Cleveland returned home on Monday night to face the New Orleans Pelicans after a 2-3 west coast road trip.
The Cavs(28-17), who got off to a slow start, trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half. However, Cleveland finally woke up in the second half and defeated the Pelicans(26-18) 113-103 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
Donovan Mitchell left in the third quarter with a groin injury and did not return.
Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the Pelicans.
Great:
Darius Garland scored 25 of his game-high 30 points in the second half. In addition, he added 11 assists. Garland got off to a slow start, but he was big in the second half, especially the fourth, where he scored 14 points.
Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley: Allen(9/12) had a season-high tying 24 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists, while Mobley(8/10) had 19 points and eight rebounds. The two were a combined 17/22 from the field, and Allen was big in the fourth as he had 12 points.
Fourth Quarter: The Cavs played their best ball in the final stanza. Garland and Allen combined for 26 of the team’s 35 points in the quarter. From the end of the third into the fourth, Cleveland went on a 15-0 run and never relinquished the lead.
The Cavs outscored the Pelicans 35-22 in the fourth.
Not So Great:
Cleveland’s turnovers were high(15), and the first half wasn’t the best, but they still got the job done.
Bottom Line:
Cleveland got off to a slow start; maybe it was because it was an afternoon game, but credit them for bouncing back in the second half as they continue to be dominant at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mitchell did leave with a groin injury, and hopefully, that’s nothing serious.
What’s Next:
Cleveland travels to Memphis to battle the Grizzlies on Wednesday night.
Best of the Rest:
-C.J. McCollum led the Pelicans with 25 points; Jonas Valanciunas had 22 points and 13 rebounds.
-Donovan Mitchell and Isaac Okoro had 11 points apiece.
-Cleveland is now 19-4 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
-According to Cavs Notes, this was Cleveland’s 11th win this season after trailing by at least 10 points.
