Cavs’ Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen drop truth bombs after Thunder battle

The Cleveland Cavaliers got a statement win against the Oklahoma City Thunder in a matchup that showcased the best teams in their respective conference. It was a battle of the bigs that changed the game for the Cavs, as Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen showed their dominance on both sides of the ball. Mobley finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists, while Allen finished with 25 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists.

After the game, both big men gave each other props, and Allen had high praise for Mobley’s evolution.

“Me and [Jarrett] are – I feel like the 2 best bigs in the league at protecting the paint,” Mobley said.

“They finally learned who Evan Mobley is and they still have a lot more to learn,” Allen said. “He was doing everything for us. On the defensive end, he was getting stops, on the offensive end we literally just drew up a play, gave him the ball, and said ‘Go to work,’ and he got us a big bucket at the end.”

Mobley was then asked if he feels like a star player.

“Yeah, definitely starting to feel like that,” Mobley said. “Just all the hard work is paying off. I’ve been in the gym these past two years and just trying to work on my offensive game, keeping my defensive game at the same level, and I feel like all the hard work is paying off.”

Cavs defeat Thunder in battle of the best records

The Cavs and Thunder matchup was the game of the night, as both teams came into the contest with long winning streaks. The Cavs had been dominating with their play on offense, which comes from the paint and the perimeter, while the Thunder have been led by the star power of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. In the end, it was the Cavs that took home the victory.

After the game, Darius Garland made an All-Star pitch for not just himself, but for his other teammates as well.

“I’ve been trying to be as humble as possible, but yeah, I should be an All-Star. Yes. There should be four of us on this team that’s All-Stars,” Garland said via Cavs reporter Danny Cunningham.

The Cavs are playing some of the best basketball in the league this season, and a win like that should prove some of the doubters wrong who don’t believe what they’re doing is real. It wouldn’t be a surprise if these two teams saw each other again down the line in the NBA Finals.