Donovan Mitchell fades (46 points), and Cleveland secures against Philadelphia

Almost complete, even if still without Max Struss and De’Andre Hunter, Cavaliers anyway found Jarrett Allen and above all Darius Garlandfor the reception of the Sixers. Of the Sixers who, we remember, suffered a 24-point “comeback” from the Bulls the day before and who were playing without Joel Embiid, Paul George or Jared McCain.

Unlike Tuesday night, Philadelphia did not start his match quickly, he quickly collected about fifteen points behind, due to numerous turnovers and an important 3-point success Clevelandwhich was thrown into orbit by the pair Donovan Mitchell – Evan Mobley (42-27). In a retro tunic, from the era of LeBron James, especially visually successful…

Still, the Sixers are holding on and the entry of Andre Drummond changes a lot of things. This puts a lot of pressure on the offensive rebound and second chances come one after the other, while Tyrese McKay is heating up, in his striking style, and that Trendon Watford is also striking when he comes off the bench. As the Cavaliers suffer in the paint, concede free throws and lack skill, the gap relentlessly closes (70-67).

After the break, Cleveland comfortably regained control on a 13-0 run, thanks to its Evan Mobley-Jarrett Allen tandem’s slaughter under the boards, on the counter and in the finish. Donovan Mitchell is still on his feet, and Phil tries to start the “run” again, but Jaylon Tyson’s energy, combined with “Speed” Mitchell’s new hot 3-point shooting, brings the deficit to about twenty (107-87). Without forcing…

Despite the “comeback” attempt initiated by Kelly Oubre Jr. and especially Quentin Grimes (27 points), the Sixers are stronger and Donovan Mitchell (46 points, 8 assists) uses the opportunity to sign his highest score in almost three years. His duel against Tyris Maxey (27 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds) got a hand, with the help of Jarrett Allen (24 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 steals) and Evan Mobley (23 points).

TO BE REMEMBERED

– Donovan Mitchell sends a message. The last time Donovan Mitchell scored that many points in a regular season was in a return to Utah in January 2023, a few days after he scored a “career high” with 71 points. Against Tyrese Maxey, who dreams of being the new dominant quarterback in the Eastern Conference, “Speed” therefore had to remind us who was boss. The author of 15 points in the first quarter, he added a layer in the third (15 points), without being able to serve well inside, when the defense forced him to release the ball. An unsolvable puzzle for the Sixers, who dominated in all sectors.

– Philadelphia missed the start of the half. Between -14 in the first quarter and -17 in the third quarter, we can’t say the Sixers did what it took coming out of the locker room to shake the Cavaliers. If the contribution of the Andre Drummond-Quentin Grimes-Trendon Watford trio was interesting off the bench, the failures of VJ Edgecombe (3/14) combined with the lackluster performances of Jabari Walker and Adem Bona did not help matters. There’s no doubt that the back-to-back effect took its toll on the legs, even if collectively there was a few class gaps with Cleveland. Especially without Joel Embiid…

– The return of Darius Garland. In addition to Jarrett Allen’s two-game absence, the Cavaliers in particular could see Darius Garland back on the floor. This one was left big toe operated on over the summer, which caused him to miss his team’s first seven games, and was directly reinstated in five, he scored his first three-pointer after one minute. Limited in terms of playing time (26 minutes), the leader was not sparkling then (8 points, at 3/11), struggling to find his rhythm in attack. Fortunately, Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley were there to let him not have to work too hard.

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How to read statistics? Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / 3 points in an attempt; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive jump; T = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Difference of points when the player is on the field; Points = Points; Rating: player rating calculated based on positive actions – negative actions.