Coming down the stretch run of the season, without All-Star center Jarrett Allen was always going to be difficult. But after a week that saw the Cleveland Cavaliers win three of four at home, they kept themselves in the thick of the Eastern Conference Playoff race.
It all started on Monday night when the Cavs played and won their first overtime game of the season versus the LA Clippers. Rookie of the Year frontrunner Evan Mobley filled in for Allen, and scored a career-high 30 points to lead the Cavaliers. Cleveland lost a tough game versus the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday before rebounding to win two straight to close out the weekend. They play the Los Angeles Lakers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse tomorrow at 7:00 PM ET, to cap off their five-game home stand.
Obviously if the Cavs won three out of four versus the Sixers, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, and Clippers, nearly the entire team needed to play well. Leading the Cavaliers in scoring through the week was once again All-Star point guard Darius Garland.
In his third year, Garland has proven he is one of the best point guards in the NBA. Over the past week Garland has put up 23.6 points per game. However, even more impressive is the fact that he averaged 11.5 assists per game during that stretch. It shows he’s out there trying to get his teammates involved early, and often. DG’s shooting percentages dipped a bit this week, but part of that is due to the wear and tear of an NBA season. Garland’s third-year leap has been a sight to see, and there are only signs of him, and the Cavs’ young nucleus getting better down the road.
Outside of Garland, the spotlight was clearly on rookie Evan Mobley this week. Since taking over at center following Allen’s unfortunate injury, the rookie has somehow improved his game. Over the past week he scored 20.5 points per game, while also picking up his rebounding game, averaging 9.3 per night. I’ve talked time and time again about how Mobley’s impact on winning this season is unheard of among rookies in the 20th century, so I don’t need to beat that drum any longer.
Still, even with the pressure on him, the rookie shot an incredible 56% from the field this past week. There were times when it looked like Cade Cunningham or Scottie Barnes might catch Mobley in the Rookie of the Year race. Barring some unforeseen circumstance, Mobley should certainly take home the award, possibly unanimously.
Even with the strong contributions from Garland and Mobley, the star of the week, and the Cavs Player of the Week for March 14-20, is forward Lauri Markkanen.
When Lauri Markkanen went down with an ankle injury that forced him to miss nearly the entire month of February, I definitely did not realize how big of an impact he had on the team, on both ends.
The Cavs went 7-4 during that period, however, prior to his return the Cavaliers had dropped three straight. In the next game, a pivotal one versus the Washington Wizards, Markkanen led the Cavs with 23 points. He was 6-for-18 from the field, and all six of those shots were three-pointers. It wasn’t a perfect game by any stretch of the imagination, but it helped the forward find his rhythm.
Over the past week he averaged 17.3 points per game, and had a season-high 31 points in a big-time win on Friday over Denver.
On top of the shooting, without Jarrett Allen, rebounding was a big area of concern. Markkanen picked up his rebounding this past week, averaging nearly seven per game. The biggest thing the Cavaliers needed from Markkanen over the past week was shooting, though. And boy, did he give it to them.
In four games the forward was 13-of-28 from three (46%), and also shot a scorching 52% from the field. The former Chicago Bull has always had a lot of potential, but didn’t quite live up to the hype when in the Windy City. He seems to have found a home with the Cavs this season.
Stat of the Week: 2-0 in OT
I know I mentioned previously that the Cavs played and won their first overtime game of the year this past Monday against the Clippers. However, it wasn’t the Cavaliers’ only trip to overtime this week. Friday’s overtime win versus the Nuggets was also impressive from the Cavs. Obviously, we don’t need to see overtime games every week, but it’s nice to know that the Wine and Gold have finally played, and been successful, in overtime this year.
Overall it was a huge week for the Cavaliers, and they have more tests coming at them this week. Tomorrow, Akron’s own LeBron James and the Lakers come to town. Following that, Cleveland will travel to Toronto for a huge game on Thursday night at the Raptors. Finally, the Cavs close out the week with a date with the Bulls on Saturday night.
As the season winds down the Cavaliers will need improved efforts from the entire roster, especially with Allen out indefinitely. While Markkanen was the Player of the Week this week, the same performances will be expected of him going forward. It’s do or die time in the NBA.
And I have to say, it’s kind of thrilling considering the Cavs haven’t been in this position since 2018.