Player Grades: Cavs at Bucks
Allen fought hard tonight.
The Cleveland Cavaliers rolled to their 14th straight win behind a strong defensive effort. They were locked in from the jump to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks.
Grades are based on our expectations of each player.
Donovan Mitchell
15 points (4-15 shooting), 6 assists, 5 rebounds, 4 turnovers
It used to be rare for the Cavs to win a game when Mitchell wasn’t scoring. But this season, it’s become commonplace.
Mitchell didn’t have it going at any point tonight (and he wasn’t alone). His three-point shot was absent (1-7 shooting) and he didn’t make up for it by getting to the rim. A night this quiet from Mitchell would rarely mean good in the past. Yet Cleveland’s depth has allowed them to coast this season even when Mitchell is having an underwhelming game.
Grade: C-
Darius Garland
13 points (4-13 shooting), 5 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 turnovers
Surviving a poor shooting night from Mitchell or Garland alone would be one thing. Overcoming a bad performance from both — on the road against a genuinely competitive team — is something else.
Garland has been in a rut since taking a hard fall against New York weeks ago. He’s hovering around 30% from the floor over his last few games and could really use a get-back game before entering this West Coast road trip. Tonight wasn’t that — but I don’t have any long-term concerns. Garland’s commitment to keeping the Cavs' offense running smoothly hasn’t changed. He just isn’t scorching hot from every spot on the floor right now.
Grade: D+
Jarrett Allen
11 points (5-6 shooting), 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals
Here’s the thing. Allen got pushed around, ran through and dunked on a handful of times tonight. You know what he didn’t do? Fold. Allen continued to fight against Giannis Antetokounmpo and won the war in the end. Giannis put up an impressive 30 points but it took him 24 field goal attempts to get it.
You’ll never fully stop a player of Antetokounmpo’s caliber. But Allen showed that you can make them work for it — just as he did against Nikola Jokic earlier in the year. Allen’s defensive effort was one of the differences in this game. This is the type of “put your head down and work through it” performance that you’ll need from Allen in the playoffs.
Grade: A
Max Strus
17 points (6-11 shooting), 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
This game could have been a dogfight with Cleveland’s offense struggling to find a rhythm. It was Max Strus who delivered 11 straight points in the second quarter and gave his team a cushion to work with that allowed the Cavs to maintain control.
Strus was red-hot from deep in the first half. He buried four of his five threes in the opening quarters and chipped in nine huge rebounds to make the difference.
Grade: A+
Evan Mobley
13 points (5-10 shooting), 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 1 block
This game began like it was going to be Mobley’s night. He scored 10 points in the first half and seemingly had no concerns about stretching the floor. Mobley nailed two three-pointers in the first quarter but didn’t make another for the rest of the game.
Milwaukee’s defense is a major concern for them, but Brook Lopez is still a quality rim protector. The Bucks worked to keep Mobley away from the paint and ultimately succeeded after the opening half. It was, however, too little too late as Mobley had already given the Cavs a boost — just as Strus would give them in the second quarter. Cleveland has won games by committee all season and this was another example of it.
Grade: B
De’Andre Hunter
6 points (2-6 shooting), 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block
Hunter has been super impactful since landing in Cleveland. Tonight, he wasn’t.
The outside shot wasn’t falling for Hunter and this matchup didn’t call for him to attack the rim. Hunter’s defense and contribution on the glass were meaningful, though. It’s another sign that even on an off-night, Hunter is a game-changer for Cleveland.
Grade: B-
Ty Jerome
9 points (3-9 shooting), 1 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Jerome didn’t shoot the ball well either but he always manages to score at the right times. His few field goals came at momentum-shifting moments and the pressure he provides as a ball-handler ensured that Cleveland’s offense never felt like it was stuck in the mud.
Grade: B-
Sam Merrill
9 points (3-6 shooting), 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Merrill turned in another great shooting game, going 3-5 from deep. He’s shooting a combined 7-9 over his last two games. The Cavs' offense is already so loaded that a barrage of threes from Merrill can be a backbreaker for most teams.
Merrill also played sound defense tonight. He’s always active and engaged but his efforts actually led to missed shots this time, which is nice.
Grade: A
Dean Wade
9 points (3-3 shooting), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
The Cavs used to rely a fair amount on Wade to play like this consistently. His defense and floor spacing were a necessity in the past. Now? It’s a knockout blow whenever Wade fills this role.
He hit three three-pointers tonight, something that feels almost insurmountable for opponents even when the rest of the Cavs are struggling. Wade didn’t have as much luck defending Giannis — but his timely shooting kept Cleveland in a comfortable position.
Grade: A-
Isaac Okoro
5 points (2-3 shooting), 1 rebounds, 1 assist
Okoro’s involvement on offense continues to look more natural. He buried a quick-trigger three in the second half and then rolled to the rim for an acrobatic layup only moments later.
Most importantly, Okoro dominated his minutes on Damian Lillard. He spent this time draped all over Lillard, forcing him into a turnover and suppressing him from seeing daylight from three.