations.

And Thompson wasn’t the only one who voiced frustration about the team’s second half performance.

“Second half was like the opposite [of the first],” Atkinson explained in his postgame press conference. “We talked to the guys. Our standards have to be higher, right? Great first half. Can’t play much better than that. But second half, the way we came out, they scored 13 points in the first three minutes. I’m a coach. It was a little frustrating, and I mean they’re a hell of a team, so it’s a little bit to be expected, but I think it went kind of over that. And we got really stagnant. We weren’t moving the ball. We just started putting our head down. They’re too good to do that.”

In the first half, the Cavs assisted on 22 of their 28 made baskets while shooting 28 of 43 from the field and 14 of 22 from deep, tying their second most made 3-pointers in a half in franchise history. The ball was moving with purpose, and the Cavs were exploiting the Warriors’ defense by forcing constant rotations, generating high-quality shots through smart off-ball movement and quick decision-making.

“We knew they protect the paint first at all costs,” Atkinson said of their preparation. “We knew that coming in. But something we worked. We worked on it in shootaround this morning, just driving into the paint, drive, kick, swing. That’s kind of our motto and I thought we did a hell of a job in the first half. Second half, not so good.”

In the final two periods, the Cavs shifted into isolation ball, going away from the ball movement and spacing that had been so effective in the first half — they combined for just 11 assists over the third and fourth quarter. They started relying more on individual matchups, trying to break down defenders one-on-one. The Warriors sensed the opportunity and exploited the Cavs’ stagnant offense for 41 points in the third quarter and forcing 13 turnovers over the final two frames.

“We was playing against the score,” Darius Garland, who finished the game as the leading scorer with 27 points and six assists, admitted. “Everybody kept saying that we was up by a lot, so it was tough.

Even as the Cavs’ shooting barrage began to cool, Garland remained a steady force, pouring in 16 of his 27 points in the second half. His ability to keep finding ways to score, whether through pull-up jumpers or crafty drives, kept the Warriors at arm’s length, thwarting their relentless attempts to claw back into the game.

“What a season [he’s having],” Atkinson said of Garland. “And he defended Steph [Curry]. I thought he did a darn good job. So he was doing it on both ends. Listen, it got a little dicey there. We were getting a little nervous. We got him in the game, and he kind of closed the door.”

Garland is coming off a tough year where injuries and personal loss challenged him at every turn. Recovering from a fractured jaw that was wired shut, forcing him to drink through a straw with limited physical activity, he struggled to keep his weight up while mourning his grandmother’s passing.

But now, as he told cleveland.com after Friday’s game, he’s playing with a new sense of joy and resolve, finding ways to celebrate his loved ones with every kiss to the sky — his new signature after every made triple.

“He’s an All-Star right now,” Thompson praised. “He’s playing like an All-Star. He should be an All-Star. Everyone here wants him to be an All-Star, get him back to where he belongs. So we just gotta keep doing what we’re doing, keep playing well.

“He’s playing with super high-level confidence. And I think that’s what the NBA is. It’s all about confidence. When you have confidence, you can do so much more out there, and I think he understands that. I think he feels it too. So, when he shoots shots, he’s feeling good.”

Last season, the Cavs’ inability to close out games with consistency allowed multiple teams to claw back into contests, with lackluster second-half performances derailing otherwise fast starts. Whether it was a lapse in defensive intensity or a shift toward isolation ball on offense, the Cavs too often found themselves scrambling to recover after letting their foot off the gas.

To continue proving that they are a different team this year — one with deeper aspirations for a playoff run — Friday’s game against the Warriors should serve as a wake-up call. As they evolve into a respected contender with a target on their backs, maintaining a relentless focus no matter the scenario is paramount.

Ultimately, in the ever-competitive Eastern Conference, securing wins when they have a clear advantage and keeping key players like Garland fresh will be vital for the Cavs to reach their ultimate goal.

“We just got to keep our head in the game,” Garland said. “We got to just stay focused and just worry about us, how we can get better every day and every possession.”