Game Grades: Cavs Overtime Win Against Rockets

The Cleveland Cavaliers outlasted the Houston Rockets in an overtime win.

It took a few extra minutes in overtime, but the Cleveland Cavaliers were able to pull away with a 135-130 victory over the Houston Rockets.

This was Cleveland's second game playing shorthanded without Darius Garland or Evan Mobley and the team stepped up in a big way.

Let's look at some Game Grades from this victory!

Offense: A 

The Cleveland Cavaliers scored a season-high 135 points in their win over the Rockets. Yes, they got a little extra boost scoring 13 points in overtime. But this was still an impressive showing nonetheless.

Donovan Mitchell led the way with 37 points but the Cavaliers had eight total players score in double figures. The Wine and Gold shot 49% from the floor and 39% (19-48) from behind the arc.

Dec 18, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives against Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) in the first quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports / © David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The bench was a key part of this win with 48 points coming from the reserves. A notable shout-out goes to Sam Merrill who scored a career-high 19 points and gave the team a spark in OT.

Defense: B+

Cleveland got the win, which is what's important. However, there were still some concerns with their defense that need to be acknowledged. 

For one, the Rockets absolutely owned the Cavs in the paint. Houston scored 60 points in the paint and shot 50% on two-point field goals. On top of this, Jarrett Allen played in foul trouble all night exposing Cleveland's lack of front-court depth.

Fred VanVleet also tore up Cleveland's defense at times. He finished with 27 points and dished out 17 assists.

The Cavs did play tough defense when it mattered helping this overall grade. JA locked up Alperen Sengun on the final play of regulation to force OT and the Rockets only scored eight points in the extra five minutes. 

Overall: A

The Cavs are playing through a ton of adversity right now but they aren't letting it affect their play on the floor. This was an all around-team win for Cleveland and their next-man-up mentality paid off.