Cavs big man Jarrett Allen’s zone defense makes a big splash in a close loss to the Rockets

Despite the rare sting of defeat this season, Cleveland Cavaliers they demonstrate ruthless determination until the last signal. In a close game against the Houston Rockets, which ended with narrow score of 109-108 The Cavs struggled at the free throw lineespecially with their standout guard Darius Garland going an unexpected 1-for-3 in the final moments. Still, Garland’s presence there is a testament to Cleveland’s resilience as they battled hard to get back into contention. Once again, the Cavs relied heavily on their defense to stay competitive in Houston.

The Rockets executed a well-thought-out approach throughout the game, effectively applying pressure at the rim and forcing the Cavs to make difficult adjustments. At times, Houston’s tactics stretched Cleveland’s defense, allowing star point guard Fred VanVleet to exploit gaps and consistently hit long shots.

In response to Houston’s inside-out strategy, the Cavs’ head coach Kenny Atkinson turned to a reliable solution: their zone defense. This defensive scheme has become a key component of Cleveland’s strategy, ranking third in the NBA in usage behind only Miami and Philadelphia. The zone provided a much-needed adjustment and helped the Cavs stay in the game throughout the fourth quarter, largely thanks to contributions from the star big man Jarrett Allen.

Jarrett Allen put a lot of pressure on the Cavs’ zone defense

With nine minutes and 14 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Allen entered the game for Cleveland, replacing veteran forward Georges Niang. Shortly after his arrival, under head coach Kenny Atkinson, the Cavs implemented a zone defense, intensifying their defensive efforts. This strategic change allowed Cleveland to stifle the Rockets’ offense, limiting them to just 11 points and successfully overcoming a 13-point deficit.

“They were within four points for a long time in that fourth quarter,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. “Just make them question, make them think, get the ball out of Jaylen Greene’s and Fred’s hands, where they have to pass it.” We stole something. I believe it, and I believe it during the game. I believe that in times of crisis. I think our guys did pretty well. We will continue to do that.”

From the moment Allen entered the game until the final buzzer, the Rockets struggled offensively, shooting just 4-for-15 from the field and a poor 1-for-8 on field goal attempts. During this stretch, Allen also had one block and strategically fouled Houston center Steven Adams every time the Rockets secured an offensive rebound.

This tactic effectively squandered valuable scoring opportunities for Houston. In addition, Allen contributed to the Cavaliers’ effort by grabbing one offensive rebound, which led to a key two-point drive for Cleveland that kept them competitive in the closing moments of the game.

“It’s been working for us since we put it in, and I feel like we’re getting better every game,” Allen said of the team’s zone defense. “I think that’s going to be something on our defense to bring up at times. Try to bring it to perfection.”

Is Cleveland close to perfecting its zone defense?

The beautiful thing about the Cavs still having the best record in basketball is that it gives them breathing room to try and experiment. That experimentation has led to Cleveland running more zone-based defensive schemes, especially with superstar big man Evan Mobley sidelined lately with a nagging calf injury.

Against the Rockets, the Cavs’ zone catalyzed a 21-4 run and a 17-point turnaround. Cleveland also held Houston to just 15 points on 5-of-22 shooting and 2-of-7 from 3-point range while forcing seven turnovers. It was a way to compensate for not having critical defenders like Mobley and Isaac Okoro while fine-tuning different lineups and struggles that can be exploited come playoff time.

“The only way to get better at it is to keep working at it,” Cavs superstar Donovan Mitchell said. “We don’t have time to practice, so when you do it through games and you figure things out, you just stick with it.” There will be games where we won’t be able to stop teams. The teams will be hot. How do we throw them away? There will be games where a person works. There will be nights where the box and one work, the triangle and two, the switch works, whatever it is.

“At the end of the day, come playoff time, you’re going to need a different look.

Maintaining this big-picture mindset, coaches and players have repeatedly discussed using the regular season to prepare for the playoffs. That’s why Cleveland relied so heavily on its zone defense against Houston. The Cavs are finding out who they are as a team and what works and what doesn’t. That’s what champions do, and that’s what Cleveland hopes to become come playoff time.