NBA Notebook: Evan Mobley is the Cavs' only hope to upsetting Celtics in playoffs

Evan Mobley spoke softly about believing in himself after keying the Cavaliers' 28-18 closing run over the biggest comeback win any team achieved over the Celtics this season. He ran the floor at the start of the quarter following his own defensive rebounds to drain a three and hook shot in the post, tying the game at 100. Breaking the tie two minutes later with another three, Mobley grabbed offensive rebounds on the next three possessions, only one leading to points, but the Cavs secured a five-point edge they wouldn't fully concede for the rest of the game. After he addressed his confidence following the win in the locker room, Donovan Mitchell broke into the scrum and shouted out who he called a top five player in the world. 

"Evan Mobley said he was gonna be one of the best players in the world," Mitchell said moments earlier. "He showed it in that fourth quarter. The biggest thing now is consistency. Can we do that for 48 minutes?" 

Mitchell acknowledged everything that could go wrong for the Cavs did during the 25-3 Celtics run that opened the game. Ty Jerome, deadline addition De'Andre Hunter and small ball quickly turned the game around after that. Cleveland pulled within one possession less than five minutes into the second quarter, and while Kenny Atkinson went small again for several minutes in crunch time, pulling both Mobley and Jarrett Allen off the floor, Mobley's stretch at center to open the final frame solidified the Cavs' 123-116 win and inspired confidence that Cleveland can legitimately challenge Boston in a potential playoff series. Mobley finished with 17 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and one block.

Mobley would fall far down the list of most exciting players in a Cavs-Celtics East finals. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 83 points on Friday, the duo's most ever. Mitchell and Darius Garland fought back with 61, Mitchell throwing down an unimaginable dunk for someone his size and Garland pouring in floaters as effectively as few others in the league. Even Allen, his fellow center, plays with more flash and power than Mobley, while the latter has struggled immensely against Boston in his career, particularly when guarded by Al Horford. Mobley's 13.6 career PPG are his fewest against any team except the Suns, and he shot 45.9% from the field and 20.7% from three through 11 games. Yet Atkinson, praising Tatum's performance as one of the best shot-making efforts he's seen, compared the way some might underrate Tatum based on his demeanor to Mobley's personality. 

"They don't talk trash," Atkinson said. "They don't celebrate themselves. They don't make grand gestures when they make buckets. They're just great players, humble players." 

In a playoff series last May that Joe Mazzulla has carefully acknowledged didn't feature the Cavs at full strength, missing Allen for its entirety and Mitchell for the final two games. The Celtics had, behind the scenes, identified Cleveland as their potential greatest threat in the East statistically. Mobley's breakthrough became the Cavs' morale victory. He posted double-doubles in both games at Boston, stealing a win in Game 2 with 21 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. With Cleveland trailing 3-1, and ravaged by injuries, Mobley poured 33 points on the Celtics to keep the Cavs in the game, tying his previous season high from a game in October. The Celtics didn't mind it. If Mobley kept shooting inside, Boston would win the three-point battle, and largely rode that to a series win in five games. Cleveland fired head coach JB Bickerstaff after the loss. 

Enter Atkinson. With the same roster in place following offseason uncertainty, he revamped the offense not by forcing up more threes, the Cavs' best bet during the previous season, but by embracing a movement and cutting-based scheme that utilized Mobley's strengths. The big man has increased his shooting output, attempting 2.9 threes per game, compared to 1.2 in 2024, while maintaining a 36.8% three-point efficiency. More often, nearly 10 times per game, he's cutting, posting and rolling, positioning himself as a playmaker and creating spacing in a different manner than most teams that spread as many players out as possible. It allowed Mobley and Allen's on-court relationship to evolve. 

"There is a philosophy, there are shared principles," Atkinson said earlier this year. "I just always believed cutting, from the time I was with Rick Adelman in Houston way back, he always preached cutting and how cutting opened up space. I think there was a time in the NBA where it was like, if you cut, you're gonna mess with the spacing. I kind of get that, but also when you cut, you open up a vacuum for driving lanes ... They're all connected. the timing, the ball-handler and what direction we're driving in indicates how we're gonna cut, and what alignment we're in ... there's a lot that goes into it. We've built it since training camp ... I'm on the guys constantly about cutting ... it's not easy to get guys to cut, because sometimes they don't see the value. Especially if they don't get the ball, but they have to understand it's a selfless act. You cut, you open up space."

The system benefited Mobley most, who took the ball up often through the Cavs' 15-0 start, one of the best in league history. They lost their first game in Boston, Cleveland's similar comeback attempt to Friday's falling three points short. Mobley finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, one steal and a block in the loss. The Cavs lacked consistent wing contributors in that game and others, but as the season progressed, Jerome's emergence as a volume bench scorer and facilitator, Isaac Okoro's prowess for cutting and defending along with Dean Wade's size and shooting gave Cleveland options. Mitchell led a comeback win at home in the fourth quarter in their second meeting before Boston took the third game in a rock fight. With Max Strus back after a long ankle injury recovery to begin the season, the Cavs still pursued and acquired De'Andre Hunter in an aggressive move before the trade deadline. 

That depth at forward, worlds from where they stood two years ago in being able to match up with Boston and the east's other wing stars, gave Atkinson lineup flexibility beyond what he could've imagined previously late in Friday's win. The Cavs rotated through five lineups in the final six minutes, went without Mobley and Allen for more than five minutes, then inserted Mobley for the final two minutes with his efforts earlier in the quarter already cementing the lead. He's more of a big man despite playing most of his minutes at the four. He's not a wing scorer the way Brown, Tatum and other stars in the east play on the perimeter. He's not the Cavs' best player. But for Cleveland to defeat the Celtics and win the east this fall, Mobley ascending to a superstar in his own way, moving, rebounding, cutting and playing like the defensive player of the year on the other end, is the straightest path to the Cavaliers having enough depth, firepower and a unique take on how to match up with the defending champs.

"That's the biggest thing. When you have belief in yourself, you feel like you can do anything," Mobley said. "So every game, even from this slow start, just believing in myself the entire game and eventually things started falling. I believe that's the biggest factor in getting to where you want to get to ... the main thing is just guarding your yard ... not get into too many rotations, because they can definitely knock down the three ball. That's a big factor for them. Through these four games, I feel like we did a pretty good job of that and we can't wait to see them again." 

Here's what else happened around the NBA this week...

Boston (42-18): Squandered a 20-point lead for the first time this season in a loss to the Cavs that effectively knocked them out of the No. 1 seed race, 7.5 games back with 22 games remaining. Kristaps Porziņģis (illness) missed his second game this week while Jrue Holiday returned to the injury report with a right mallet finger ailment that Joe Mazzulla said will leave him day-to-day. Mallet finger either requires playing with a splint or potential surgery. The setbacks followed a 20-point loss at Detroit filled with Celtics turnovers that carried into Friday. Jayson Tatum continued his eight-game tear on Friday, pouring 46 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists on the Cavs in 41 minutes on 19-for-37 shooting alongside three blocks. Kenny Atkinson called it one of the best shot-making games he'd seen. Tatum fell one stat point short of a triple-double for the second time this week, beating up the Knicks on Sunday to stay 2.5 games ahead of New York for the No. 2 seed. They clinched the season series and own the tiebreaker over the Knicks. Tatum moved into third in the NBA MVP ladder. 

Cleveland (49-10): Won their ninth straight game to tie the season series with the Celtics and effectively secure the east's top seed for the first time since their 2016 championship season. Donovan Mitchell led the Cavs' 22-point comeback with 41 points to move into first all-time ahead of Michael Jordan with 30.8 career points per game against the Celtics. Evan Mobley scored 11 points in the fourth quarter with four offensive rebounds to draw massive praise from Mitchell as a top-five player. It marked the first game this season with Dean Wade and De'Andre Hunter available alongside their array of other wings against the Celtics. Cleveland narrowly won the collective scoring across the four games, 460-459. They remain on a 68-win pace. Javonte Green, who did not play on Friday, told Boston Sports Journal before the game that he thought his career was over when he suffered a bone bruise in 2023 that landed him in the G-League the following year. The Pelicans signed him this fall before waiving him in February. The Celtics did not reach out to him in free agency, he said. He averaged 5.8 PPG and 3.6 RPG with New Orleans on 44.6% shooting (35.2% 3PT) and scored four points in his Cleveland debut this week. ESPN profiled just how close the Cavs came to breaking up Darius Garland and Mitchell prior to this season. 

Dallas (32-28)/Lakers (37-21): Week three of the Luka Dončić trade fallout began with Dončić defeating his former team with 19 points, 15 rebounds, 12 assists, three steals and two blocks in Los Angeles. Nico Harrison attended the game while a visibly emotional Dončić was animated throughout the game. Dončić added 21 against the Wolves and 31 to down the Clippers in a close back-to-back game that vaulted the Lakers into fourth in the west, winners of five straight and 17-of-21. Dončić is averaging 21.0 PPG, 8.6 RPG and 6.4 APG on 37.3% shooting (24.1% 3PT), JJ Redick expressing confidence that Dončić will shoot himself out of his slump. In the meantime, he's adding 1.7 SPG on defense. Anthony Davis, who's still out following an adductor injury in his debut, said he had no idea he'd be traded to Dallas and called LeBron James immediately after hearing the news, not believing nobody knew. He attended Mavericks-Lakers and received a video tribute and ovation from the crowd for his six years and championship effort. Lakers fans also chanted thank you Harrison. The Athletic revealed that Dončić's weight and taste for beer and smoking hookah, in part, motivated Dallas to trade him before his decline. Austin Reaves injured his right calf in Friday's win and will undergo an MRI this weekend. 

"The front office has to do what it has to do and obviously they're going to do what's best for the organization," Davis told the LA Times. "So I don't know if I ever got the 'real' about any of it. I don't know what's true or what's not, coming from upstairs. So, my thing is I'm gonna go to my counterpart who I've been running with and see what's going on, get his reaction and that's all it was. We had a conversation. That was it. Everybody's saying nobody knew and all this other shit. I just don't believe it. But, hey man, I'm past that. I'm ready to move forward with Dallas, try to get a championship there with these guys. First off, getting back on the floor and get ready to compete. All the emotions, that shit lasted that night when it was just a shock."

Denver (39-21): Their nine-game win streak ended with a rare loss in blowout fashion to the Lakers before the Bucks beat them later in the week around Denver's wins over Indiana and Detroit. Sunday's 1 p.m. game in Boston will mark Nikola Jokić's first game against the Celtics this season after he missed Boston's win at Denver with an illness. He averaged 27.3 PPG, 12.3 RPG and 11.6 APG on 61% shooting in February, though his league-leading three point shooting from earlier in the season declined to 33.3% across those 12 games. Jamal Murray returned to form last month, posting 24.7 PPG and 5.6 APG on 52.6% shooting (51.9% 3PT). When he plays at that level, they're back in the championship conversation. Michael Porter Jr. shot 42.2% from deep in February, but Russell Westbrook slid to 34.5% FG (30% 3PT). Aaron Gordon (ankle) missed Friday's win at Detroit and Peyton Watson (knee) remains out. 

Detroit (33-26): Earned their first eight-game win streak since 2008 and broke a 12-game losing streak to the Celtics on Wednesday in Detroit, one of the team's most anticipated games in years. Cade Cunningham scored 21 points with 11 assists in a slow-shooting night while Malik Beasley posted 26 on 10-of-15, shimmying after each late make. Ausar Thompson forced four steals in the opening frame, stonewalling Jayson Tatum when the Celtics star tried to go at him in the opening possessions. The Pistons are 15-9 since he moved to the starting lineup, where he's averaged 10.8 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 2.7 APG and 2.3 SPG on 59% shooting despite not having a three-pointer. Detroit moved into a tie briefly for fifth in the east before falling 1.0 game behind Milwaukee and Indiana with its loss to Denver. They're 4.0 games above the play-in line. 

Golden State (32-27): Steph Curry placed a new performance among his iconic games with 56 points highlighted by a half-court pull-up that the Warriors needed all of them to beat the Magic and move to 7-1 since Jimmy Butler joined at the trade deadline. Curry made 12 threes on 19 attempts, shooting 42.7% from deep on 12.9 attempts per game since Butler joined the lineup. Butler struggled in the win, but Quenten Post shot 7-of-9 with 18 points as his acclimation to the Warriors' rotation continued to yield positive results after Golden State drafted him 52nd overall out of Boston College. Post is averaging 9.2 PPG on 49.1% FG (43.1% 3PT) since he played the closing stretch of the Warriors' 40-point home loss to the Celtics on Jan. 20. Golden State tied the Clippers for the 6th seed, moving 0.5 games ahead of the Mavs, but only 1.0 game above No. 9 Minnesota. 

Minnesota (32-29): Anthony Edwards received a one-game suspension for receiving his 16th technical foul during his ejection from the Wolves' loss to the Lakers, trailing by 15 points in the second half. The Wolves lost to the Jazz, 117-116, without Edwards despite Naz Reid's 27 points. Rudy Gobert (back) missed a sixth straight night while Julius Randle (groin) is close to returning, Chris Finch said this week. Randle has missed the last 13 Minnesota games, over which the Wolves are 5-8. Edwards' ejection marked a rare one for Brett Barnaky. 

New York (39-20): Forced Ja Morant to miss a potential game-winner at the buzzer inside as the Knicks escaped Memphis with their second straight win since losing badly to the Celtics in Boston on Sunday and raising concerns about their ability to contend with top teams. The Grizzlies aren't the Celtics, Cavs and Thunder, but they're probably the next team in that hierarchy alongside Denver based on record. Mitchell Robinson (ankle) made his season debut with six points and four rebounds in 12 minutes off the bench. It's unclear if he'll remain in that role, though Tom Thibodeau might've teased him being the starting center when discussing his return earlier this week. 

Orlando (29-32): Blown out in back-to-back games by the Cavs and Warriors and lost Jalen Suggs (knee) indefinitely after he suffered a trochlea ailment in his left knee. He had already been sidelined by back spasms for most of the new year in a season that's mostly been disrupted by injuries to the Magic's key players. They've struggled mightily offensively even since Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner returned, falling to 28th in offense overall this season. They're amazing No. 2 in defense still, and remain the seventh seed in solid position to reach the play-in tournament and potentially play the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. 

Philadelphia (20-38): Joel Embiid will miss the rest of the season as uncertainty looms even beyond that regarding his NBA future as no straightforward treatment exists to address swelling in his knee that derailed his year from the start. He appeared in only 19 games this season between injuries and suspension and only reached 39 the year before following his 2023 MVP season. Embiid turns 30 next season, and has nearly missed as many NBA games as he's played in since his career began. His options reportedly include another meniscus repair attempt or an osteotomy, where doctors would break his hip bone in an attempt to realign his body and take pressure off his knees. Such drastic measures, which would likely sideline Embiid deep into next season anyway, should seriously raise the question over whether he should continue his career. Either way, this likely closes the book on a fun albeit one-sided rivalry between the Celtics and Sixers with Embiid at the center of three playoff series. Philadelphia will now likely prioritize lottery positioning over a playoff push, with their draft pick top-six protected from the Thunder from the 2020 Al Horford salary dump. They're currently sixth. 

San Antonio (24-33): Gregg Popovich addressed the Spurs for the first time since his stroke that sidelined him early this season and told them he will not return this year, according to reports. The legendary coach later released a statement throwing his continued support behind interim coach Mitch Johnson as the Spurs try to make a playoff push around De'Aaron Fox after shocking news last week that Victor Wembanyama will miss the rest of the season with a blood clot. ESPN called the meeting emotional and reported that Popovich's NBA future is now uncertain as he recovers. Popovich owns the NBA record for regular season wins, ranks third in postseason wins and is a five-time champion, tied for third behind Phil Jackson and Red Auerbach.