BROOKLYN -- With 2:42 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Cleveland Cavaliers clinging to a four-point lead, head coach Larry Drew signaled for Collin Sexton to come out of the game.

The competitive rookie wasn't happy. The look he shot to the bench spoke volumes.

It was a pressure moment, the Cavs' offense fading down the stretch again and in need of better execution. Sexton wanted to be part of that. He wanted to lead the team, take the next step in his development.

But this can be used as a learning experience too. It can teach him how to handle adversity, how to deal with a decision that can be disappointing in the moment.

Drew went to Jordan Clarkson -- one of the players who has shared closing responsibilities since Kevin Love's injury. The swap was logical, as Clarkson scored a team-high 20 points.

When asked after the game whether sitting Sexton late will stunt his growth, Drew was emphatic that it wouldn't.

"No because we got a long way to go. He's going to be in the situation a lot, a lot more," Drew said. "You can learn just as much sitting over there watching, so you can kind of get a feel and see what other guys are doing, but it's a long season and we're going to be in a lot of different situations where he's going to be allowed to experience some of this stuff. Which he already has. He's experienced late-game situations. Right now, as I said we're in the game and I strictly went on feel as far as who I wanted in the game at that particular time. But he's going to get his opportunities."

That decision came less than 40 seconds after Sexton hoisted an early-clock mid-range jumper that bounced off the rim and led to a few exasperated looks on the sidelines.

It wasn't always pretty. But Drew's choice turned out to be correct. Ultimately the Cavs left Brooklyn with a win, snapping their four-game skid.

Still, this season -- because of a gruesome start and a handful of injuries that have forced Cleveland to play shorthanded for most of the season -- is supposed to be more about the process than results. It's why players pull positives from losses and don't get beaten down when they can't hang with elite teams like Oklahoma City, Toronto and Boston recently.

In the last two games, Drew has pushed player development to the side. In the last two games, the team's most important building block has played three total minutes in the fourth quarter.

Instead of the youngster who needs more experience in those moments, Drew opted for 32-year-old veteran George Hill.

He was supposed to be on a minutes restriction, with Drew saying around 20 before tipoff. But Hill played the entire fourth quarter, logging 35 total minutes.

"I was going on feel. I really was," Drew said. "I actually had taken Jordan (Clarkson) out the game too, and Cedi (Osman), I took them both out of the game. But I strictly went on feel and putting in Jordan back in and putting Alec (Burks) back in. And then deciding to go ahead and stay with G Hill, although I did play him a little bit too many minutes."

Hill's results were mixed down the stretch. His lazy pass was taken away by Rodions Kurucs and ended with a D'Angelo Russell put-back to cut the lead to two. Hill didn't score, didn't take a shot and committed two turnovers in the fourth quarter. But he's been in those situations before and that's why leaning on him is easier.

As Drew said, and he's right, Sexton has had his chances prior to Monday night. A play was drawn up for him late against Chicago on Nov. 10. Sexton drove all the way to the basket, missed the shot, had his follow-up swatted away and the Cavs lost by one. They've played four games already that came down to the final few possessions. He was in there late against the Lakers. He got chances against Minnesota and repeatedly came up empty. Given the way this season has gone, the Cavs will probably get more.

Maybe not now. But eventually Sexton will need to be on the court during those moments and he likely will. That's a big part of what this season is about.

Way back during training camp, members of the front office talked about the anti-tanking approach and the role Sexton's development was going to play in that. The Cavs wanted him to be a part of meaningful games, where he could help determine outcomes. Those situations were going to help him learn. But they were also going to teach the Cavs plenty about Sexton, giving them a better, deeper evaluation.

On Monday, Drew went a different direction, opting for the lineup that he felt gave the team the best shot. Tough to quibble too much given the excitement when the buzzer sounded.

The Cavs needed something positive after a few blowout losses recently and with the Golden State Warriors coming to town Wednesday.

In the locker room after the game, Sexton carried the same demeanor as usual. He didn't seem bothered by the benching.

"It was a big win," he said. "Just making sure that when I'm out there, I'm out there giving my all, doing whatever it takes for the team to get a win."

Yes, even if that means watching the final few minutes from the sidelines.