The Cleveland Cavaliers took down the LA Clippers. Let’s see who won the night.
WINNER – Donovan Mitchell’s Scoring
Donovan Mitchell was hot from the start of this game and never looked back. He notched 18 points in the first half and had
30 by the end of the third quarter. Mitchell’s prolific and efficient scoring has carried the Cavs through a bumpy start to the season. Tonight, his process felt especially effective, as his dominant scoring was complemented by the Cavs’ all-around ball movement. Mitchell was able to get himself rolling without hijacking the offense or feeling like the entire weight of the game was resting on his shoulders. This was an effortless 37 points.
WINNER – Ball Movement
Cleveland’s offense hasn’t been as potent as it was last year. Many suspected this was because of Darius Garland’s absence. Those people have been proven at least somewhat correct as Garland has made a significant difference in the Cavaliers’ offensive process. The ball just moves better when Garland is on the court, even if he isn’t shooting the ball well himself. There’s a trickle-down effect that stems from Garland’s advantage creation.
Of course, it helps that Mitchell was smoking hot from the floor, as well.
Mitchell and Garland had the Clippers’ defense scrambling to keep up. LA was forced into rotation, and the Cavs made all the right passes out of it. Cleveland finished with 28 assists on 45 field goals. Galrand and Mitchell combined for 14 of those assists.
WINNER – The Cleveland Charge
The Cavs entered this game with a long injury list. That meant that members of the team who don’t normally play would have to step up and deliver quality minutes. The Cleveland Charge took care of business.
Two-way prospects Nae’Qwan Tomlin and Luke Travers earned first-half minutes. Each impacted the game through their energy and defense. Tomlin got things started with big plays on both ends of the floor, then Travers kept the ball rolling with a steal that led to a Donovan Mitchell three-pointer, before Travers nailed a three-pointer of his own a few plays later.
WINNER – Evan Mobley’s Second Half
Mobley spent most of this game as an afterthought. He scored only 6 points in the first half and wasn’t getting the same offensive opportunities as we had seen him get earlier in the season. This changed as the game went on and Mobley grew more comfortable. His defense fueled his offense, and suddenly, Mobley was up to 18 points.
The second half saw Mobley make himself available. He expertly cut into open space and seemingly finished every opportunity around the rim. Setting solid screens, rolling hard, and choosing to dunk the ball more often has benefited Mobley. Playing with intention is something we’ve been asking for. Mobley did that in the second half.
LOSER – Evan Mobley’s Free Throws
At some point, I’d like to stop talking about the Cavs’ free-throw shooting. Sadly, they’ve left me with no choice.
The team was better tonight, shooting 13-16 if you exclude Mobley’s attempts. But Mobley began the game 0-4 from the charity stripe, and is in danger of falling below 60% on the season. This is a weird trend that I hope corrects itself soon.
