NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates
CLEVELAND (AP) — Ty Jerome had to be patient for five years before experiencing his first NBA playoff game.
On Sunday evening, he seized the moment.
Jerome contributed 16 of his 28 points in the final quarter, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a convincing 121-100 win over the Miami Heat in the opening match of their Eastern Conference first-round series.
“Solid. Solid Game 1,” Jerome remarked.
With his performance, Jerome recorded the third-highest points for a Cavaliers player in a playoff debut, trailing only LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.
Coach Kenny Atkinson admitted he didn’t anticipate such a strong debut from Jerome, saying, “I should have expected it because he’s been doing it all year.”
Furthermore, Jerome became the fourth player in franchise history to score at least 28 points coming off the bench.
Sunday’s match added to what has been a remarkable season for Jerome, a 6-foot-5 guard who played a pivotal role in leading the University of Virginia to an NCAA championship in 2019. This is his sixth season in the NBA, but he appeared in only two games last year due to a right ankle injury.
Jerome had a career-high regular season, participating in 70 games and averaging 12.5 points. Prior to the Cavaliers’ game, he was recognized as a finalist for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award.
“Your back’s kind of against the wall. I didn’t really have a significant body of work in the NBA, so it felt like a last chance to make it right,” Jerome explained about his mindset heading into the season. “I took all that time off to reflect, work mentally, and identify areas for improvement. Confidence and aggression were also key for me.”
Known for being one of the more expressive players on the Cavaliers’ bench, Jerome let his shooting do the talking on Sunday.
He finished the game hitting 10 of 15 from the floor, including 5 of 8 from beyond the arc, while also grabbing five rebounds and dishing out three assists in just 28 minutes of play.
While his fourth-quarter performance — going 6-for-7 shooting and converting all three 3-point attempts — generated buzz on social media, his teammates were not caught off guard.
“This is who he’s always been,” noted Donovan Mitchell, who has known Jerome since they were both eight years old in New York. “It’s a full-circle moment, going from being my first basketball teammate at eight to this. I know people might be surprised, but he’s been doing this for us all season.”
Atkinson’s favorite moment from Jerome wasn’t a score; it was a drive and assist to Jarrett Allen for a layup with 5:47 left, which put the Cavaliers up 104-90.
“He got downhill and made that left-handed pocket pass to Jarrett for the layup,” Atkinson said. “They switched to a zone defense, and he shot them out of it by hitting two 3-pointers. He contributed in every way tonight and was smart defensively, putting us in a great position to win.”
