Cleveland won in a blowout over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Donovan Mitchell’s heroics in the fourth quarter and overtime brought them home.
This was always going to be a tough test for the Cavs. Minnesota went 3-0 tonight with a revamped offense that was anchored by one of the most electric runners in the league. LaMelo Ball showed his influence right away, showing an alley oop from the top of the three-point line to cut Jonathan Kuminga.
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Rookie Meleek Thomas made his NBA debut and scored his first career points by diving for a layup behind the Minnesota basket. He followed this up with a pair of triple catches and a strong defensive layup in which he forced LaMelo Ball into an uncomfortable trip.
Thomas led the Cavs in scoring in the first half with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting. Donovan Mitchell is right behind him with 9 points.
Cleveland found themselves trailing by double digits at halftime as Anthony Edwards trailed them for 20 points.
It was a slow start for James Harden, who started the game 1-for-7 and couldn’t find his rhythm. But he broke into life in the middle, fueled Cleveland’s possession and put them in the lead with an extra effort on the offensive glass.
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Peyton Watson also found his stride as the Cavs tried to get going as a creator in this game. He carried the ball up the court throughout the second and third quarters, apparently shaking Jitters and lifting him up in anticipation.
The last quarter was the latter. Edwards continued to make big shots as the Cavs struggled to contain him in key actions. Mitchell responded with buckets of his own, as Mobley buried a pair of halftime three-pointers to keep the Cavs in contention.
A layup by Harden tied the game at 113, and a block by Watson saved Edwards to send the game into overtime.
Mobley opened the extra period with his third three-pointer of the game, while Jaden McDaniels fouled and the Cavs were awarded a free-throw technical.
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Mitchell then swung around to convert a smart layup and layup over Rudy Gobert to extend Cleveland’s lead to three. Edwards erased that with a three-pointer, before Mitchell responded with a layup of his own to restore the lead.
It was a dominant battle between two of the best teams in the league. Edwards finished with 47 points while Mitchell scored 12 of his 26 points in the fourth and overtime.