The Cleveland Cavaliers narrowly defeated the San Antonio Spurs 114-113, squandering a big lead but doing just enough to preserve the outcome. In a game that appeared to be a blowout at halftime, the Cavs were outscored by 16 points in the second half to make things much closer than they needed to be.
Grades are based on our expectations of each player
Donovan Mitchell
26 points (8-17 shooting), 3 rebounds, 7 assists
Mitchell kept his string of strong play going with an efficient shooting night (6-11 from deep) and overall command of the offense. The star guard now has at least seven assists in three of his last five games, a skill that he has been flexing a little more this season than in previous ones. The Cavs needed every bit of Mitchell tonight, and he gave them enough.
Grade: A-
Darius Garland
19 points (6-16 shooting), 7 assists
It wasn’t a tremendous game for Garland, but he hit some big shots down the stretch that helped the Cavs seal the victory. Garland had a team-low plus/minus of -14, but it’s hard to deny that his clutch shot-making didn’t play a big role in the win. His running floater with about two minutes left stopped the bleeding temporarily and put the Cavs up seven points.
Those were also the last points the Cavs would score the rest of the game. Gulp.
Grade: B-
Evan Mobley
25 points (10-13 shooting) 12 rebounds, 5 assists
Mobley got off to a scorching start, scoring 18 points on 7-8 shooting, including going 4-5 from beyond the three-point line. He also had two blocks, continuing to show why he should be the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year. That effort helped get the Cavs out to a ten-point lead after the first quarter.
He would only go on to score seven points for the rest of the game, but he did get ten more crucial rebounds and a block and a steal. The Cavs are hard to stop when Mobley is rolling (and they were tonight), but are not as lethal when he isn’t involved (again, like tonight). The Spurs mounted a comeback, but they would not have had to if Mobley did not have that big first quarter. That is worth something.
Grade: A-
Jarrett Allen
4 points (2-2 shooting), 4 rebounds, 15 minutes
It was a pseudo-rest day for Jarrett Allen, who is adamant about playing in all 82 games this season. The Cavs only played Allen for 15 minutes, opting to give him some rest in the second half. That proved to be risky, as the Cavs certainly could have used him. Therefore, his grade is a little skewed because of his lack of minutes.
Grade: C
Max Strus
3 points (1-6 shooting), 6 rebounds, 3 assists
It has been a strange stretch of games for Strus, who has scored in double digits just once in his last seven games. Ironically, that one double-digit scoring effort was against the Spurs. Strus is a good effort guy and does some nice things on the margins, but his play is erratic and it’s clear there is another player who should be starting with the core four.
Grade: C
De’Andre Hunter
18 points (7-16 shooting), 7 rebounds, 3 assists
The Cavs were short on the bench with Ty Jerome and Dean Wade still out with injury and illness respectively, meaning Hunter had to continue being the key player off the bench.
He delivered, to the tune of 18 points and 7 rebounds. The rebounding is key, as it is not usually a strong suit of his, and it will be crucial come playoff time for Hunter to crash the glass like he did tonight.
Grade: B+
Sam Merrill
9 points (3-7 shooting), 2 rebounds, 2 steals
The sharpshooter has been a multi-tooled bench piece this season, finding ways to be not only playable but important to the rotation. Last season, Merrill was not very useful on the court if he wasn’t hitting shots. This season, his shot-making seems like a bonus.
Still, the Cavs could use the shooting more than anything. When everyone is healthy, that is.
Grade: B-
Isaac Okoro
6 points (3-6 shooting), 4 rebounds
The Cavs’ most polarizing bench player wasn’t as much of a factor as he has been in the last few games. Once Wade and Jerome are healthy again, Okoro may be the odd man out of the rotation.
Grade: C+
Javonte Green
2 points (1-4 shooting), 3 rebounds
Again, like Okoro, Javonte Green may be the odd man out once the core bench players are healthy. He is sporadic on the court, but provides high energy if nothing else. Despite taking the occasional three, Green has not made one in a game since March 27.
Grade: C-
Craig Porter Jr.
2 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist
He will be riding the pine once Jerome is back, and he still only played six minutes tonight. Nothing stood out either way in today’s performance.
Grade: C
