On Tuesday night, the Cavs(16-9) began a three-game homestand as they welcomed LeBron James and the Lakers(10-13). Cleveland got a little fortunate as Anthony Davis, who had been on a tear, left the game in the first half with the flu and did not return.
Fortunately for Cleveland, they got Jarrett Allen back, and ultimately, they would defeat the Lakers 116-102 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse to sweep the season series.
With the loss, the Lakers three-game winning was snapped, while the Cavs have won three of their last four.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Lakers.
Great:
Donovan Mitchell had a season-high 43 points(17-27 FG) to go along with five rebounds, six assists, and four steals. According to StatMuse, Mitchell became the first Cavalier to have a 40/5/5/4 game since, guess who, LeBron James.
Fourth Quarter: With the game tied at 92, the Cavs took over. They went on a 21-6 run to take their largest lead of the game at 113-98. When the Cavs needed him the most, Mitchell came up big, with 17 points in the fourth.
Jarrett Allen, who returned after missing five games with a lower back injury, scored 22 of his season-high tying 24 points in the first half and grabbed 11 boards. This is a different team when Allen is on the court, and it showed against the Lakers.
Darius Garland had a double-double with 21 points and 11 assists. This was Garland’s sixth double-double of the season.
Points in the Paint: The Cavs stayed in the Lakers’ paint. They scored 70 of their 116 points in the paint.
Not So Great:
All good for the Cavs
Bottom Line:
The Cavs swept LeBron and the Lakers this season. The Cavs win their seventh straight at home and move to 11-1 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Last season, LeBron came into Cleveland, had a triple-double, and dominated the fourth quarter, this season, the Cavs have Donovan Mitchell, and he was not going to let that happen.
Mitchell was the one who controlled the fourth.
What’s Next:
Cleveland continues their three-game homestand on Friday night against the Sacramento Kings.
Best of the Rest:
LeBron James led the Lakers with 21 points and a season-high 17 rebounds; Thomas Bryant had season-highs of 19 points and nine rebounds.
James falls to 17-3 against the Cavs in his career.
In two games against the Lakers this season, Mitchell has averaged 38 points.
Junkyard Dog:
Donovan Mitchell got the “Junkyard Dog” award for his dominating performance against the Lakers.
