The Cleveland Cavaliers knocked off the Indiana Pacers 135-119. Let’s see who won and lost the night.
WINNER - Jaylon Tyson
Practice what you preach.
Tyson called out his teammates after Cleveland’s lackluster loss to the Celtics last night. Not only did this light a fire under Donovan Mitchell and company — but Tyson himself came out like he had something to prove. He scored 27 points on 10-13 shooting, grabbed 11 rebounds (including five offensive), created out of the short roll for 4 assists, and racked up 2 steals in 30 minutes.
The sophomore wing turned in a nearly flawless game just when the Cavs needed it most. His three-point jumper has been sweet all season, and now, he’s becoming more emboldened as a ball-handler. Tyson created a handful of plays from scratch and has a knack for finding open teammates.
Most of all, he’s a brute force of nature on the glass. Tyson crashed the board with authority, clearing space and getting his hands on multiple loose balls.
You can’t play much better than that.
WINNER - Offensive Process
The Cavs were focused tonight. In a season where that hasn’t always been the case, it stood out immediately when the team ran through multiple actions and found quality shots on offense.
Cleveland had Indiana in constant pursuit of the ball. Well, for most of the game at least. The offense was humming as each player made quick, decisive moves once catching the rock. This kept Indiana’s defense in flux, creating numerous opportunities for a Cavalier to take advantage and finish a play.
Sure, the Pacers are a 4-17 team that hasn’t been very good on either end of the floor. But this is the process you want to see replicated against any opponent. Smart ball movement. Perfectly timed cuts. And of course, efficient shooting across the board.
Final note: the Cavs only attempted 40 three-pointers tonight. That’s the 6th fewest they’ve taken in a game this season. This is a sign that yes, Indiana’s interior defense isn’t very strong, but also that Cleveland was deliberate in attacking their opponent and generating easy scoring opportunities.
WINNER - Hustle
We all know how badly the Cavs needed to show some fight tonight. They’ve been called lazy, soft, and disinterested. This was a game where they needed to make a statement.
Cleveland responded by winning all of the hustle metrics. They grabbed 19 offensive rebounds. Forced 14 turnovers for 17 points. And outscored the Pacers in the paint 62-58.
This wasn’t an absolute thrashing. But Indiana plays as hard as anyone in the NBA — and the Cavs were dealing with a long injury list on the second night of a back-to-back. The fact that Cleveland looked like they wanted this one more than their opponent, considering the circumstances, is worth commemorating.
Now they have to show this level of heart for the remainder of the season.
WINNER - Donovan Mitchell
Nights like this are so regular that it almost becomes an afterthought. Of course Mitchell scored in bunches. That’s what he always does.
But it’s important not to take any of this for granted.
Mitchell had 43 points on 16-27 shooting to go with 9 rebounds and 6 assists. This is the type of bounce-back performance you expect from your franchise superstar.
Another 40+ point night from Mitchell gives him his third such game of the season. He’s scored 40+ in 22 games for the Cavs, second in franchise history behind (you guessed it) with 51. For perspective, the next closest Cavalier is Kyrie Irving, who scored 40+ 11 times in a Cleveland uniform.
In other words, Mitchell is in elite company. The franchise arguably hasn’t seen a more prolific three-level scoring threat. He can dazzle you with his handle, torch you from behind the arc, or bulldoze you into the paint for dunks and layups. He’s a special talent that shouldn’t be overlooked.