LeBron James is no longer welcome in Cleveland.
That’s not technically true; he is the greatest player in franchise history whose hometown is also Akron. He has done innumerable good for the local community. He will always be beloved in Cleveland. Yet, for as long as he is playing for another team, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse will belong to someone else.
Last night that someone was Donovan Mitchell, who dropped 41 points on the Los Angeles Lakers to drive the Cavs to a 116-102 victory. That included 17 points in the fourth quarter alone, slamming the door on a Lakers comeback. His message for LeBron after the dagger 3-pointer to put the Cavs up by 15? “Get the **** out of here.”
It’s Mitchell’s house now.
More Cavs news
Jarrett Allen made his return last night, starting 10-for-11 to put up the first 20-point half of his career. He cooled off in the second half to finish with 24 points and 11 rebounds. He showed a little rust defensively but overall was steady as the primary defender on LeBron James, who went just 8-for-17 on the night.
Prior to tip-off last night Josh Cornelissen ranked all 32 players on the Lakers and Cavs. Anthony Davis and LeBron James got the top two spots, but the Cavs took the next eight. Which roster construction is best?
NBA news
Luka Doncic dropped a triple-double in a thrilling win over the Denver Nuggets and Dorian Finney-Smith had the game-winner. Down in South Beach, the Detroit Pistons walloped the Miami Heat behind Saddiq Bey’s 30 points. Tyler Herro had 34 in the loss.
Coming up: The Sacramento Kings come to town on Friday night bringing one of the best offenses to take on the Cavs’ league-best defense.