The Cleveland Cavaliers pulled off one of their most encouraging wins of the season, downing the Denver Nuggets 119-117.
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Donovan Mitchell
32 points, 10 assists, 1 rebound, 2 steals, 2 blocks
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Mitchell came out guns blazing in this game. He scored 13 points in the first quarter and entered halftime with 18 overall. Mitchell converted some absurd and-one’s along the way.
Denver adjusted in the second half, blitzing Mitchell and forcing the ball out of his hands. That helped him rack up 10 assists. And, Mitchell was still able to finish the game with 32 points, including the game-winning free throws with less than a second on the clock.
Grade: A+
James Harden
22 points, 7 assists, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks
This was a slightly more aggressive version of Harden than the one we saw in his debut. He made more of an effort to get into the paint, going to his floater to account for his three-point struggles (2-7 shooting).
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Those struggles went away when it mattered most.
Harden buried the 9-1-1 triple to tie the game with under a minute to play. His patented step-back jumper is something we’ve seen countless times in other jerseys. But, if you ask me, it looks so much sweeter in a Cavalier uniform.
Additional credit for his 10 rebounds. The Cavs had a difficult time cleaning the glass tonight, so Harden’s efforts made a difference. And no — that’s not a typo. Harden actually had 3 blocks tonight.
Grade: A+
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Jarrett Allen
22 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist
Allen was the hero of this road trip. He put in the work each night, scoring a career-high 40 points earlier in the trip and then capping it off by battling Nikola Jokic for a win. Allen defended Jokic as well as you can reasonably expect, and punished him for being too slow on the other end. This was a monster stretch of games from Allen.
Grade: A+++
Jaylon Tyson
16 points, 1 assist, 3 rebounds
Tyson looked better than he did in Sacramento. His off-ball movement earned Tyson some quality shot attempts, and he shot efficiently from downtown, going 4-9 from the three-point line.
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It’s been said before, but Tyson’s confidence is something to rave about. He has zero fear of the moment, and canned a catch-and-shoot three-pointer off a Harden kickout late in the fourth quarter. That type of stuff will earn a Hall of Famer’s trust very quickly.
Grade: B+
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Keon Ellis
2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block
Ellis converted a wild layup in transition that probably should have been an and-one. He was also fine enough on defense despite some of Cleveland’s blown coverages. Other than that, it was a hectic game that Ellis never really found his place in.
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Grade: C-
Nae’Qwan Tomlin
6 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists
Tomlin’s inexperience can hold him back at times. The Cavs could have used tighter rotations and better positional awareness from him tonight. A few rebounds would have gone a long way.
I’ll give Qwan credit for nailing two three-pointers, though.
Grade: D+
Dennis Schroder
5 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals
I like what Schroder provides for this team. Pesky defense and on-ball creation. But those skills will look better when he isn’t playing in three-guard lineups. This game wasn’t built for Schroder’s strengths.
Grade: C-
Sam Merrill
9 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist
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The Cavs’ lack of size is putting a heavy strain on Merrill right now. He’s too small to defend opposing forwards, and he doesn’t have enough backline help to support him when he’s defending the perimeter.
Thankfully, Merrill was able to get going from downtown. His three triples made a difference and gave Cleveland enough fuel to get to the finish line.
Grade: C
Craig Porter Jr.
0 points, 1 rebound, 9 minutes
Porter just isn’t in a position for success right now. He’s in lineups featuring one, two, or sometimes three other ball-handling guards. The results haven’t been surprising. Porter isn’t a good enough floor spacer or defender to thrive in that type of lineup.
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Grade: D-
Thomas Bryant
5 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist
Bryant offered crucial support for Allen in this one. Defending Jokic is no easy task. Bryant’s physicality was important for limiting Jokic as much as humanly possible tonight.
Grade: B+