CLE 138, DAL 105: Mitchell Paces Blowout Win
Jake Morrison
Computer Science Student · Dallas Mavericks fan
Cavs Rolled Into Dallas and Left With a 33-Point Statement
This wasn't a game. This was a statement. The Cavaliers came into the Mavericks house yesterday and turned it into a clinic, winning 138-105 like they were playing a different sport. As a Mavs fan, I gotta say it stung to watch, but the fantasy lessons here are crystal clear.
Top Performers
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donovan Mitchell | 53.0 | 42.4 | 24/2/8 | 28.2/4.5/5.8 | -4.2 |
| Evan Mobley | 47.0 | 41.4 | 29/7/2 | 17.9/8.7/3.6 | +11.1 |
| James Harden | 38.0 | 34.9 | 17/7/7 | 24.2/4.9/8.1 | -7.2 |
| Cooper Flagg | 34.0 | 34.3 | 25/4/5 | 20.0/6.6/4.3 | +5.0 |
| Dwight Powell | 35.0 | 32.2 | 11/11/2 | 3.3/3.8/0.9 | +7.7 |
| Naji Marshall | 31.0 | 30.9 | 17/7/3 | 14.9/4.8/3.1 | +2.1 |
| Thomas Bryant | 35.0 | 27.8 | 11/4/0 | 5.8/3.1/0.6 | +5.2 |
| Keon Ellis | 32.0 | 26.1 | 13/3/1 | 6.2/1.7/0.8 | +6.8 |
| Dennis Schröder | 29.0 | 26.0 | 8/5/6 | 11.7/2.8/5.0 | -3.7 |
| Ryan Nembhard | 29.0 | 25.3 | 8/4/9 | 6.2/1.8/4.7 | +1.8 |
The Cavs' Trio Went Nuclear (But Not All Equal)
Evan Mobley was the real story here, not Donovan Mitchell. Yeah, Mitchell dropped 24/2/8 on 11-16 shooting for 42.4 Yahoo points, which looks insane on the surface. But he was actually slightly down on his season average in scoring, which tells you everything about how easily this game unfolded. When you're blowing someone out by 33 and your star guard doesn't even need to hunt, that's a good sign of team dominance but a red flag for Mitchell ceiling nights.
Mobley though? He went absolutely nuclear. 29 points, 7 boards, 12-15 from the field in just 23 minutes. He's the reigning DPOY and he was +11.1 from his season scoring average. That's not a blowout cushion, that's a monster individual performance. If you have Mobley, you're eating tonight. The dude was efficient beyond belief and was in and out because the game was already decided by halftime.
James Harden put up decent numbers (17/7/7) but was -7.2 from his season average, which fits the narrative. When your team is cruising, the ball moves around and the scoring gets diluted. Harden was fine but not special.
The Dwight Powell Redemption Arc Continues
This is the waiver wire move nobody saw coming. Dwight Powell went 4-5 from the field for 11 points and 11 boards in 20 minutes. That's 32.2 Yahoo points. For context, his season average is 3.3 points and 3.8 rebounds. He went +7.7 in points and +7.2 in boards. He just quadrupled his seasonal output.
Look, I don't think Powell is some fantasy god now. But he's getting real run off the bench and he's been hitting. The Mavs have him rostered for a reason. If you can grab him in a 12-team league, he's a lottery ticket worth taking right now. He's only 6.1% owned according to ESPN, which is wild for someone putting up 32 Yahoo points in a game.
Cooper Flagg Stayed Solid (As Expected)
Cooper Flagg went 25/4/5 with perfect free throw shooting (8-8) for 34.3 Yahoo points. He met his season average in scoring (+5.0) which is actually respectable considering his team got demolished. The kid is a pro even in blowouts. He didn't choke or get garbage time minutes. He just played basketball.
This is the thing about Flagg: he's consistent. Not flashy, but reliable. 20+ points, solid efficiency, does his job. That's what you're getting with him, and that's enough.
The Deep Bench Showed Out
Thomas Bryant and Keon Ellis from Cleveland both had massive nights off the bench. Bryant was 11/4 with 2 blocks in limited run, Ellis went 13/3/1 with 2 steals. These are bench guys who ate because the game got out of hand early. Don't go adding them expecting this to repeat. But it's a reminder that blowouts create weird fantasy value from deep rotations.
Naji Marshall and Ryan Nembhard kept the Mavs respectable with solid contributions. Marshall was 17/7/3 (quiet double double), Nembhard ran the offense with 9 assists on a bad night. They weren't the problem. The whole thing was the problem.
The Real Takeaway
The Cavaliers are legit. When they can roll out a lineup that has Mobley going nuclear, Mitchell playing his game, and role guys like Bryant stepping up, they're beating anyone not named the Celtics or Nuggets. For fantasy purposes, Mobley is officially on the "if you're trading for someone, maybe target him" list. He's putting up All-NBA numbers efficiently.
For the Mavs, this is ugly, but it's one game. Flagg and Marshall did their thing. Powell is worth monitoring. The team got smoked but the fantasy contributors didn't embarrass themselves, which is something.
Drop Jarrett Allen if you have him and he wasn't playing (he went 0 minutes). That's a -15.3 in season scoring. He'll get right eventually, but tonight wasn't it.