The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Utah Jazz 122-113.
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Donovan Mitchell
34 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal
One might take this stuff for granted. You shouldn’t. This was Mitchell’s 32nd game of the season, scoring more than 30+ points. The fact that he did it while shooting 10-18 from the floor and without limiting Evan Mobley (who also scored 34 points) is everything you want from your star.
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Everything…. except stellar defense. I can’t give him the full A+ because of that. Sorry, Don.
Grade: A
James Harden
13 points, 14 assists, 6 rebounds
Harden has now dished 28 assists across his last two games. That’s impressive. More impressive is how he kept the offense focused on feeding Mobley. The Cavs didn’t have it going from downtown (just 6-32 shooting), but they scored their most points in the paint all season — in large part due to Harden’s playmaking.
Again, lackluster defense is holding back his grade.
Grade: B+
Evan Mobley
34 points, 17 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, 1 steal
This was Mobley’s best game of the season. Aggressive drives and deep seals in the paint led to his highest scoring game since last year. Mobley made himself available early and often, playing with so much authority that Cleveland couldn’t help but play through him. More of this, Ev.
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Grade: A+
Sam Merrill
9 points, 3 assists, 4 rebounds
Merrill turned Utah’s defense into Swiss cheese with his quick attacks off the catch and well-timed cuts. He’s blossomed into an all-around offensive player, dashing to the basket and even tossing a lob to Mobley in the second half.
That’s important to note, because Sam shot 0-8 from deep tonight but finished 4-6 inside the arc.
Grade: B–
Keon Ellis
13 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, block
Ellis makes some great defensive plays. He also makes some bad ones. That’s something that’s become more apparent as he plays more minutes in Cleveland.
For every steal or block, there’s a blown switch or gamble that leads to a breakdown. Some of this should be cleaned up as Ellis becomes more familiar with his team. But some of the dangerous gambles he takes are inherent to his playstyle. He’s a high-risk, high-reward defender.
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Ellis turned this into a positive outing by shooting 5-7 inside of two-point range.
Grade: B
Craig Porter Jr.
2 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds
Porter played his first game since March 13. It was a quiet performance, with Porter mostly getting his feet back under him rather than doing anything special.
Grade: C-
Tyrese Proctor
8 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist
Proctor was the best guard off the bench tonight. The rookie shot efficiently (3-6 from the floor) and fit in defensively. I’m excited to see him develop and hopefully crack the rotation next season.
Grade: B
Dennis Schroder
3 points, 3 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 steal
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Schroder shot 1-4 and wasn’t particularly helpful on defense. That said, he didn’t turn it over and dished 3 assists. So it wasn’t all bad.
Grade: C–
Thomas Bryant
2 points, 7 rebounds, 3 turnovers
Bryant gets stretched thin against faster teams. We’ve seen that a few times this season. He finished as a team-worst minus-12 in 18 minutes.
Grade: D
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