Cavs didn’t rise to the moment.
Sometimes, you get the opposing team’s best punch. Tonight, a banged-up Cleveland Cavaliers failed to meet the intensity of a roaring Detroit Pistons squad. The results spoke for themselves.
A late rally in the fourth quarter made this a respectable showing. Things got out of hand in the third quarter when Detroit nearly blew the doors off. But the Cavs showed resilience by fighting back to get this game within reach down the stretch. It just wasn’t enough.
Grades are based on our expectations of each player.
Darius Garland
21 points (7-17 shooting), 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 steal
Garland was one of the only consistent positives for the Cavs in this one. His first-half scoring assault was easy enough. He got to the rim repeatedly and showed no problem distributing the ball to his teammates. Then in the third quarter, Garland nailed 3-of-3 three-point attempts to keep the Cavs fighting.
The problem is, things fell apart in the final quarter. Garland went 0-4 from the floor and wasn’t able to help his team complete the comeback. DG has been the best closer on the team all season. Tonight, he just didn’t have it.
Grade: B+
Evan Mobley
9 points (3-10 shooting), 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks
Mobley missed the previous game for rest reasons. He may have been better taking this one off, as well. His energy was lacking from the start and he found himself outmatched by the activity of Isaiah Stewart. This was a rare stinker from Mobley in a season where he’s been playing at an All-NBA level more often than not.
Grade: D-
Donovan Mitchell
38 points (12-24 shooting), 5 rebounds, 3 assists
Mitchell dished a career-high 14 assists in his previous game. This time around, he tried to deliver more in the scoring department. The results were spotty. He began the game 0-5 from deep before coming alive in the fourth quarter.
A one-man Cavalanche nearly got the Cavs back in front. Mitchell unleashed a 22-point fourth quarter featuring three three-pointers.
It’s been a rough shooting month for Mitchell. His 4-of-9 three-point shooting against San Antonio felt like a get-right game. This one was another step forward, even if it was relatively inefficient from deep. Seeing him end the season on a high note would be encouraging.
Grade: A+
Jarrett Allen
8 points (4-7 shooting), 4 rebounds, 1 block, 19 minutes
Allen was a hero last night. His huge performance against the San Antonio Spurs was the difference in a game where the Cavs struggled. Allen wasn’t able to replicate that tonight. He only played 19 minutes as his inactivity was enough reason for pulling him off the floor.
The Cavs’ frontcourt didn’t get the job done. They were beaten on the glass and had a difficult time keeping Detroit out of the paint. We know that both Allen and Mobley can be much better than this.
Grade: F
Sam Merrill
6 points (2-5 shooting), 4 rebounds, 3 steals
Merrill continues to work hard. He grabbed four rebounds simply by outhustling his matchup. Three steals are another indication of his motor. But Merrill wasn’t able to propel the Cavs’ offense with his three-point shooting. And even a hard-fought game from Merrill still has him breaking roughly even on defense. Nonetheless, Merrill wasn’t responsible for this loss.
Grade: B
Dean Wade
10 points (3-5 shooting), 2 rebounds, 1 assist
This was shaping up to be an uninspiring game from Wade. Then he canned a triple and sent Dennis Schroder to Middle-earth on a poster dunk. You can’t ask your eighth man to do much more than nail three-pointers, play switchable defense and destroy the rim on a fastbreak. Job well done, Wade.
Grade: A+
Isaac Okoro
7 points (1-2 shooting), 3 rebounds
Okoro joined the starters tonight as Max Strus was out with an injury. He brought the defensive intensity you’d expect at the point of attack and was fighting down low to clear space for rebounds.
It’s easy to blame the Cavs’ lack of offensive production on Okoro when things aren’t going right. He certainly doesn’t pull them out of any shooting slumps. However, Okoro wasn’t the one missing shots or dragging the team down. Again, he doesn’t raise their floor — but he didn’t tank lineups either.
Grade: B+
De’Andre Hunter
11 points (3-7 shooting), 3 rebounds, 1 steal
The Cavs would really appreciate if Hunter could contribute more on the glass. His three rebounds tonight are a disappointment when you factor two of them came in the same sequence after following up his own miss on an offensive rebound.
Hunter can shoot the ball. That much has been proven. He’s helped expand the Cavs offense but the size he offers defensively hasn’t been consistent enough.
Grade: C+
Javonte Green
1 points (0-1 shooting), 4 rebounds, 13 minutes
Green entered this game because the Cavs simply didn’t have any life on defense. His activity on the glass remedied this, to a degree. Green was a team-high +11 in just 13 minutes. That speaks to how much of a difference a little bit of effort can make.
Grade: A-
Craig Porter Jr.
9 points (3-5 shooting), 5 rebounds, 2 assist, 3 steals
Porter hadn’t really played meaningful minutes for the Cavs since March 11, when he nailed a halfcourt shot to spark a fourth quarter rally. He nearly did the same tonight, minus the halfcourt heave.
The Cavs turned to Porter with Ty Jerome out due to a knee injury. He was an instant impact player as Porter attacked the glass for five rebounds (two offensive) and scored an efficient nine points. He racked up three steals by darting into passing lanes and was an overall help.
Grade: A+