Jarrett Allen led Cleveland with 25 points with Collin Sexton and Evan Mobley in his pro debut each finished with 17 points.
Cleveland will return home for games on Friday and Saturday against Charlotte and Atlanta before starting a five-game road swing that will see games against Denver, both Los Angeles teams, and Phoenix before an odd end to the road trip in Charlotte.
Swashbucklings
1) I was very impressed by the pro debut of Evan Mobley and it does appear that he has the abilities that he was advertised to possess.
Mobley started at power forward but did roam around the frontcourt as a five and three on occasion, and it was the rookie that played the most minutes for the Cavaliers in the game with thirty-eight.
2) More Evan Mobley.
Mobley's 17 points, nine rebounds, six assists with a steal, and a block was accomplished for only the second time for a player in their NBA debut according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Phoenix center DeAndre Ayton accomplished the feat first in 2018.
3) Jarrett Allen is trying to prove his off-season contract was a bargain with his twenty-five points.
Allen grabbed only four rebounds and I expect more than that on a normal night but Allen was perfect from the floor hitting all eleven of his attempts.
Now that I will take every night!
4) Darius Garland finished with thirteen points on five for fifteen shooting but he did finish with twelve assists and it was Garland that was the largest factor in Cleveland's late-game run.
I will admit that I wasn't the biggest fan of Garland entering last season but his play won me over
Garland will need to improve his shooting a bit if Cleveland has any type of shot at making the play-in series and if you wanted me to name the player that may have the most to do with a Cavalier postseason trip, I would select Darius Garland.
5) Lauri Markkanen's Cavalier debut didn't go nearly as well as Evan Mobley's as Markkanen scored ten points on four for fourteen shooting (two of seven from three-point range).
Markkanen did finish with nine rebounds so it wasn't all a lost evening but I really wonder if the Cavaliers may not have overpaid a bit by bidding against themselves for Markkanen's services.
6) Before the start of the season, the Cavaliers and Collin Sexton were unable to agree on a contract extension.
That means that Sexton will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season.
My take on Sexton's extension is that the Cavaliers made the right call.
Sexton has rolled up good scoring numbers on a bad team and plays hard every night but is a defensive liability, doesn't always have the best shot selection, and most people (including me) still wonder if a Sexton-Darius Garland backcourt is viable.
Garland's extension is available before next season and if I have to pick one or the other, it's Garland.
7) Memphis wore their powder blue uniforms which I like much better than their usual navy blue.
8) Since I didn't do a Cavaliers preview, here's my guess at their record 32-50 and miss the playoffs.
There will be progress but perhaps not enough to save JB Bickerstaff and Koby Altman's jobs.
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