Poor defense squandered an impressive night from Mobley.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have tied their longest losing streak for the season as they dropped their third straight game. As with the previous three games, the Cavs started well, but faltered in the third quarter and couldn’t make enough defensive plays late to come up with the win. The Sacramento Kings came away with a 123-119 victory thanks to 27 points from DeMar DeRozan.
Grades are based on our expectations of each player.
Donovan Mitchell
26 points (8-17 shooting), 5 rebounds, 4 assists
This wasn’t a perfect Mitchell game, but it was a nice rebound from his previous two outings where he really struggled to close games out in the fourth quarter. That wasn’t as much of an issue as he registered 10 points on 3-6 shooting in the final frame. This included scoring on four of the Cavs’ five possessions from two minutes to the final 30 seconds.
The one miss in that stretch was a forced floater with about a minute left when he had Max Strus wide open at the top of the arc. There was no need to attempt that one shot in traffic. Still, this was an impressive rebound for someone who needed a good showing like this. That is one positive that you can take away from this game.
Grade: A-
Evan Mobley
31 points (13-18 shooting), 10 rebounds, 2 assists
Mobley’s offensive production is another positive thing you can glean from this game. He was an unstoppable force at the beginning of the third quarter and into the start of the fourth. Mobley’s ability to calmly and confidentially walk into three-point shots played Jonas Valančiūnas off the floor. That was much needed considering how much he beat up the Cavs on the glass.
This was the exact type of offensive game you wanted to see from Mobley.
The only blemishes came on the defensive end. He couldn’t stay with DeRozan when he was switched onto him late and committed a bad foul on a Malik Monk drive to on the Kings’ final possession. Both of those things kept the Cavs from coming away with the win.
Grade: A
Jarrett Allen
10 points (4-5 shooting), 5 rebounds, 2 assists
For the second night in a row, the Cavs were beat up on the offensive glass. Allen’s inability to clear defensive possessions was a big part of that. He came down with five total rebounds while his counterpart, Valančiūnas, had that many offensive rebounds.
Sacramento also completed 17 of their 19 attempts in the restricted area (97th percentile). Not all of those shots happened in the half-court or when Allen was on the floor, but some of the blame for the ease with which the Kings finished around the rim needs to be shouldered by the starting center.
Grade: D+
Max Strus
12 points (5-10 shooting), 4 rebounds, 2 assists
Strus had a solid game despite not getting his three-point shot to fall (1-5). They benefited from his activity and effort level on a night they needed a spark.
Grade: B-
Dean Wade
12 points (4-8 shooting), 7 rebounds, 1 assist
Wade got the start and made the most of it. He confidentially stepped into and knocked down four of his six threes. This was on top of playing solid defense. It’s no surprise that he finished with a game-high plus/minus of +17.
Once again, the Cavs needed more defense. This was a game it would’ve made sense to play Wade more than the 23 minutes he received.
Grade: A
De’Andre Hunter
8 points (3-8 shooting), 4 rebounds, 3 assists
This wasn’t a good showing for Hunter. He was a step late in his defensive rotations which cost the Cavs. This was on top of not being an active rebounder and having an unimpactful shooting night.
Hunter has been exactly what the Cavs have needed on most nights. This wasn’t most nights.
Grade: D+
Ty Jerome
14 points (7-15 shooting), 6 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal
Jerome didn’t have a great game by any stretch. Fourteen points on 15 shots isn’t ideal. Not being able to get the three-point shot to fall (0-5) is to blame for the inefficient outing. But that’s something you can live with on a night the Cavs needed some off-the-dribble scoring without Darius Garland in the lineup. That is something Jerome was able to provide.
Grade: B+
Sam Merrill
0 points (0-0 shooting), 4 assists, 1 rebound
This was a bad Merrill showing. He struggled defensively, had a turnover that led to a thunderous dunk on the other end, and wasn’t able to generate a single three-point attempt. His four assists on a night the Cavs needed some extra playmaking is the only thing keeping this from being an F.
Grade: D-
Isaac Okoro
5 points (2-3 shooting), 1 steal, 1 block
Okoro has turned in two straight good defensive performances. Both of which included getting an incredibly useful steal. If you’re going to be a defensive specialist like Okoro, you need to be able to create splash plays like he did here.
Also for the second game in a row, the Cavs could’ve used more minutes. Head coach Kenny Atkinson only played him for just 15 and a half minutes. This was odd considering how well DeMar DeRozan (27 points) and Malik Monk (22 points) were playing. Okoro’s presence would’ve helped slow down Sacramento’s perimeter play.
Grade: A-
Craig Porter Jr.
1 point (0-0 shooting), 7:37 minutes
Porter just saw time in the first half and was serviceable. That’s all you want when your third point guard is forced into action.
Grade: B