It was an exciting contest between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards at Rocket Arena last night. The end result, after some exciting back-and-forth, was the third straight win for the Wine & Golders. They have been able to close out the last couple of games after failing to do so on opening night.

There was a bit of panic, and even a piece about the worst starts in franchise history. But as things continue to turn, let’s talk about last night’s hero. The one who stole the show.

It was not a dominant game by any standard, but it was impressive on both ends.

Evan Mobley, take a bow.

Evan Mobley Outperforms Anthony Davis

Evan Mobley didn’t need too much time to get going last night. Most impressive though was his patience. Anthony Davis has long been an elite defensive player in this league, and has impacted shots and passing lanes alike. Correcting yesterday’s piece by stating he’s not won a DPOY (but has been very close), he is a force.

Mobley picked his spots wisely, getting to the cup for a few lob jams, and knocking down five (count them) five threes. He went 5-6 from 3PT and officially has the best two-game stretch of his career hitting shots from distance. It was expected that he may improve the shot coming in, but to see it at this level, and with the rhythm and confidence, the situations never too big, is very significant.

The most notable stretch came when Mobley went back-to-back possessions in the fourth quarter with triples. This helped Cleveland extend to a multi-possession lead for the first time all have.

Mobley also grabbed 12 rebounds to go with 24 points in his 32 minutes of action. He held Davis to just five of them. The Brow also had just 18 points on 8-18 FG, as they were able to successfully limit the impact he had on the game. #4 deserves much of the credit for that. Not an easy player to slow, even at this point in his career.

This is a huge moral victory from Mobley, who again, showed up time and time again whenever they needed him to on each end. He even knocked down a pair of free throws to help shut the door, a nice sight after he struggled at the stripe against the Wolves. It’s the third straight double-double for Cleveland’s big man, who is hoping to follow it up against the Hawks tonight.

Next On The Calendar

The Atlanta Hawks do indeed wait for the Cavs now. They have surprisingly dropped three games in a row after the 2-0 start, but remain a very dangerous bunch. Mobley may have his hands full with Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu. Look for Peyton Watson to provide some much-needed perimeter help. 

Cleveland is suddenly looking for a fourth win in a row, with the Bucks looming for Saturday.