The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Denver Nuggets in a weird game that came down to the wire. It probably shouldn’t have been this close, but a win is a win.
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Donovan Mitchell
33 points, 5 assists, 6 rebounds
Mitchell was a flamethrower tonight. He scored 33 points on 24 shots, keeping Cleveland afloat without it ever feeling like he was hijacking the offense.
Grade: A–
Darius Garland
18 points, 8 assists, 2 rebounds
In the first five minutes of this game, Garland airballed
a three-pointer and then threw an errant pass out of bounds. That about summarized his performance, though it did improve as the night went on.
Grade: C+
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Evan Mobley
8 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks
Mobley could have had a more dominant night if he had played with the aggression he showed in the first half. He had a handful of impressive attacks on the basket to start this game, but then began to fade away as the Nuggets packed the paint. This is a credit for Denver for taking Mobley out of the equation, but you’d like Mobley to find more solutions.
Still, Mobley continues to re-establish himself as an all-world defender. He was fantastic on defense once again.
Grade: B
Craig Porter Jr.
10 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals
Porter changed the complexion of this game in the second half. He connected on multiple three-pointers and converted a putback to help spark Cleveland’s rally. All the while, Porter brought some much-needed energy on the defensive end.
Grade: A+
De’Andre Hunter
16 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds
This wasn’t a great defensive game from Hunter. But he made timely shots and helped secure the game-clinching rebound. He also had 5 assists, which is rare.
Grade: B
Jarrett Allen
8 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists
Allen wasn’t as active as he had previously been. The Nuggets made an effort to avoid giving him easy opportunities on the roll. A stronger game from Allen would have made this win easier, but he did grab one of the biggest rebounds of the game late in the fourth quarter.
That said, Allen played a key role in anchoring Cleveland’s defense as they held Denver to just 11 points in the fourth quarter.
Grade: B
Jaylon Tyson
8 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist
Tyson was a bit of a bull in a China shop tonight. Usually, I’d say that as a compliment. But it wasn’t so pretty to watch in this case.
Grade: C
Nae’Qwan Tomlin
6 points, 0 assists, 6 rebounds
Tomlin was guilty of being out of position and opening up cracks in Cleveland’s defense. Even so, he plays so hard that he was able to make up for some of this by generating turnovers, grabbing rebounds, and blocking a shot. Sometimes the intangibles are worth more than getting all of the Xs and Os perfect.
Grade: B+
Lonzo Ball
6 points, 0 assists, 6 rebounds
Ball made his way back into the rotation for the first time in two games tonight. His presence was welcomed, with a pair of first-half three-pointers and a huge chasedown block on Jamal Murray in the fourth quarter.
Grade: B+
