Game Grades: Cavs Dismantle Hawks
That was a fun Cleveland Cavaliers winner!
The Cavs got off to a semi-slow start through the first quarter, but kicked it into gear halfway through the second and never looked back. Cleveland may not be heading to the "Knockout Round" of the NBA's In-Season Tournament, but this 128-105 win over the Atlanta Hawks was still huge.
Let's take a look at some grades from this victory.
Cavaliers Offense: A
Donovan Mitchell scored 40 points, Darius Garland knocked down a couple of crucial threes, and Evan Mobley finished an efficient 72% from the floor. That's a great recipe for a Wine and Gold winner.
Cleveland as a team shot 53% from the field and 36% from behind the arc, as their largest lead of the night was 25 points. Yes, Mitchell led the way in the scoring department, but it was still an even attack, as seven Cleveland players scored in double figures.
This was an all-around "A" performance from the Cavaliers' offense.
Cavaliers Defense: B+
Cleveland largely played solid defense against the Hawks. They did a tremendous job frustrating Trae Young, holding him to just 13 points when he came in averaging 26.5 points a night.
The only area that kept the Cavs from hitting the "A" tier was their three-point defense. Atlanta shot 29% from behind the arc as a team, but that largely had to do with Young's struggles. Saddiq Bey (2-for-4) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (4-for-10) still gave Cleveland trouble, as they were often left wide open.
It also would wouldn't be right if I didn't mention that Mobley finished with seven blocks on Tuesday night. Seven! Bravo and A+ for this spectacular individual performance.
Nov 28, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives against Atlanta Hawks forward De'Andre Hunter (12) in the fourth quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
© David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Overall: A
This was a great team win by the Cavs, there's no other way to put it.
Mitchell finally broke out of his scoring rut, while Mobley finished with 17 points, 19 rebounds, and seven blocks, which is arguably his best game of his career.
There's a lot to be excited about if this is the consistent basketball on the horizon for Cleveland.
