The Cleveland Cavaliers falter for the second time against an injury-riddled Oklahoma City Thunder team, falling 124-116
Player Grades: Cavs at Thunder: Donovan Mitchell’s fourth-quarter outing not enough
Cavaliers fall to Thunder for the second time in as many games.
Grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Player of the game
James Harden
19 points, 6 assists, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks
The Cavaliers would have had no pulse in their contest with the Thunder if not for Harden. It felt like even when the Cavs were down by double digits in the second and third quarter that Harden was the only one really trying to assemble an offense.
Harden might not have been the most efficient player on the floor. He was, however, the true spark keeping the Cavaliers within arm’s reach. In a loss where the bulk of the team was struggling to match the Thunder’s energy on the floor, Harden met the task.
Grade: B+
Grades
Evan Mobley
16 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks
Without Jarrett Allen for most of the game, you would have figured that Mobley would become an even bigger focus on offense. However, Mobley was not up to the task tonight. If Mobley did not have an open lane, it fel...