The Cavaliers established a clear identity that led them to success early in the season. That's how hard they play on the defensive end. Even though that identity had gone missing at times in December, Sunday night's victory in Phoenix showed exactly what it can do when the Cavs stick to it.
Cleveland was eager to pull away from the Suns all night but just couldn't figure out a way to do it. Every time the Cavs hit a big shot, the Suns would come back with one of their own.
The tone of the game completely changed in the fourth quarter when two players checked in. Lamar Stevens and Raul Neto entered the game and immediately brought their defensive minded play with them.
The Cavs ended up outscoring the Suns 32-19 in the fourth quarter which included four steals and seven points off turnovers for Cleveland.
Neto and Stevens' impact didn't go unnoticed by the team and the coaching staff. They were both co-recipients of the "Junk Yard Dog Chain."
J.B.Bickerstaff also had this to say they, "came in and gave us a big spark. We held (the Suns) to six points for a long period of that quarter and it was our defense that was able to do it and turn it to offense for us."
This play is a great example of how Cleveland turned defense into offense:
It's clear that when the Cavs make defense their focus they play a much better and complete game. They'll need to keep this up if they hope to finish this road trip with a winning record.
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