“ First of all, I would like to take my hat off to Evan Mobley. » Donovan Mitchell didn't want to start his post-match interview without releasing a few words towards his teammate.
“ He really rose to the occasion. Being on the outside for a young player was a big performance that set the tone for us. Everyone did their job, but it started with Evan », develops the rear.
And it's true that the Cavs interior was the most visible to start this second round on the Celtics floor. We had to wait six minutes of play to see him convert his first basket, on an inside pass from Max Strus.
He shows his passing skills
This first dunk would free the 22-year-old. A nice supporting game before finishing with his left hand in front of Al Horford, a new dunk on a serve from Caris LeVert, a little inside shot, then a 3-point shot at the head of the racket: all this to finish the first quarter time.
“ He was dominant and that trickled down to everyone else. It was huge “, says Donovan Mitchell again, where his teammate reports having fed of what he had observed during the first match: “ I started to see how they defended on me, where I could score from. »
Author of 17 points and 13 rebounds in this first match, Evan Mobley also showed his qualities as a passer in this Game 2. On several occasions, we saw him find a teammate who was cutting the circle or in the transition game after lifting the ball.
From deterrence to the circle
“ He started us. He was great tonight. I've said it before, we're following in Evan's footsteps. He will continue to carry us. He was phenomenal on both ends of the court », Qualifies Max Strus.
Because in addition to being interesting in attack, he also gave a lot of effort in defense. The Celtics, deprived of Kristaps Porzingis, only shot 8/21 when he was the direct defender.
“ This is where it is at its best, continuing to protect the paint. Especially tonight, him defending on the ball carrier and being able to deter them from making layups and other shots, it's not easy to attack Ev like that. He is one of the best rim protectors in our league », says JB Bickerstaff, whose interior is the second blocker in these playoffs (nearly two per match).
Last night, he set a new playoff record with 21 points (9/15 on shots), in addition to 10 rebounds and 5 assists, and a +35 when he was in play. He even became the most Cavs player since LeBron James to finish with at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists in a playoff game. The kind of performance that would almost make you forget that Jarrett Allen was on the sidelines again…
| 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 | 50 | 31 | 58.0 | 37.3 | 71.9 | 2.2 | 7.1 | 9.4 | 3.2 | 2.7 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 15.7 |
| Total | 198 | 33 | 54.4 | 26.5 | 68.1 | 2.2 | 6.6 | 8.8 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 15.6 | |
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.
