Evan Mobley Posts Career Night As Cavaliers Defeat Hawks

The Cleveland forward recorded 17 points, a career-high 19 rebounds, and a season-high seven blocks in the Cavaliers' third NBA In-Season Tournament victory of the season.

The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Atlanta Hawks in convincing fashion on Tuesday night by a final score of 128-105, moving to 3-1 in 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament group stage play.

Even though the Cavaliers won the game by 23 points, their total In-Season Tournament point differential was not enough, as they did not advance to the quarterfinals.

Cleveland dominated the interior, outscoring Atlanta in the paint 64-32 and outrebounding them 55-44.

However, Evan Mobley particularly stood out with a commanding two-way performance inside.

The 22-year-old recorded his 12th double-double of the season, finishing with 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field, a career-high 19 rebounds, and a season-high seven blocks. He also converted his only three-point attempt, tallying his second three-pointer of the season.

Nov 28, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) defends Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter (12) in the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse / © David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

After Tuesday night’s game, Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff shared his thoughts on Mobley’s ability and the impact he has on Cleveland’s success.

“Evan Mobley is an elite basketball player. He’s not a one-dimensional guy. A stat doesn’t dictate how impactful he is on the floor. You see him. He’s all over the place, right? 17 points, 19 rebounds, seven blocks. He’s all over the floor doing everything, and that’s the type of basketball player that he is. His points may not be what people want them to be, but Evan Mobley is a stud, and he can dominate a game like he did tonight.”

This most recent showing comes in the midst of a strong stretch of basketball from Mobley. Including tonight’s game, he has now recorded a double-double in eight of his last nine contests.

During this span, Mobley is averaging 16.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game, while shooting 63.6% from the field.