Hunter’s nine overtime points led the Cavaliers to victory.
The Cleveland Cavaliers came back from an 18-point deficit to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers in overtime 133-129. It wasn’t pretty, but they played well enough to escape with a win on a day Donovan Mitchell missed due to rest.
Grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Darius Garland
13 points (4-16 shooting), 7 assists, 2 rebounds
Garland has had phenomenal outings in the three other games that Mitchell has missed this season. Sunday didn’t follow that pattern. Garland struggled to find his shot and wasn’t the game-changing off-the-dribble playmaker the Cavs needed.
This wasn’t a great offensive performance from the Cavs through three quarters. As the All-Star point guard, Garland bears the brunt of the blame for it being that way. Cleveland needed him to orchestrate the offense and provide off-the-dribble scoring. He did neither.
On top of that, he missed a free throw that would’ve all but sealed the game. That miss caused this game to go into overtime.
This was just a bad game from Garland.
Grade: D-
Evan Mobley
20 points (6-14 shooting), 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 6 fouls
The Cavs needed their All-Stars to show up on offense. Mobley didn’t for most of the game but did turn it around in the fourth quarter. His 10 points in the final frame helped lead the Cavaliers to a win. That said, he also fouled out and wasn’t available in overtime.
Grade: C-
Jarrett Allen
12 points (5-7 shooting), 10 rebounds, 4 assists
Allen wasn’t the most impactful player today. He was a team-worst -12 in the win and played just one second in the fourth due to the Blazers’ ability to spread the floor and play small.
To his credit, Allen rebounded to make a positive impact in overtime after Mobley fouled out. Still, it’s a little concerning that this is the second game in a row he wasn’t able to close out the fourth quarter.
Grade: C+
Max Strus
14 points (5-15 shooting), 9 rebounds, 3 assists
There was good and bad with Strus on Sunday.
Let’s start with the good. Strus hit what should’ve been the game-winning three with 15 seconds left that would’ve won the game if Garland had hit both free throws.
The bad: Strus didn’t have his most efficient game and had what could’ve been a costly turnover with 20 seconds left in overtime. Fortunately for the Cavs, it didn’t come back to bite them.
The Cavs benefited from Strus’s energy on a night they struggled to have any. That said, we’ve seen him play better.
Grade: C+
De’Andre Hunter
32 points (8-15 shooting), 7 rebounds
The Virginia Cavaliers saved the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. He made the most of his chance in the starting lineup as he was the team’s most consistent and efficient scorer. That included pouring in nine points in overtime while playing the three through five.
These last two games have shown why Koby Altman went out and traded for Hunter. Cleveland doesn’t win either without him. Hunter could be the missing piece.
Grade: A+
Ty Jerome
26 points (8-17 shooting), 6 assists, 5 rebounds
The Cavs desperately needed someone to create off the dribble. Jerome consistently did that as has been the case throughout the season. He was the spark plug that got the Cavs back into the game after they fell down by 18 at the end of the third quarter.
Jerome took over from there. His three-point buzzer beater at the end of the third helped breathe life into what was a lifeless building until that point. From there, Jerome scored seven points and registered six assists in the fourth.
Jerome continues to provide exactly what the Cavs need on a nightly basis. They wouldn’t be 40 games over .500 if it wasn’t for his consistent bench production.
Grade: A
Sam Merrill
9 points (3-7 shooting), 3 rebounds
The Cavs needed Merrill to hit momentum-changing shots. He did that on Sunday with two fourth-quarter triples to get them back into the game.
This was a chipy and rough game from both teams. That’s the type of environment Merrill thrives in. It’s part of the reason he was a team-best +18 in the win.
Grade: B+
Dean Wade
5 points (2-5 shooting), 3 rebounds, 1 assist
You’d obviously like to see Wade produce more on the offensive end. He hasn’t registered over five points in a game in any of the five outings he’s had since returning from the knee injury. Part of that could be because of the addition of Hunter. Part of that is because of his hesitancy to pull it.
Still, the Cavs needed Wade’s defense. He was able to provide minutes at center tonight and continues to have incredible chemistry with Hunter on the defensive end. That was valuable against a small team like the Blazers.
Grade: B-
Isaac Okoro
5 points (2-4 shooting), 3 rebounds, 1 block
Like Wade, Okoro has struggled to fit in offensively since returning from injury. And also like Wade, he remains incredibly valuable on defense. The addition of Hunter allows Okoro to defend smaller guards. It’s an area he excels in and did so again on Sunday.
Grade: B-
Craig Porter Jr.
0 points (0-0 shooting), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block
Porter played just under five minutes, but it wasn’t very good. He didn’t have an offensive impact and didn’t step up on a defensive possession which led to an open three.
There’s a reason Kenny Atkinson chose not to play him in the second half.