The Cleveland Cavaliers looked dead in the water on Saturday night. The Brooklyn Nets found a way to break Cleveland’s two-major lineup in the first three quarters. Head coach Kenny Atkinson didn’t want to give them a chance to keep doing this in the fourth inning.

Atkinson opted to bench Jarrett Allen for the entire final quarter. This included closing with a four-guard lineup with Evan Mobley at center for the final five minutes.

“Nothing worked,” Atkinson said. “We had to do something different.”

Initially, the other option didn’t work either. They gave up consecutive offensive rebounds, turning a two-point deficit into a seven-point gap. Atkinson quickly called a timeout.

Conventional wisdom would have suggested a return to a traditional line-up, but Atkinson didn’t back down despite some reservations.

“That was a discussion during the timeout,” Atkinson said. “Are we big enough? Will we be able to recover?”

Atkinson decided to keep the four guards out and it started working right away thanks to Evan Mobley, who didn’t share his coach’s concerns.

“I didn’t have any thoughts or ideas about changing the lineup or anything,” Mobley said. “I thought it was ideal.”

Mobley was the one who made that lineup perfect. The Cavs turned a seven-point deficit into a one-point lead in two minutes. That was only possible thanks to the three stops in a row that were a direct result of Mobley’s defensive versatility.

In that stretch, Mobley got a steal, forced a jump ball and then put together a big play on a Cam Thomas three.

Mobley finished it off by blocking Cam Johnson at the rim. It was a fitting way to end the evening.

“He was phenomenal,” Atkinson said. “Those three or four stops we needed at the end of the game, he got caught on a switch and Cam tried to shoot it over him. It’s just too long. On the last play he had the big block and he rebounded the ball all the way.”

It was easy to see how the offense worked. This arrangement gave the guards extra space. Darius Garand and Ty Jerome were able to get into the paint at will. They did that with ease. That said, moving away from what has worked so well to give them ten straight wins at the start of the season is always a risk.

“To be honest, we probably tried the two big lineups for too long,” Atkinson said. “We had to match their speed.”

Atkinson’s willingness to be brave and do something different is one of the main reasons this team remains perfect. They needed someone or something to elevate them from good to great. Talent is not a problem for this selection. It was about figuring out how it all works together, even on messy nights when things don’t go to plan like this one.

The Cavs will lose a game this season. They know it’s coming. But they want to make sure they’ve done everything they can to delay the inevitable. That also means doing something daring like closing with four guards, when your team’s entire identity is built on playing at least two bigs at all times.

“You think about it,” Atkinson said of the Cavs’ perfect start. “Normally these are eleven games. You don’t think about a streak, but tonight you’re thinking, man, I don’t want it to end this way. . . . We are competing. We try to win every game, but it’s a bit strange in the back of your mind when you’re competing. Just like humans, we have to keep this thing going.”