By far, the biggest takeaway from the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ 108-91 win over the Houston Rockets was that Cleveland officially secured its first playoff ticket since 2018. But more than a few eyebrows raised when Caris LeVert started the third quarter over Isaac Okoro, the team’s usual starter at the three.
While not on the same level as Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, Okoro is nonetheless an integral part of the Cavs’ rotation. He’s a pesky defender whose streaky three-point shooting can catch sleeping teams off guard.
After the game, JB Bickerstaff provided an update on Okoro’s health, noting the former Auburn Tiger was left out for mainly precautionary reasons.
“I mean he’s been battling through it, but tonight it just started acting up and he tried to go back in and when he went back in it was just too much. So we just wanted to do the smart thing,” Bickerstaff said after the game, per Kelsey Russo of The Athletic.
Also, this was the update from #Cavs J.B. Bickerstaff on Isaac Okoro postgame: “I mean he’s been battling through it, but tonight it just started acting up and he tried to go back in and when he went back in it was just too much. So we just wanted to do the smart thing.”
Though not the most reliable shooter — he’s 36.3% from three this season — Okoro has nonetheless shown flashes of potential.
Isaac Okoro Sounds Off on Cavaliers Win Versus Nets
Those flashes became a full-on fireworks display against the Brooklyn Nets last week. With the Cavs trailing by two (116-114) and the clock winding down, the ball found Okoro in the corner.
He put up the shot, much to the delight of Nets fans everywhere, and made it. The Cavs won the game 117-116,
After the game, Okoro explained what went through his mind as he sealed the deal for Cleveland.
“I saw Don miss those layups and I’m just standing, I’m shocked,” Okoro told reporters after the game, per the Cavaliers’ official YouTube channel. “Then the ball goes out to Caris. I’m just running to the corner, going to my spot, Vert trusted me, threw me the ball, and once it left my hand, I knew it was going in.”
Even though he put on an air of confidence, Okoro also felt the pressure of putting the shot up.
“There was a lot of pressure into the shot, of course, but I practice that. I’m gonna keep being confident in it, my teammates are gonna keep trusting me and passing me the ball in the corner and I’ll keep taking it.”
Donovan Mitchell Calls Out Caris LeVert After Cavaliers Win
LeVert, Okoro’s replacement against the Rockets, earned praise from Donovan Mitchell after the game when asked about the Cavs’ improved late-game execution.
“I think it’s just a mindset,” Mitchell told reporters, per the Cleveland Cavaliers YouTube channel. “Obviously, our defense is the key of it. We’re finding different things offensively. Different guys contributing, I think Evan (Mobley) and Caris LeVert, I think those two guys, in particular, have taken a huge step in their own right and their own way. I think Caris is finding himself. This is the Caris LeVert that we all know. I think during the year he’s trying to figure things out and where he fits in and whatnot.”
LeVert finished the game with 10 points in 30 minutes of action.
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JB Bickerstaff Issues Statement on Isaac Okoro Injury After Cavaliers Defeat Rockets