This is the kind of basketball the Cleveland Cavaliers should be expected to play.

Of course, not to this level of success, however, because shooting this well feels more like luck than skill in a game.

A ton of great playmaking and lights-out shooting as the Cavs had 41 assists on 52 made shots, with 20 of them being from beyond the three-point line.

Held Onto A Lead

It was still scary early in Halloween, as the Cavs struggled in the first quarter and were down 26-25 at the end of the quarter. However, they then went on to score 48 points in the second quarter and followed it up with 37 points in the third quarter.

That is the basketball that should be played when you are up with a major lead. Cleveland did not slow the game down and try to keep guys rested; they all stayed in and continued to play that high-level basketball that gave them a 25-point win.

Knowing that they are going into one of the more difficult stretches on their schedule certainly makes this blowout an even better win. Building momentum within the team and confidence in the bigs.

Bigs Went In, Backcourt Stepped Back

What made this game the blowout it was is that James Harden and Donovan Mitchell really took a backseat to the big men in this game. Harden and Mitchell combined for 28 points on 9-15 shooting.

They didn’t necessarily play poorly; instead, they made plays that got Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen the ball to score. Doing so, the two combined for 52 and went 23-for-32 from the field.

Evan Mobley once again was hitting a ton of three-pointers, and Jarrett Allen was an absolute beast at the basket. 24 of his 25 points were within the paint. Playing with these two has been what people have been asking for after multiple blown leads this season. After finally playing their game, they did not blow the lead.

Meleek Thomas Continues Strong Start

A big moment for Meleek Thomas tonight as he was the first player off the bench alongside Sam Merrill tonight. Once again showing the level of trust and confidence that Kenny Atkinson has in him.

He came in to be that third ball handler behind Mitchell and Harden. Thomas scored 10 points tonight and took a good number of shots, but he is showing no fear while on the court. There were multiple plays where he took on Tyler Herro on defense and shut him down.

Sam Merrill was struggling with his shot tonight, and he picked up for that and made those three-pointers while Merrill took care of the ball as a slasher.

Now the Cavaliers head back home to host the very injured Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.