The Cleveland Cavaliers shocked everyone when they blew out the Boston Celtics on Thursday night by a score of 118-94, and at the center of their strong performance was Evan Mobley. The talented big man helped the Cavs get off to a strong start, and his performance was so good that it even convinced Brian Windhorst to drastically change his opinion of him.
Prior to Game 1, Windhorst torched Mobley, saying he was tired of making excuses for his poor play on the court. Mobley responded by putting together one of the best playoff performances of his career (21 PTS, 10 REB, 5 AST, 9/15 FGM), and in the process, he made Windhorst believe that Cleveland could end up winning this series against Boston if he can continue to play at this high level.
Evan Mobley flashes his potential in Cavs Game 2 win
Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Mobley got going early for the Cavs in Game 2, as the Celtics simply couldn’t contain him in pick-and-roll actions. Combine that with his strong interior defense on the other end of the floor, and it’s clear that, aside from Donovan Mitchell, he was the most important player on the floor for Cleveland in this big win.
Brian Windhorst, and many fans for that matter, had begun to get irritated with Evan Mobley and his quiet nights, but he changed their tune with his big outing in Game 2. It’s gotten to the point where Windhorst, who was bashing Mobley just 24 hours ago, now believes Cleveland could have championship aspirations if he keeps playing like this.
Whether or not this production from Mobley is sustainable, especially against a juggernaut team like the C’s that is still expected to win the series, remains to be seen. However, with Kristaps Porzingis on the sidelines, Mobley is going to have advantageous matchups all series long, and after seeing how well he played in Game 2, the coaching staff would be wise to continue to try to find ways to get him involved in the team’s offense.
It’s also worth noting that Mobley could receive some help from his fellow big man Jarrett Allen, who is dealing with a rib injury that has held him out for the first two games of this series. Allen’s potential return could stunt Mobley’s production, but conversely allow Cleveland to play better as a team. Given how good Mobley was in Game 2, though, the team doesn’t necessarily have to rush Allen back if he isn’t fully healthy yet.
It’s crazy how fast things can change in the NBA, and Windhorst’s wishy-washy stance on Mobley and his potential have proven that in a rather unique way. Either way, Mobley has proven to be extremely important to the Cavs hopes of upsetting the Celtics in this series, and he will look to carry over the momentum from Game 2 when these two teams take the court on Saturday night in Cleveland at 8:30 PM EST.