Cavs let this one slip away.
The Cleveland Cavaliers were well on their way to end the regular season with their 65th win. What happened in the second half of this game was quite a disaster. Let’s get this over with.
Grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Craig Porter Jr.
20 points (7-19 shooting), 5 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks, 7 turnovers
Porter began this game with a really strong first half. He was hitting three-pointers and setting up teammates at a high rate. Porter’s opening display was everything you’d hope from your third-string point guard on the final day of the season.
Then, the second half happened.
We won’t be too hard on Porter. He was clearly exhausted in overtime after playing 43 minutes. Still, he turned the ball over on every other possession and was repeatedly blocked at the rim. This was a bad way to end the season for CPJ.
Grade: F
Jaylon Tyson
31 points (12-25 shooting), 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, 5 turnovers
No one should feel good about blowing a 30-point lead. Tyson isn’t safe from criticism here. But, he was the only Cavalier who looked even somewhat competent in the closing minutes. His on-ball creation is still too raw for Tyson to save the day all on his own. But it was clear that Tyson was the guy who needed the ball in overtime. Scoring 31 points in the NBA is difficult, no matter what day it is.
Grade: B+
Nae’Qwan Tomlin
24 points (8-21 shooting), 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block
Tomlin wasn’t efficient today but he showed the natural talents of a scorer. His fluidity as a big man who can dribble the ball and attack the rim is promising. Shots didn’t drop and he ended up fouling out of this game in overtime. But there’s enough here to feel encouraged moving forward.
Grade: B+
Tristan Thompson
3 points (1-4 shooting), 20 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 43 minutes
What can you even say? Thompson might be an older version of himself but his strengths are still his strengths. He snagged 20 rebounds today in a throwback performance that would have resulted in a win if anyone else on the floor could get a bucket.
Grade: A+
Javonte Green
8 points (4-12 shooting), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
Green went 0-5 from deep today. His three-point shot has been non-existent. He plays hard, that’s for sure. But the results haven’t been too great for Green.
Grade: C-
Emoni Bates
25 points (9-19 shooting), 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block
One thing is for sure, Bates can shoot the ball. He displayed long-range accuracy a few times in this game. But the fundamentals are still lost on Bates. His deep pull-up three at the end of regulation was an example of this. The Cavs were tied at 99 and the shot clock was off. Bates took an unnecessarily difficult shot and gave Indiana a full three seconds to potentially score after getting the rebound. These are the details that have held Bates back up to this point in his career.
Grade: D
Luke Travers
4 points (2-9 shooting), 8 rebounds, 2 assists
Did Travers actually play 28 minutes today? It didn’t feel like it. He had virtually zero impact on the game on either side of the ball. He was mostly invisible as he had no success creating for himself and didn’t have the talent around him to successfully fill the gaps as a glue guy. This isn’t the context that you’ll see Travers thrive in. That said, he was underwhelming at best.
Grade: F
Chuma Okeke
3 points (1-5 shooting), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 22 minutes
Okeke was also forgettable. I can’t honestly recall a play that stood out from his game.
Grade: D