The Cleveland Cavaliers did just enough to outscore a bad Milwaukee Bucks team 123-116 that was without two of their best players, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Myles Turner. It’s difficult to be too positive about the overall effort after a game like this, even though it’s an improvement from Sunday’s bad loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player. A “B” represents the player performing to our expectations for them.
James Harden
27 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals
This was a vintage, prime Harden game. He had put up 27 points on just 10 shot attempts, got to the free-throw line at will, and made sure the offense got a quality shot every time he had the ball in his hands.
It was a great response from someone who looked lost on both ends of the floor in the loss to the Mavs.
Grade: A
Donovan Mitchell
19 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists
This was about as rough a game as you’re going to see from Mitchell, even though the box score numbers above wouldn’t suggest that.
He wasn’t inefficient from the floor, going 4-14, and struggled defensively against a team that doesn’t have many players who should be able to easily take opposing guards off the dribble. This led to Mitchell being a team-worst -15 in the minutes he was on the floor. That means the Cavs won the 14 minutes he was on the bench by 22 points.
This was just rough all the way around.
Grade: F
Evan Mobley
27 points, 15 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks
The box score numbers are great, but it’s how he achieved them that’s most impressive.
Mobley did an excellent job of attacking in the pick-and-roll as the roller. He was forceful when diving to the basket, which is something he’s struggled with throughout his career. That aggression was rewarded as he took a team-high 21 shots.
Additionally, he did a great job of taking advantage of the Bucks’ thin frontcourt. He completely dominated his matchup with Jericho Sims to the point that he only played 16 minutes.
This was exactly what you want to see from Mobley.
Grade: A
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Max Strus
6 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists
Strus struggled to find his shot, going 2-6 from beyond the arc. He did, however, do all of the dirty work that makes him so valuable and was a useful second-side playmaker.
This was a solid second game back from injury.
Grade: B-
Keon Ellis
8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 0 blocks
This was a rare game where Ellis didn’t record a block or a steal. He did, however, nail both of his three-point looks.
Grade: B-
Jaylon Tyson
2 points, 0 rebounds, 2 assists
Tyson has struggled to establish any momentum after putting up 22 points against the Detroit Pistons at the beginning of the month. He’s dealt with injuries to his neck and ankle recently. Maybe that plays a part in it. But his play on the court was once again rough.
Atkinson limited Tyson to just 13 minutes in this game, and understandably so. He wasn’t good defensively (he lost Pete Nance numerous times), had no impact on the glass, and was mostly out of place on offense.
Grade: F
Dennis Schroder
3 points, 5 assists, 1 rebound
Schroder didn’t make an impact scoring, but he did a good job of setting up his teammates, as he finished with five helpers in just 16 minutes of play.
Grade: B-
Dean Wade
9 points, 2 assists, 2 rebounds
Wade did a good job of attacking inside, took four outside shots, and did his job defensively. This led to him having the third-best plus/minus on the team at +13. What more can you ask for from Wade?
Grade: B
Thomas Bryant
5 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists
This wasn’t a good showing from Bryant. He was picked on defensively and didn’t provide enough on the glass or offensively to make up for it.
Grade: D-
Sam Merrill
17 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists
Merrill provided a spark to the offense. He did a great job of reading how the defense was playing him and attacking the weaknesses off ball. This led to him going 3-4 in his shots in the paint.
Additionally, he knocked down timely triples and competed defensively. It isn’t surprising that the Cavs played their best basketball with him on the court, as he led the team in plus/minus by being a +22 in the 28 minutes he played.
Grade: A
