Player Grades: Cavs vs Knicks – Donovan Mitchell’s 34 points weren’t enough

The Cleveland Cavalierscoughed up a 17-point fourth quarter lead to fall to the New York Knicks 126-124 on Christmas Day.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Darius Garland

20 points, 10 assists, 1 rebound

Garland has played like an All-Star for stretches this week. He comfortably got into the teeth of the defense and was a threat to score at all three levels through the first three quarters.

That didn’t continue in the fourth. He was a team-worst -16 in the final frame as he went 1-5 from the field with two assists and a turnover down the stretch.

It was an encouraging performance, but the Cavs needed more from him late when the game was on the line.

Grade: B

Jarrett Allen

7 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists

On one hand, Allen is doing exactly what you expect your starting-caliber center to do. He’s chipping in on the glass and providing some rim protection. On the other hand, he has All-Star talent and is being paid as such, which matters in a salary-capped league.

Having injuries on both hands undoubtedly makes it more difficult to do normal center tasks. At the same time, this offense could use more rim pressure than what he’s been able to provide, and the team’s defense and rebounding were suspect throughout the game. These are areas you’d expect Allen to help with.

Grade: D+

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Donovan Mitchell

34 points, 6 assists, 7 rebounds

Mitchell knew how important this game was. He did everything in his power to will the Cavs to victory, but he couldn’t make enough shots down the stretch to get them across the line. He went just 4-11 from the field in the fourth quarter when his team needed someone to stop the bleeding.

Grade: B-

Sam Merrill

11 points, 1 assist, 5 rebounds

Merrill’s inclusion in the starting lineup — in addition to Garland moving around considerably better — has opened up the offense. His off-ball movement is infectious, and his shooting gravity can’t be ignored. Merrill also held up well defensively.

The only issue was that this team needed him to make more shots than he did. Merrill went just 2-8 from three.

Grade: B-

Dean Wade

6 points, 2 assists, 4 rebounds

This was a typical Dean Wade game.

Grade: C

Evan Mobley

14 points, 3 assists, 9 rebounds

Mobley looked good physically in his return. He came off the bench for the first time in his career and was a positive contributor.

However, he got beat by Karl-Anthony Towns for an offensive rebound late that turned a two-point game into a four-point game with under 30 seconds left. Losing focus in that moment is inexcusable for the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. Plays like that simply can’t happen.

Grade: C

De’Andre Hunter

13 points, 2 assists, 3 rebounds

Hunter made some shots, but he was also on the court during some of the team’s worst stretches. He was a -7 for the afternoon which is the worst mark among Cavaliers who played 20 or more minutes.

Grade: C

Lonzo Ball

0 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound

This was the type of game and matchup that Ball was brought in to help with. Instead, he was mostly a non-factor and played under 14 minutes.

Grade: D-

Jaylon Tyson

16 points, 4 assists, 6 rebounds

The Cavs used Tyson as a screener when they blitzed their guards. He made the most of these advantages by consistently finding the open man and scoring in the midrange when given the opportunity to do so. This resulted in 11 third-quarter points on 5-6 shooting. Tyson singlehandedly made the Knicks change their defensive strategy in the fourth.

These are the exact things he will need to do if he’s going to be a playoff contributor. It was an incredibly encouraging game from Tyson.

Grade: A