Here are the top performers on May 18 and the stats to highlight their impact.
BEST PLAYER OF THE DAY:
Evan Mobley CLE PF 21 PTS | 12 REB | 6 AST | 54.4 FPS
Throughout this matchup, Mobley was undeniably one of the most consistent players, averaging 15.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.6 steals and 2.7 blocks across seven games. The only problem for him was his efficiency from three-point range and at the free-throw line. Regardless, he should continue to play at a high level on both ends of the court against the Knicks.
BREAKOUT:
Sam Merrill CLE SG 23 PTS | 2 AST | 1 STL | 28.2 FPS
Despite struggling for much of the series, Merrill has come through when it mattered most, hitting five threes for his best scoring game of the playoffs. His three-point shooting will surely make a big difference as they go up against the Knicks in the next round. However, it will be far from easy with the team boasting many elite perimeter defenders.
SLEEPER:
Caris LeVert DET SG 11 PTS | 2 REB | 2 AST | 18.4 FPS
Despite dealing with a heel injury for most of the series, LeVert has managed to provide a solid offensive impact. In fact, he had an outstanding performance in Game 4, posting a season-high 24 points, and he continued that form in his last two games, hitting two threes in each while also contributing in other areas. While he has mostly made only a modest impact this year, he has still emerged as one of the team’s key contributors.
ELITE ASSET:
Donovan Mitchell CLE SG 26 PTS | 8 REB | 6 AST | 51.2 FPS
Offensively, his performance today wasn’t as strong as it was in the earlier games. Still, he did enough to record one of his best overall performances of the matchup. He continued to be reliable on the scoring end, leading all players in scoring today and posting at least 20 points for the sixth time in seven games. However, he was at his best as a playmaker, finishing with a playoff-high in assists while committing zero turnovers to lead the Cavs to their first conference finals appearance since 2018, LeBron James’ final season with the team.
CATEGORY SPECIALIST:
Daniss Jenkins DET PG 17 PTS | 3 REB | 5 AST | 27.1 FPS
Jenkins started over the team’s last three games and stepped up in a huge way offensively, scoring at least 15 points in each of those games. Overall, it has been a really solid year for the sophomore guard, as he has stepped up amidst the injuries. With that, he should have made a strong case to be a key part of the team going forward.
PLAYER TO WATCH:
Jarrett Allen CLE C 23 PTS | 7 REB | 1 BLK | 36.9 FPS
Since scoring just 2 points in Game 1 of this matchup, Allen has elevated his play offensively, averaging 16.8 points on 66.7% shooting from the field across six games. Today, however, he was even better, setting a new playoff-high in scoring. While consistency continues to be an issue for the big man, the Cavs should be much tougher to beat if he maintains a steady double-double production against the Knicks.
STREAMER:
Max Strus CLE SF 9 PTS | 3 REB | 3 STL | 24.6 FPS
It wasn’t his best performance, but Strus still made a major impact on both sides of the court. Despite going just 1-for-5 from deep, he still finished with one of his best scoring outputs of the series. Defensively, however, he made his mark, leading all players in steals. While he’s mainly an offensive threat, he has also shown that he can contribute in other areas, something they will need against the Knicks.
FLOPPER:
Cade Cunningham DET PG 13 PTS | 4 REB | 5 AST | 28.3 FPS
For the majority of the playoffs, Cunningham has come through on the scoring end, leading all players in total points. Unfortunately, he failed to deliver in the most important time. Though he’s been on fire from three-point range, averaging 5.5 made threes in recent games, it was the complete opposite today, as he went 0-for-7 and posted his worst scoring performance of the playoffs. Despite how the season ended, he has had an incredible year and has more than established himself as one of the league’s brightest young stars.
