There was no longer much suspense about the outcome.
However, in the season opener, Lue did not want to give up so easily. At the start of the Fourth Quarter, he sent James, Irving, and Love back onto the floor.
He was making one last push.
This time, Stevens did not put Tang Tian back in, and even Davis remained on the bench to rest.
On one hand, the lead advantage was large enough to allow it.
On the other hand, and more importantly, if they put the starters back in now and played them through the end, their stamina would definitely become a problem. It was better to stick to the normal rotation.
Led by their Big Three, the Cavaliers launched a comeback. Deron remained in poor form, missing shots and committing a passing turnover.
The Cavaliers seized the opportunity and put together a run, cutting the deficit to around 15 points.
More than four minutes into the Fourth Quarter, Stevens put the starters back in.
Tang Tian showed the caliber of a superstar, scoring on a drive as soon as he checked in to steady the situation.
After Irving drained a Three-pointer from outside, he quickly answered with an answer ball of his own.
The Cavaliers played well in the final quarter, but their momentum in cutting the deficit clearly slowed during the stalemate.
And the later the game went, the more obvious their stamina issues became. They no longer had the strength to close the gap.
Even with two minutes left in the game, the difference still hovered around 15 points.
Lue finally pulled his starters and conceded the game.
Stevens also gradually took his starters off the court.
Wave after wave of cheers erupted from the crowd.
Perhaps because the Warriors-Spurs game last time had brought