
The Cleveland Cavaliers have NBA Finals aspirations. Their offense is good enough to get there. But can the Cavs defense -- which ranks bottom 10 in almost every important 3-point category -- hold up its end of the bargain? The lottery-bound Memphis Grizzlies had a chance at history Monday night. Forget the final score — the Cavs won 142-126, claiming their 50th victory and securing homecourt advantage in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs. Forget who the Cavs left back in Cleveland — without six rotational players, including star guards Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. Forget that it was the second game of a back-to-back, with the team traveling into a different time zone late Sunday night. The Cavaliers’ wretched 3-point defense was the story Monday night. It’s been a problematic theme this season. And it could be their fatal flaw during an impending playoff run. Memphis, an organization in turmoil that has been forced to use 33 different players this season — tie...
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