During their red-hot start to the season, the Cleveland Cavaliers seemed to have everything in place. Their defense locked down opponents, and Cleveland’s offense under Kenny Atkinson was seemingly ahead of schedule. The Cavs were playing an overwhelmingly complementary style of basketball, and everyone was doing their part. But as great as everything was for Cleveland, it still wasn’t perfect, especially for swingman Isaac Okoro. That is until the Cavs took on the Milwaukee Bucks on the road, capping off their most impressive win in their undefeated start to the season.
With Okoro, his defensive capabilities have never been in question. Against the Bucks, Atkinson quickly subbed in Okoro after Milwaukee superstar Damian Lillard started rolling. Sure, there were times when Lillard baited Okoro into a foul and made a trip to the free-throw line. But Okoro still made life harder for Lillard. It helped throw a wrench in the Bucks’ offensive flow and allowed the Cavs to claw back into the game.
But, again, his defense was never in question heading into this matchup. Instead, there were questions about Okoro’s offense this season. It’s something that plagued Okoro throughout his NBA career. However, with Atkinson as head coach, there were hopes he could unlock Okoro on offense. Atkinson carried similar sentiments, with big plans for Okoro on the offensive side of the ball.
But executing those plans would take time for Atkinson and Okoro to flesh things out and get a feel for one another. Things looked like they were starting to click in Cleveland’s 120-109 win over the Orlando Magic. Against the Magic, Okoro had 9 points, one rebound, and one steal in 19 minutes of action. While it doesn’t seem like much, Okoro was finding a cadence on offense. His performance against Orlando was another building block for Okoro, finding his groove on offense for Atkinson and Okoro.
“I’m still discovering Isaac,” Atkinson said to ClutchPoints after the win over Orlando. “I’m just starting to know him better as a player, and I think we’ll use him better as the games go on. This is the first time I was like, man, he really had a great hit rhythm. He didn’t hesitate.”
Isaac Okoro came alive for the Cavs against the Bucks
Okoro was a disruptor from the moment he touched the floor for Cleveland against Milwaukee. But this didn’t happen only when he was attached to Lillard on defense. Instead, the momentum Okoro built against the Magic traveled with the Cavs to Fiserv Forum against the Bucks.
After Milwaukee left him wide open on the perimeter in the first quarter, Okoro burned them, calmly hitting down an easy three-pointer and connecting on two free throw attempts. Okoro chipped in five more points while still badgering Lillard in the second quarter. Those ten points were part of Okoro’s 13 scored on the evening, giving Cleveland a legitimate two-way spark and keeping them in the game in hostile territory. What was more impressive in Okoro’s big night wasn’t just the scoring. Instead, it was the rebounding – especially when Okoro put his body on the line to save Cleveland’s undefeated start.
How Isaac Okoro saved Cleveland’s undefeated streak
With less than 90 seconds left in the game, Donovan Mitchell missed a three-pointer that would’ve given the Cavs a five-point lead. But instead of Cleveland getting burned by Milwaukee, Okoro climbed the ladder and snagged his second and most crucial offensive rebound. It kept the Bucks from regaining momentum and eventually led to Mitchell putting the game on ice and vaulting the Cavs to 7-0 to start the year.
“It’s not about the shot; it’s about Isaac Okoro’s rebound,” said Mitchell moments after hitting the game-winning shot. “If we don’t get that possession without Isaac Okoro diving on the floor, calling the timeout, doing the little things, that’s what it’s all about.”
