Three takeaways from Cavaliers 123-119 loss to Sacramento Kings

Mobley wasn’t enough to overcome a Cavs stinker.

The Cleveland Cavaliers dropped their third straight game in a frustrating loss to the Sacramento Kings. This game was right in their hands... until it wasn’t.

The opening quarter felt like a story we’ve seen before. Cleveland came out blazing and their opponent found themselves in a double-digit hole that would certainly get deeper as the night went on.

Except, it didn’t.

Sacramento clawed back in the first quarter to keep the game within single digits. They maintained that distance for the second quarter — then delivered a haymaker in the third to turn the tables.

The Cavs deserve credit for weathering a monstrous storm and immediately steadying the ship. More on that later. But Cleveland’s resilience was only outbeaten by their lack of focus. The box score won’t tell you have devastating each turnover was. But a 24/7 runway to the rim was opened by the Cavaliers inability to protect the ball.

This game could have gone either way. Evan Mobley was fantastic with 31 points and 10 rebounds. Donovan Mitchell came alive (much too late) for 26 points. And they had enough support with Ty Jerome scoring 14 points and Dean Wade nailing four three-pointers.

Nevertheless, the Cavs dropped the ball and have no one but themselves to blame. Let’s get to a few takeaways.

Evan Mobley is a beast

This game was nearly over before the fourth quarter even began. Sacramento went on a massive third-quarter run that sent the crowd into a frenzy shooting 15-20 during this stretch. It looked like crunch time wouldn’t even arrive.

Then Mobley arrived. What followed was perhaps the most confident minutes of basketball Mobley has ever played.

Mobley sparked the run with a confident three-point jumper. He then scored consecutive looks at the rim to end the quarter. Mobley opened the fourth with another three-pointer. Then another one. By the end, he had scored 15 straight points for Cleveland. He looked visibly annoyed that Sacramento wasn’t respecting his three-point shot and had no problems making them pay for it.

This offensive explosion from Mobley is something we haven’t seen. Sure, he’s had awesome games and great moments. But the Cavs have never gone from dead in the water to riding a big Mobley wave the way they did tonight.

It ultimately wasn’t enough. The Cavs' defense failed to get stops down the stretch even after Mitchell scored 10 straight points in the closing minutes. Still, Mobley’s performance is nothing to ignore.

The rope is slipping... a little

The Cavs haven't been playing their best basketball. That was clear even when they were amid a franchise-record 16-game winning streak. That stretch was obviously quite impressive — and it’s almost even more impressive that the team was in a relative slump for much of it.

Their streak of overcoming lackluster performances is over. They’ve dropped three straight and it won’t be changing until they wake back up.

You can point the blame in a million different directions. It’s a West Coast road trip. Players have been banged up, including each member of the core four. And, their opponents have experienced outlier shooting games where they bury shots even when they are contested.

And yet, there’s no excuse. Not when you lead by double-digits in each game. Certainly not when you throw the ball directly to your opponent for countless breakaway dunks and 23 points off turnovers.

There isn’t much to take from the Cavaliers' unforced errors. Everyone understands that multiple performances like this would result in a swift exit from the playoffs. That said, I imagine the Cavs will feel more inspired for the postseason than a March road trip.

Donovan Mitchell needs to lock in

Mitchell hasn’t been himself since returning from a groin injury. He’s shooting a combined 22-63 over his last three games (35%). His turnovers have been worse, with numerous game-breaking giveaways tonight.

Shooting slumps will come and go. The decision-making is what needs to improve. Mitchell has forced the issue at times and doesn’t appear to be reading the floor as well as he normally does. This game was a prime example. Careless passes and questionable field goal attempts made it a dogfight.

To give credit where it’s due, Mitchell delivered in the clutch. As previously mentioned, he scored 10 straight points in the closing minutes. In most instances, that would be enough for a win. But the Cavs couldn’t get a stop — and it only took one Cavalier miss to effectively seal the deal.

The Cavs have accomplished everything they need in the regular season. They’ll be the top seed in their conference barring an unthinkable collapse. That has led to some complacency in recent games. That extends to their leader in Mitchell. Ending the year strong will be a goal moving forward.