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Player Ratings: Cavs vs. Nuggets – Donovan Mitchell leads Cavaliers to another high-scoring win

Player Ratings: Cavs vs. Nuggets – Donovan Mitchell leads Cavaliers to another high-scoring win

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ offense was too much as they ran away with a 126-114 victory over the Denver Nuggets on a snowy Thursday night.

Grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Donovan Mitchell

28 points (11-24 shots), 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks

It was an effortless scoring night for Mitchell. He scored a game-high 28 points and drained 6-10 three-point attempts. His stunning shots kept Cleveland firmly in the lead, even as Denver threatened a comeback.

Mitchell made the goal look easy, but he did make an effort defensively. He finished the game with 4 sticks and disrupted Denver’s offense in crucial moments of the game. No Cavs fan should take this type of performance for granted. —Tony Pesta

Grade: A

Evan Mobley

20 points (7-11 shooting), 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals

Mobley tied his career high with three three-pointers in today’s game. He has already shot 16 three-pointers this season and is on the verge of breaking his personal record for three-pointers in a season (23).

Mobley has been one of the best defenders in the NBA since he was a rookie. But this season he is slowly starting to put the bigger picture together on offense. His reputation as a first-time All-Star continues to build after this performance against Denver. —TP

Grade: A

Darius Garland

24 points (9-20 shots), 4 assists

Garland had an even better game than the numbers suggest. He darted around the floor with extra momentum and gained an advantage despite only having four assists on the night. His three three-pointers served as energizers – and he converted the corner for an easy layup late in the game to put Denver away for good.

The results didn’t quite match his process, but Garland gets a solid grade for tonight. —TP

Grade: A-

Jarrett Allen

8 points (3-5 shots), 15 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals

Allen wasn’t particularly aggressive tonight. He finished the race with just 8 points and barely seemed to score. But his effort on defense was crucial – even if Nikola Jokic still got his numbers. Allen worked hard on the glass for 15 big rebounds and managed to hold Jokic to 13:26.

Allen’s 6 assists fall short of his career high by two. His occasional ability to create for others has been an underrated development over the last two years. It was on display this evening. —TP

Grade: B

Isaac Okoro

3 points (1-2 shots), 2 assists, 12 minutes

Okoro left the game early due to a knee strain. He hit a three-pointer and provided a few assists in advance.

Grade: Incomplete

Caris LeVert

21 points (7-11 shooting), 6 assists, 3 rebounds

LeVert had an incredible start to the season but struggled to find his footing the week he returned from injury. That wasn’t a problem tonight as he was the best player on the court at times despite playing next to someone who could end up winning his fourth MVP award.

The Cavs are deep and not as reliant on LeVert as they have been in the past. Outstanding performances like these have become more of a luxury than something the Cavs need to keep their offense functioning. Jackson Flickinger

Grade: A+

Sam Merrill

8 points (3-8 shots), 5 rebounds, 2 assists

Merrill’s shots can dictate the momentum of a game. Nothing is as demoralizing to a team as allowing an open shot to a guy who everyone knows you can’t give him an inch of space.

His three-pointer on the first possession of the second quarter demonstrated this. Michael Malone barely waited for the ball to go through the basket before calling the timeout. A repetition of this situation occurred towards the end of the third part.

That was exactly the kind of performance you want from Merrill more consistently. — JF

Grade: B+

Georges Niang

5 points (2-4 shots), 4 rebounds

Niang was pretty consistent in his efforts and the results were pretty decent for the most part. This was another consistent performance. He tried on defense and continues to make the right plays on offense that keep the bench units moving well on that side. —JF

Grade: B

Ty Jerome

4 points (2-4 shots), 2 rebounds, 1 assist

Jerome has struggled in his last few games. The illness is likely to play a role, which kept him away from Tuesday’s game. However, we need to keep this in mind as we move forward. Jerome simply applied pressure and the outside shot doesn’t land as well as it used to.

Simply put, Jerome is no longer the guy he was at the beginning of the season. Whether this is a return to the man he is or whether this slump is the exception will determine his next contract and his future with the team. — JF

Grade: C-

Dean Wade

5 points (2-5 shots), 6 rebounds, 1 assist

Of course, one would like to see Wade shoot more, but it’s hard to be too critical of this performance. The offense was great overall and Wade was useful on both ends of the court. It was a marked improvement from how he looked in his first game back from his injury on Tuesday. — JF

Grade: B

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