Cavs: 1 stud, 1 dud from comeback win over Celtics

Cavs: 1 stud from comeback win over Celtics – Evan Mobley

The Boston Celtics are a very good defensive team, and for much of the game they held the Cavaliers’ offense down. That included Evan Mobley, who for the first 20-plus minutes of the game was 0-for-3 from the field with 0 points.

Mobley didn’t let a slow offensive start impact his effort, as he had seven rebounds and was playing excellent defense including a block to open the 2nd quarter. Then the shots started to come around, both the attempts and the baskets. He scored his first points on a pullup jumper from the free-throw line with 3:15 seconds left in the second quarter. He hit a 3-pointer two minutes later. Then in the second half he leaned into that smooth jumper to take what the defense was giving him.

Mobley has a long way to go in building out an NBA frame. He was unable to budge Robert Williams III or Grant Williams, although when Jayson Tatum rotated onto him late in the game he backed him right into the basket and scored an easy layup. Yet even when Mobley was largely walled out of the paint he was patient and trusted in his jumper which went down again and again.

In the 4th quarter it became the Mobley show. Schroder roasted the Cavs in the first half but found it tough sledding in the second, and he tried to drive in on Mobley early in the fourth. Mobley shut him down, then blocked his jumper with his fingertips. He went down on the other end and hit a turnaround jumper on Grant Williams. Later, as the Cavs’ defense was holding Boston to a long scoreless stretch, the Cavs got out in transition after a turnover and Osman found Rubio, who found Mobley for a streaking wide-open dunk.

The highlight moment was with about five-and-a-half minutes to go. Mobley misses a shot in a tie game, and many players would be down on themselves for a beat or two. Not Mobley. He sprints in transition to catch up to Jayson Tatum and blocks the ball right out of Tatum’s hand before he can complete his finger roll:

Initially ruled a goaltend, the Cavs challenged and it was overturned. Those two points turned out to be the difference. Mobley finished with a line of 19 points, nine rebounds, two steals, three blocks, just one foul, and was a team-high +16 in a two-point win. Evan Mobley was incredible Saturday night.

Honorable mention to Cedi Osman, whose energy keyed the Cavs on both ends of the court. He hit a huge 3-pointer to start the 4th, and came up with the game-winning stop to end it.