Austin Carr said it best: "The Bobcats were just a step ahead of the Cavs all night."
Carr is the analyst for FOX Sports Ohio broadcasts of Cavaliers games. Anyone who saw the Cavs' 90-84 loss at Charlotte on Friday likely agreed with Carr. They likely saw what he saw.
The Bobcats shot nearly 60 percent in the first quarter. They buried 50 percent in the first half. They went on 6-0 run to finish the game. Every time the Cavs got close, they just ... couldn't ... take the lead.
Despite the struggles of the first two quarters, the Cavs only trailed 54-49 at halftime. It felt like they should have been down 20. They repeatedly put themselves in position to win in the second half.
But with the game tied at 84-all and just less than a minute left, Bobcats guard Kemba Walker drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the key.
Walker is a former NCAA champion, a point guard who plays with a winning edge. He buckled down and challenged Cavs star Kyrie Irving on defense. Walker also erupted for a game-high 23 points on offense. The Bobcats are improved and Walker is a huge reason why. So is new coach Steve Clifford -- who stresses the same type of rugged play demanded by the Cavs' Mike Brown.
The Bobcats (1-1) were just crisper. The Cavs (also 1-1) were sharp at times, but not for nearly long enough.
"We're getting too many 'my bads,'" Brown said. "Can't have 15 'my bads' in the first half."
The Cavs also didn't get enough from enough different sources.
Irving was pretty good again, but not exactly Mr. Fourth Quarter. He tallied 16 points and seven assists -- but failed to score in the final 12-plus minutes. Irving did bump his elbow, and said he lost feeling in his arm. That tends to affect your shooting touch. X-rays were negative, though, and Irving indicated all is well.
Anyway, small forwards Earl Clark and Alonzo Gee combined for 0-of-6 shooting and 0 points. Clark also committed four turnovers.
Anderson Varejao spent most of the night in foul trouble and didn't have a field goal, either.
And who knows what to make of Dion Waiters? He played just 14 minutes and finished with two points. Part of that likely had something to do with Jarrett Jack, who has been fantastic off the bench. But part of it was Waiters simply failing to play well.
Towering Thompson
On the bright side, Tristan Thompson has been brilliant through two games. He scored 21 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and even went 9-of-10 on free throws. If he keeps this up, the Cavs will be much better, period.
C.J. Miles (22 points) and Jack (15) were terrific in reserve. Both played with guts and confidence. The Cavs could use more of that.
Andrew Bynum also received more minutes (10) than the season-opening win over Brooklyn. Even when rusty, Bynum is usually one of the top two or three players on the floor, if not the very best. He finished with five points and three boards.
This was the type of loss Cavs fans should be able to stomach so early in the season. Things are always rocky when you bring in a new coach with a new philosophy. The Cavs won 24 games last year. Brown, Bynum and Jack aren't miracle workers. It's gonna take time.
The good news is, the Cavs have put forth two fairly competitive efforts. They scraped by the Nets, then barely lost this one. Both games were tight, entertaining.
After Walker's three, the Cavs still had some chances. Thompson had the ball knocked away on the next possession. Then Walker missed a three with 17.4 seconds to go and Varejao pulled in the rebound.
But Jack airballed a challenged 3-pointer in an attempt to tie it at the 12.2-second mark. It looked as if Bobcats guard Gerald Henderson may have gotten a piece of the shot before it sailed out of bounds. The refs watched instant replay and determined otherwise.
The Cavs were forced to foul, and that was that.
They return to action Saturday at Indiana. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. on FOX Sports Ohio.
Twitter: @SamAmicoFSO
