Even with threes dropping, Cavs fourth quarter defense has been a key to victory

23, 22, 18, 20, 23, 28, 17, and 22. No those are not the number of three pointers made by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first eight games—though they do not seem too outrageous to be. These eight numbers are actually the points allowed by the Cavs defense in the fourth quarter. Throwing out Game 2 of the Atlanta Hawks series where the fourth quarter was a YMCA scrimmage between the two team’s benches, the Cavs have kept their opponents at or under 23 points in the final quarter of basketball. Clutch defense.

As the old sports saying goes, “Defense wins championships.” Well, the Cavaliers defense in the fourth quarter during the eight games of the playoffs has definitely been a winning cog. Of the 16 teams that have played in the playoffs, the Cavs have held their opponent to the fewest points in the fourth quarter, allowing just 21.6 points per game. Cleveland’s defense has stymied the opponent to the fifth lowest field goal percentage in the fourth quarter at 41.3 percent, while also forcing their opponent to shoot the third lowest three-point field goal percentage at 27.1 percent. The Cavs are also fourth in defensive rating, giving up just 98.7 points per 100 possessions.

The Cavs really seem to get intense and hard-nosed on the defensive side of the ball when the fourth quarter begins. Cavaliers Head Coach Tyronn Lue alluded to this defensive mindset after Game 3’s victory over the Atlanta Hawks, when the Cavs came from behind and completely dominated the Hawks in the fourth quarter. Lue said, “We just try to hold on and keep the game close and we knew in the fourth quarter that we’d be ready to adjust … . If we can get to that fourth quarter in striking distance, we can adjust and we did.”

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These adjustments have been huge to the improved defense in the fourth quarter. The team looks at how the opponent is playing in the game and looks to find the best way to defend against that look. Coach Lue has been excellent in making the necessary adjustments to put the team in the right position to win the game.

“We go in to every game with a game plan,” Lue told WFNY on Wednesday. “In the fourth quarter, if things aren’t going as we want them to, we’ll adjust. You have to give the team a lot of credit for adjusting on the fly in the fourth quarter. We change some things around. It makes us better defensively, adjusting in-game, and it’s really been helping us out.”

What makes the Cleveland defense even tougher to score against is the team’s control of their aggressiveness and rebounding. Of all the teams who have played in the playoffs, the Cavs have committed the fewest fouls and have held their opponent to shooting the fewest free throw attempts in the fourth quarter. The Cavs have averaged just 4.5 fouls and the opponent is only averaging 4.6 free throw attempts in the final stanza, showing that the Cavs are not simply playing tough defense, but disciplined defense, controlling their aggressiveness to not cause fouls. Holding the opponent’s free throws limits the opponents chances of adding points while the clock is stopped, along with helping the team keep their pace and momentum going without stops in play.

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In the event the metrics above aren’t enough, the Cavs defense is aided even more by their strong defensive rebounding. The Cavs are third in defensive rebounding in the fourth quarter, as well as tied for sixth in the playoffs in allowing the fewest offensive rebounds to their opponent. The Cavs average 8.9 defensive rebounds in the fourth quarter, while holding the opponent to just 2.4 offensive rebounds. Cleveland is allowing just 2.3 points off second chance opportunities in the fourth quarter, the fourth fewest allowed in the playoffs.  This rebounding efficiency limits the opponent to just one shot per possession, regulating the foe to fewer chances to score. It is a huge advantage to keep the opponent to one shot a possession, especially in the final moments of a given game.

Sure, the Cavs have been shooting the ball with record-breaking efficiency from three point land, but the defense in the fourth quarter has quietly been the story for a team that has struggled on that end since Lue became head coach midway through the season.

“We’re playing both sides of the ball,” Kevin Love told WFNY on Wednesday. “We focus on defense the majority of the time at practice. We still get our shots off, we still run through our plays, but defense allows us to get off to the races, get down hill and get the open shots we’ve been making.”

*Stats come from NBA.com Stats, with stats as of Monday before the night’s games. Additional reporting from Scott Sargent included in this story.