CLE 115, TOR 105: James Harden Absolutely Cooks for 59 ESPN FP
Kwame Asante
Junior Accountant ยท Oklahoma City Thunder fan
Cavs Edge Out Raptors in Tight Battle, But It's Harden and Mitchell's Show in Cleveland
115-105 was the final, and honestly, this game lived up to the scoreline. Close, gritty, and decided by two guys who simply had better nights than anyone else on the floor. Cleveland takes the W, but the real story here is James Harden and Donovan Mitchell reminding everyone why they're All-NBA selections, while some Raptors role players absolutely went off in a losing effort.
| Player | ESPN FP | Yahoo FP | Tonight | Season Avg | +/- Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Harden | 59.0 | 53.0 | 28/5/4 | 23.6/4.8/8.0 | +4.4 |
| Donovan Mitchell | 55.0 | 47.9 | 30/7/5 | 27.9/4.5/5.7 | +2.1 |
| Scottie Barnes | 47.0 | 43.3 | 26/4/5 | 18.1/7.5/5.9 | +7.9 |
| Evan Mobley | 48.0 | 39.6 | 25/8/2 | 18.2/9.0/3.6 | +6.8 |
| RJ Barrett | 40.0 | 36.3 | 22/9/5 | 19.3/5.3/3.3 | +2.7 |
| Collin Murray-Boyles | 33.0 | 31.9 | 17/7/1 | 8.5/5.0/1.9 | +8.5 |
| Jarrett Allen | 35.0 | 30.1 | 10/3/1 | 15.4/8.5/1.8 | -5.4 |
| Sandro Mamukelashvili | 28.0 | 28.0 | 12/10/2 | 11.2/4.9/1.9 | +0.8 |
| Ja'Kobe Walter | 23.0 | 18.7 | 14/1/1 | 7.5/2.6/1.2 | +6.5 |
| Jamal Shead | 18.0 | 18.6 | 3/3/4 | 6.6/1.7/5.4 | -3.6 |
The Cavs Did What They Needed To Do
Look, James Harden (reigning All-NBA) put up 28 points on 9-14 shooting with 7-10 from the free throw line. That's efficient as hell. He didn't pad stats, he just got buckets when the Cavs needed them. The +4.4 points vs his season average isn't massive, but it was timely. He ran the offense, hit his spots, and moved the ball (5 assists on the night). This is exactly what you want from your primary ball handler in a close game.
But Donovan Mitchell, man. 30 points on 13-23 shooting, including 4 threes. Mitchell was All-NBA First Team last season, and nights like this show why. He's the kind of guy who takes over when it matters. The +2.1 vs his season average is honestly underselling it because he carried the load when it mattered most. Both Cavs guards showed up when it counted.
Evan Mobley was the real standout though. The DPOY winner went off for 25/8 on 11-13 shooting. That's +6.8 pts over his season average, and most importantly, it came on elite efficiency. He finished in 33 minutes, which means he wasn't grinding heavy minutes either. Mobley's the kind of player who doesn't always show up in the stat sheet flashily, but when he gets going offensively like this, it's genuinely valuable. He's a top-20 fantasy asset, and performances like this remind you why.
Here's Where It Got Weird for Toronto
Scottie Barnes led the Raptors with a team-high 43.3 Yahoo points. 26/4/5 on 11-19 shooting, 39 minutes. That's +7.9 pts over his season average. This is the kind of game where you'd normally say "sell high," but Barnes is the one player on this Raptors roster you have to build around. He was excellent, and it wasn't enough.
RJ Barrett put up solid volume and actually outperformed his season average by +2.7, with 22 points and 9 rebounds. He was efficient (10-13 FG) and added 5 assists. That's real production.
Now here's the thing: Collin Murray-Boyles had an absolutely ridiculous game. 17/7 on 6-10 shooting with 5-6 from the free throw line in just 25 minutes. That's +8.5 pts over his season average of 8.5 ppg. He was basically a steal off the bench, but let's be real, this feels like a one-off performance from a depth piece. Don't go all-in on adding him to your rotation based on one game where he got minutes because the Raptors were chasing a score. His season average is 8.5 ppg in 20 minutes per game. Tonight he got more runway and made it count, but this isn't repeatable.
Ja'Kobe Walter also went off, 14/1/1 on 5-9 with 3 threes in 27 minutes, +6.5 vs his season average. Another case of a young player getting opportunities and capitalizing. Similar vibe to Murray-Boyles, though Walter's at least been showing more consistency season-long at 7.5 ppg.
The Bust You Need to Know About
Jarrett Allen got 25 minutes and put up only 10/3 on 4-6 shooting. That's -5.4 pts below his season average of 15.4 ppg and 8.5 rpg. He got blocked out of the paint a bit, especially with Mobley going off, and it cost him. Allen owners are already dropping him slightly (ownership down 0.4%), so keep an eye on his workload. The Cavs might ease him back into rhythm if Mobley's going to pop off like this, or it could've just been an off night. Worth monitoring.
Brandon Ingram was absolutely cooked for the Raptors. 7/4/3 on 3-15 shooting in 35 minutes. That's -14.5 pts below his season average of 21.5 ppg. He got played off the floor defensively and couldn't find his rhythm. This is a red flag if you're holding him. One game doesn't end a season, but getting abused for 35 minutes is worth noting.
What You Actually Do
If you're in a standard league and you're holding Jarrett Allen, don't panic sell, but definitely have an exit strategy. His volume took a hit here, and with Mobley playing like an MVP candidate, the touches might be in question.
Scottie Barnes proved again he's the engine Toronto needs to run. Keep him locked in your lineup, no matter what the score was.
On the waiver front, don't go crazy adding Murray-Boyles or Walter off one good game. They got minutes because the game script called for it, not because they're suddenly fantasy gold. Your league will tell you to grab them, but wait for consistency first.
Brandon Ingram concerns me if this becomes a pattern, but one dud doesn't erase his season. Check the next game's box score before making moves.
The Cavs are the better team, and they proved it with their best players stepping up. That's the story here, not the Toronto role players who got hot in a losing effort.