Cavaliers Take Down Clippers In Statement Win

The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Los Angeles Clippers in Evan Mobley's return.

Fans were destined for a back-and-forth, tightly contested, down-to-the-wire ball game before the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers even tipped off. The Clippers entered the game with the best offense in the NBA since December 1 and the Cavs entered with the best defense in that stretch.

Defense is what prevailed in this matchup as Cleveland took down Los Angeles, 118-108.

This was a statement win for the Cavaliers. There was a growing narrative that Cleveland's eight-game win streak was impressive but had more to do with their inferior schedule. It's a bad night to be part of that crowd.

The most impressive part about Cleveland's defense was how they eliminated Paul George and James Harden from the games. The two of them combined to score 24 points while shooting 31% (6-19) from the floor. Kawhi Leonard did drop 30 on the Cavs, but it's almost impossible to stop everyone on a roster as talented as the Clippers. 

One of the biggest storylines coming out of this game will be the return of Evan Mobley. He was on a minutes restriction (around 20 minutes) and still scored 10 points while shooting 71% (5-7) from the floor and grabbing eight boards. Mobley's defensive impact also can be understated. 

Jan 29, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Norman Powell (24) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) during the second half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / © Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Cavs have now recorded back-to-back wins against one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference (Milwaukee Bucks) and one of the hottest teams in the NBA the Clippers.

The rest of the NBA better take notice of what this Cavs team is doing. This was a signature win for the Cavaliers as they continued to get their entire team healthy.