Instant Analysis: Cleveland Cavaliers Are In Serious Trouble After Fourth Straight Loss

Amid their worst stretch of the season, the Cleveland Cavaliers were desperate for a win to snap their losing streak and set things back in a positive direction. Against a Phoenix Suns team that's been struggling all season, this game was set up to be a relatively easy victory for the Cavs, who were 26-8 on the road before tonight's showdown.

The Suns took a one-point lead in the first quarter and never looked back. By halftime, they were up 11 on the Cavs and the momentum continued in the final 24 minutes. Toward the end of the game, Cleveland made one last run to try and win the game but it was ultimately in vain after losing by 11 (123-112).

It was a masterpiece from Kevin Durant, who dropped 42 points, six rebounds, and eight assists on 17-29 shooting. In 38 minutes, Devin Booker finished with 17 points, two rebounds, and 10 assists on 7-17 shooting. Off the bench, Tyus Jones tallied 16 points, four rebounds, and three assists on 6-11 shooting.

For the Cavaliers, Darius Garland put up 18 points, five rebounds, and six assists on 8-16 shooting. In the frontcourt, Evan Mobley added 16 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists on 7-14 shooting. De'Andre Hunter scored 17 points, one rebound, and one assist on 6-8 shooting.

The Cavaliers have been the league's hottest team all season but are struggling right now at arguably one of the worst times (leading up to the playoffs). While Cleveland still boasts the best record in the East, the signs aren't looking great and there are some reasons to be concerned with their current trajectory.

Unacceptable Play From Donovan Mitchell 

The first place to look when a team is on the decline is their leader. For the Cavaliers, it's Donovan Mitchell and he was completely out of rhythm tonight. In 30 minutes, Mitchell put up seven points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals on a measly 2-18 shooting 11.1%.

Donovan's struggles brought the entire team down and it's a shame given he's been one of their best players all year. With season averages of 24.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists, this game was not typical for Mitchell but it's one of several tough performances recently (shot 27.8% in the loss to the Clippers) that may indicate a more lingering issue.

Regardless of the reason for Mitchell's poor play recently, it's hard for any team to win when their best player shoots 11% for the field and that's no different for the Cavs, who are centered around Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley to step up and perform for them.

Perimeter Defense Has Fallen Off A Cliff

The defense has been a huge factor in the Cavaliers' record this season. They rank 8th on that end of the floor this season, thanks to Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, who have been among the best defensive frontcourt pairings this season.

In the losing streak, the Cavs' defense has been a big problem and the trend continued in the loss tonight. Miscommunication and a lack of effort resulted in easy buckets for the Suns, who capitalized with 19 threes on 45.2% shooting.

The Suns had absolutely no answers for Kevin Durant, who finished with a game-high 42 points on 4-9 shooting from deep. Whether it's tuning out the regular season or a sign of a deeper problem, the Cavaliers are not playing the kind of defense that has led to their success this season and if they don't wake up soon, it could cost them the top seed in the East.

Stagnant Offense For Cleveland

The Cavaliers have excelled this season with ball movement and quality teamwork. The offense was like a fluid machine, which is why they were the top-ranked scoring team in the league this season with an average of 122.4 points per game.

Against the Suns, however, the Cavs resorted to hero ball and fell back into some old habits. They still racked up 24 assists as a team but you could tell something was different about their offense, which looked slow and lethargic all night long.

The Cavs only scored 112 points, well below their season average. They also shot just 44.7% for the game (37.8% shooting from three) with 11 turnovers as they failed to properly run the offense.

Clearly, the Cavs have some issues to deal with right now and after losing to four mediocre teams (Suns, Kings, Clippers, Magic) many critics are starting to question if they are as good as everyone thought. Of course, the Suns also deserve credit for stepping up tonight and containing the Cavaliers to an impressive degree.