The Cleveland Cavaliers (59-14) held on strong in the fourth, overcoming a stubborn San Antonio Spurs (31-41) squad to claim a 124-116 victory on March 28.
Cleveland Cavaliers Top Performers:
Donovan Mitchell 25 PTS | 8 REB | 14 AST | 60.6 FPS
Mitchell has been in an offensive slump lately, shooting nearly 30% from the field. His three-point shooting is even worse, almost dropping to 15% over his last nine games. But he broke out of his struggles tonight, recording his sixth 20-point performance this month and coming close to his first career triple-double. However, he has yet to find consistency in scoring while his all-around performance is likely an outlier. Additionally, he may sit out tomorrow’s game, so be sure to monitor his status.
Jarrett Allen 29 PTS | 15 REB | 1 BLK | 51.0 FPS
Allen wasn’t much of a factor in the first half, scoring just 2 points, but he turned things around completely after the break. He was nearly unstoppable, finishing 10-for-11 from the field and 9-for-11 from the free-throw line. After a tough offensive stretch with three subpar performances, his scoring has finally trended upward over the last three games. His rebounding was also much better today after being highly inconsistent for most of the month. While there’s a chance he’ll play in tomorrow’s game, it’s unlikely he’ll match this level of performance.
De’Andre Hunter 14 PTS | 7 REB | 2 STL | 31.4 FPS
Hunter may not have had his best shooting performance, but he still managed to record his fourth consecutive double-digit scoring game while also recording a full stat-line. While it’s unlikely he’ll repeat this level of play tomorrow, he’s expected to maintain a larger offensive role and should continue to be a solid contributor for points and rebounds.
Max Strus 18 PTS | 4 REB | 4 AST | 26.8 FPS
Strus has been quiet offensively over his last three games, but he bounced back today with an efficient performance, nearly reaching his second 20-point game of the month. With the team managing player workloads, he should continue to have an increased offensive role tomorrow and remain a key contributor.
Sam Merrill 13 PTS | 3 3PM | 1 BLK | 20.4 FPS
Merrill has snapped out of his shooting slump, scoring double-digit points in his last two games. With an expanded role, he should remain a valuable contributor for points and threes in tomorrow’s back-to-back game.
San Antonio Spurs Top Performers:
Stephon Castle 22 PTS | 11 REB | 8 AST | 47.2 FPS
Castle has remained a reliable offensive contributor, despite some inefficiencies across all shooting areas. He recently notched his eighth consecutive game with at least 15 points and his eighth game this month with 20+ points. He also delivered a strong all-around performance, coming close to recording his first career triple-double, though such high-level output has been more of an occasional thing.
Keldon Johnson 17 PTS | 10 REB | 2 STL | 34.0 FPS
Johnson has been one of the team’s primary offensive options, but his production has recently taken a noticeable dip due to ongoing struggles from the field and three. While he isn’t typically recognized for his contributions outside of scoring, he has had some strong rebounding efforts and solid defensive performances this month.
Devin Vassell 23 PTS | 3 REB | 4 AST | 32.6 FPS
Vassell has emerged as a major offensive force for the team, stepping up in the absence of several starters and thriving in his expanded role. His three-point shooting has been a major bright spot and has scored 20+ points in four straight games and has reached that mark in seven of his last ten outings. While he’s also capable of contributing across multiple areas, maintaining consistent production has been a challenge. Given the upcoming back-to-back games, it’s likely he could miss one, so it’s important to monitor his status.
Julian Champagnie 16 PTS | 3 3PM | 7 REB | 24.9 FPS
Champagnie has settled into a reliable bench role over his last three games, delivering a pair of strong scoring performances with efficient shooting across the board. He’s also providing modest value in rebounding, but he has yet to establish consistency in other aspects of his game. However, with the team heading into a back-to-back to close out the week, an expanded opportunity could give him a chance to prove he’s ready for a larger role.
Jeremy Sochan 13 PTS | 5 REB | 1 BLK | 24.0 FPS
Sochan’s production hasn’t been the same since moving to the bench. While he may have decent scoring and rebounding numbers today, he continues to struggle offensively, and his impact remains limited in other areas. That said, he’s a difficult option to roster due to the team’s inconsistent rotations.
Biggest Disappointment of the Game:
Darius Garland 10 PTS | 9 AST | 2 STL
DG has seen a downtick in his scoring recently, with two notably poor performances in his last three games. However, he’s managed to keep his overall production respectable with solid playmaking. That said, he’s likely to miss tomorrow’s game as part of a back-to-back.
