Cavs net first win but make it interesting

Random dribbles following the Cavaliers’ 131-124 road win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday. …

1. Well, safe to say that was a lot closer than it should have been. But hey, a win is a win is a win. And the Cavaliers have their first of 2025-26.

2. I’ll be honest, I started writing this very column midway through the third quarter. The Cavs were on fire and led by 25 points. No way these young Nets would make a game of it.

3. So yeah, go ahead. Blame me.

4. Now it’s time for me to make excuses for the Cavs, since they won’t do it for themselves. They were still without De’Andre Hunter (and Darius Garland and Max Strus). They were on the road. And this is the NBA — where no lead is safe.

5. They raced to a 14-point advantage in the first quarter, stayed right around there, then exploded in the third. Then, yeah, they let their foot off the gas. And it almost burned them.

6. Thank heavens they didn’t, or I’d be spending my entire Saturday responding to your emails, calls, texts, and notifications of doom.

7. If you’re a Cleveland fan, you had to love what you saw for the first three quarters.

8. Donovan Mitchell was again having his way, pretty much doing whatever he wanted. It was almost as if a defense wasn’t even out there. Jarrett Allen attacked the basket, bouncing back nicely from the clunker in New York. And Sam Merrill seemingly couldn’t miss from deep.

9. The poor Nets (0-2) were no match. Until suddenly, they were. They gave great effort in the final 12 minutes. The Cavs (1-1) sort of lolleygagged, at least too often, as if the final 12 minutes featured a running clock.

10. They also seemed a bit winded. I don’t know. I don’t really have an explanation. But again, these things happen in the NBA.

11. I did get a look at coach Kenny Atkinson’s face as he walked off the floor. Based on that, I’d be surprised if it were all sunshine and rainbows in the postgame locker room.

12. Mitchell finished with 35 points on 10-of-15 shooting. He was relentless. Allen went for 22 points on 8-of-11. Merrill started 6-of-7 on threes, also scoring 22, but missed his last four. He did knock down what turned out to be some crucial free throws.

13. And boy oh boy, did I love watching Craig Porter Jr. He played the role of energy guy who’s making a difference in reserve — finishing with 14 points (6-of-7 shooting, to boot).

14. In the first three quarters, the Cavs were remarkably aggressive, pushing the pace and forcing the Nets to play fast. Brooklyn couldn’t hang. It was only when the Cavs slowed down that it got close.

15. Evan Mobley was solid with 13 points and eight rebounds. He can and will be better, but I liked how he forced nothing.

16. Larry Nance Jr. tacked on nine points in 16 minutes off the bench. He’s truly just a veteran guy who has done and seen it all, and it shows. He just knows how to play the game.

16. Two things that annoyed me? The Cavs’ free-throw shooting (25-of-35, 71 percent) and the fact that they were again out-rebounded (38-35). Hunter will presumably help in that area — but still. You have Allen and Mobley and even Jaylon Tyson (eight points, four boards) out there. You need to do better.

17. Lonzo Ball went 0-of-4 shooting and is now 1-of-11 on the season. And no, I’m still not the least bit concerned. It’ll come. Right now, he looks like a guy who’s hardly been on the court in the past three years.

18. Cam Thomas (33) and Michael Porter Jr. (31) were pretty good as the veterans in Brooklyn’s Brat Pack. Ziaire Williams added 25. Everyone else appeared a little shell-shocked. Not surprising. Half of this team is about four months removed from college.

19. In conclusion, one thing I’ve learned in my 18 years covering pro basketball is that most nights are far from perfect. The Cavs were close to it here. Then the fourth quarter came. In the end, they did enough against a far inferior opponent. That’s actually all you need to do.

20. And now, finally, a home game. That comes Sunday vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks (2-0). I’m as excited as if it’s my first year on the beat. Win, lose or draw, this Cavs team just has that impact on me. They’re not flawless, but they’re tons of fun — and I believe they’re on the way to very good things.