On the sidelines since December 6, with Darius Garland, Evan Mobley however, saw the Cavs gain momentum in his absence. When he was injured, the club was 7th in the East, with 12 wins and 9 losses.
Now, Cleveland is 5th, but could enter the Top 3 in the short term, with 28 wins for 16 losses. That's a record of 16 wins for 7 losses without its interior, including nine wins in the last ten games before this duel against the Clippers, one of the other teams in great form at the moment.
How would the return of Evan Mobley go, within a team which had found its rhythm without him, thanks to a style of play more geared towards the 3-pointer? Answer: pretty good.
“I didn’t feel too rusty” explains the 22-year-old playerauthor of 10 points and 9 rebounds in 21 minutes in his team's victory (118-108). “I gradually got back into the swing of things. I felt more and more comfortable. And that dunk, I think that’s what really got me going. »
A suffocating defense
His presence certainly reduces the 3-point threat, but the defense goes up another notch.
“Obviously the Clippers are a top offensive team, with weapons all over the court, that can beat you in different ways, but our guys did an incredible job facing this challenge.” appreciated JB Bickerstaff. “They didn’t give them anything easy. Every ball shot was complicated. The isolations were never one-on-one situations. There were always five players facing them. Our guys really embraced this challenge and really stepped up when necessary. »
Because the Clippers were still back at -4 (112-108) with 1min30 remaining. But the Cavaliers carried out the necessary actions to achieve another victory. As in the absence of Evan Mobley.
“It’s a tribute to our team, to JB (Bickerstaff) and everyone in the Cavs organization”concludes Jarrett Allen. “We have guys who are invested, who are ready to sacrifice for this team and who don't think it's just about themselves. Tonight, we showed that we were capable of playing the same basketball that allowed us to win these games, when everyone was absent. Congratulations to everyone. »
| Evan Mobley | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2021-22 | KEY | 69 | 34 | 50.8 | 25.0 | 66.3 | 2.1 | 6.2 | 8.3 | 2.5 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 15.0 |
| 2022-23 | KEY | 79 | 34 | 55.4 | 21.6 | 67.4 | 2.4 | 6.6 | 9.0 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 16.2 |
| 2023-24 | KEY | 21 | 34 | 57.3 | 20.0 | 76.9 | 2.7 | 7.8 | 10.5 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 0.8 | 2.3 | 1.7 | 16.0 |
| Total | 169 | 34 | 53.8 | 23.0 | 68.0 | 2.3 | 6.6 | 8.9 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 15.7 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
