The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 118-106. Let’s check on who won and lost the night.
WINNER – Donovan Mitchell’s First Half Explosion
The Cavs have had to dig themselves out of some deficits recently. Falling behind early and then
dragging themselves back in the second half. They were in jeopardy of doing that again tonight when Milwaukee claimed an early double-digit lead.
Donovan Mitchell didn’t let it go any further.
Mitchell exploded for 23 points in his first 14 minutes, single-handedly keeping the Cavs alive. He would burst to the rim, slam on the brakes and then wiggle his way around multiple defenders for points in the paint. If that wasn’t enough, he also had his three-point shot falling, burying them from deep with his side-step jumpers.
It was a masterful first half from Mitchell that put the Cavs back in front going into the second half. Mitchell finished the game with 37 points and 7 assists.
WINNER – Thomas Bryant Chaos
Bryant hasn’t played many meaningful minutes with the Cavs yet this season. Tonight, he got one of his first real stints. It didn’t take long for Bryant to start causing mayhem.
It began when Bryant swiped the ball from Giannis Antetokounmpo, resulting in the ball rolling off Giannis and out of bounds. But when the officials incorrectly called the ball out of bounds on Cleveland — Bryant emphatically alerted the Cavaliers bench and forced a successful challenge.
Only minutes later, Bryant could be seen sealing Gary Trent Jr. in transition to allow Donovan Mitchell a clear path to the rim. This wouldn’t be anything special, except that Bryant continued to block out Trent and eventually tossed him into the stands.
Depending on which team you’re rooting for, Bryant’s actions can be seen in a few different ways. If you’re a Bucks fan, you’re probably pissed. But for a Cavs team that has been lacking in energy for most of the young season, Bryant gave them a dose of fiery competitiveness that they’ve been missing.
LOSER – Full court heaves
The NBA recently installed a new rule to encourage players to attempt full and half court heaves at the end of quarters. If you take a shot in the backcourt as the buzzer is expiring, it won’t count as a missed field goal in the box score.
The key is, you have to launch your shot while the final seconds are ticking. Mobley didn’t get that part right tonight.
With just under 10 seconds to play in the first quarter, Mobley hurled a half court shot that went straight off the backboard and into Milwaukee’s hands. They then proceeded to get a wide-open three-pointer from above the break, which thankfully, wasn’t successful.
Nobody’s perfect. But this goof from Mobley had to be mentioned.
WINNER – Craig Porter Jr.
Porter was challenged this summer by the Cavs’ coaching staff. They felt like his development had stalled in his sophomore season and he’d have to find an avenue towards improvement that would make him a legit rotational player. I’m not sure if he’s made it all the way there yet, but he’s certainly showing flashes.
Porter was positive tonight on both ends of the floor. He scored 11 points on 4-5 shooting and recorded two steals. Best of all, he took one of those steals full court for a posterizing dunk over Ryan Rollins to get the Cleveland crowd on their feet. That was the highlight of the night.
WINNER – Lonzo Ball
The Cavs brought Ball to Cleveland for nights like this one. He was active from the start, lighting the Cavs’ offense on fire by pushing in transition and getting the Bucks onto their back feet. Ball was aggressive in driving towards the basket and this helped to unlock the offense and get Cleveland into motion.
It looks like Ball is getting more comfortable with his teammates. He’s building chemistry with Cleveland’s bigs and finding them in the right spots. Ball delivered one of the most exciting moments of the game when he stole a last-second inbounds pass and dished it to Porter for a bucket at the end of the third quarter.
