4 Who popped and 3 who flopped in Cavaliers physical victory over Ja, Grizzlies

The Cleveland Cavaliers cannot be stopped.

They are certainly not perfect, and 10 times this season they have lost a game. Yet on the back of yet another winning streak, this one stretched to seven games after a 129-123 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday night, the Cavaliers are proving that their brand of offensive basketball and two-way depth is good enough to beat anyone and hasn't been solved by the rest of the league.

That may come, especially in the playoffs when seven-game series afford plenty of strategic focus and adjustment, but for now this Cleveland team is rolling. That continued against the second-place Grizzlies, who came to town with a 37-19 record and the league's fourth-best net rating behind only the Cavs, the Boston Celtics and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Cleveland was without Darius Garland, while the Grizzlies were at full strength.

Yet it was the Cavaliers who out-muscled the physical Grizzlies team, pulling down 57 rebounds to the Grizzlies' 37. That proved the difference despite a cold shooting night from the Cavs, and they were able to keep ahead in a battle of two of the league's best offenses.

Who stood out for Cleveland? Who struggled? Let's look at individual performers from a great game between two of the league's best -- and yet another Cavaliers victory.

Donovan Mitchell Popped

For much of this season, Donovan Mitchell has deferred to Darius Garland, allowing them both to thrive together rather than Mitchell puffing up his own stats. Against Memphis, however, with Garland sidelined, it was the Spida Show right from the jump.

Mitchell scored a game-high 33 points on Sunday night, including a 4-for-8 shooting mark from deep that carried the cold-shooting Cavaliers. He added six assists and just one turnover, capably running the offense for stretches alongside Evan Mobley. He uncharacteristically missed four of his 11 free-throws, but drawing 11 attempts was still important.

The signature moment was when Mitchell attacked a scrambling defense after an offensive rebound and slammed the ball home, effectively sealing the win for the Cavaliers.

Isaac Okoro Flopped

While Mitchell stepped up in the absence of Darius Garland, his replacement in the starting lineup struggled to do the same. Isaac Okoro played just 19 minutes, in part likely due to his ramp-up in his return from injury and in part because he was largely ineffective. He was the only member of the starting lineup with a negative point differential (just -1, however; he wasn't a disaster) and managed just six points on 2-for-5 shooting and 1-for-4 from deep.

Okoro's pathway to being a lock for the playoff rotation -- a status he has not yet earned -- is being a consistent shooter, but he hasn't reached that plateau yet despite improving his accuracy. 25 percent shooting nights won't help his case. "Ice" wasn't at his best on Sunday night.

Jarrett Allen Popped

Starting against 7'4" rookie center Zach Edey, Jarrett Allen played like the bigger center on Sunday, absolutely dominating the matchup. Two games after pulling down 20 rebounds against the Brooklyn Nets, Allen had a more modest 10 rebounds, but he forced the Grizzlies to adjust to him and focus on keeping him off the glass, opening up more rebounds for his teammates.

Allen was also an efficient 6-for-8 from the floor for 13 points. He wasn't perfect -- he had three turnovers, including one in the fourth quarter leading to a Memphis 3-pointer as they attempted their comeback -- but he finished the game +7 in a six-point win and was a major part of Cleveland staking out their lead to begin with.

Dean Wade Flopped

It is not uncommon for players to display rust when first returning from an injury. That has absolutely been the case for Dean Wade, who is now 1-for-5 from the field and 0-for-4 from deep in his two games since returning to play. Against the Grizzlies, Wade scored zero points but had a turnover and three fouls.

To his credit, he also secured six rebounds in his 17 minutes and played his usual great defense, but he had nothing to provide on the offensive end. The team is hoping he gets his shooting form back and soon, as 5-out lineups with Wade and Hunter spaced around Evan Mobley at the 5 is likely Kenny Atkinson's dream closing group.

For now, Wade just needs to get back into the swing of things. Against the Grizzlies, the rust was palpable.

Ty Jerome Popped

The Cavaliers needed another offensive weapon on Sunday evening with Garland out of the lineup, and it was Ty Jerome who stepped up in the second half to provide that spark. Continuing his career season, Jerome pitched in 15 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter to help the Cavs stay just ahead of the Grizzlies and secure the win.

Jerome hit three of his seven 3-pointers and 9-for-16 of his shots overall, and had four assists and five rebounds for a solid all-around game. After only scoring more than 20 points a handful of times in his career before this season, he now has eight-such games this season alone. Add in two steals for one of the league's leaders in steal rate, and you get a player crucial to the Cavaliers' success.

Sam Merrill Flopped

The icy malaise that affected nearly the entire Cavaliers team also applied to the sharpshooting Sam Merrill, as he shot 1-for-4 himself for his only three points on the night. When the core of the team's rotation cannot hit from deep, Merrill is supposed to be the one to come in off the bench and get things flowing.

Instead, Merrill struggled to hit shots himself. Add on top of that tow turnovers for such a low-usage player -- once trying to set a screen in the paint, one with a fast-break stiff-arm to throw Desmond Bane to the deck -- and it was not his best night.

Evan Mobley Popped

We end with the best player on the court Sunday night, breakout star Evan Mobley. Just days after learning that Victor Wembanyama would miss the rest of the season with a medical issue, the two frontrunners for Defensive Player of the Year faced off on Sunday. While Jaren Jackson Jr. didn't have a bad game, it was clear that Mobley was better on both ends of the court.

The fourth-year big man shot 9-for-12 from 2-point range en route to 25 points, and his 13 rebounds were a game-high. He also had eight assists, facillitating the offense both from the elbow and on the move. His slick pass to Jarrett Allen for a poster dunk on Ja Morant in the fourth quarter was sublime.

Do you want defense? Mobley had three blocks and just one foul, was everywhere patrolling the paint, and was +9 despite playing 36 minutes. He is likely now the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year after taking JJJ's cookies on Sunday night, and he is a major reason the Cavaliers continue to roll.