The Cleveland Cavaliers entered their home matchup against the San Antonio Spurs knowing they’d be shorthanded.
Evan Mobley, a key anchor on both ends of the floor, was out, leaving a significant gap in the frontcourt. By the second half, that problem worsened. Tristan Thompson was ejected after a flagrant 2 foul, forcing Cleveland to dig even deeper into its rotation.
But despite the obstacles, the Cavaliers did what they’ve done all season: they found a way to win.
In a game that featured wild momentum swings, officiating delays, and a second-half push from a feisty Spurs team, Cleveland relied on its depth, defensive toughness, and a fourth-quarter takeover from Jarrett Allen to pull out a gritty 124-116 victory.
The Cavaliers nearly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory
The Cavaliers started strong, pushing the pace and building a 16-point lead early. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland orchestrated the offense with precision, finding shooters in rhythm and creating easy opportunities at the rim. Max Strus and De’Andre Hunter provided early scoring bursts, helping Cleveland establish control.
But San Antonio, a young team with nothing to lose, refused to back down. Behind the relentless energy of Devin Vassell, the Spurs chipped away at the deficit. By halftime, Cleveland’s lead had shrunk to single digits, setting the stage for a chaotic second half.
The game took a dramatic turn in the third quarter. What started as a routine stretch of basketball quickly devolved into a series of stoppages, challenges, and controversial calls. The Spurs successfully overturned two separate fouls, earning extra possessions and free throws. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers struggled to find offensive rhythm, and their once-commanding lead vanished.
Things worsened when Thompson was hit with a flagrant 2 foul and ejected after a hard collision in the paint. The Cavaliers veteran had been providing crucial minutes in Mobley’s absence, and his departure forced head coach Kenny Atkinson to reshuffle the rotation.
San Antonio took full advantage of the disruption, going on a run to grab an 81-79 lead late in the third. The energy inside Rocket Arena shifted, with nervous murmurs replacing the earlier roars of confidence.
Cleveland needed a response.
Donovan Mitchell gave Cleveland and Jarrett Allen a much-needed spark
With the game slipping away, Mitchell took control—not just as a scorer, but as a playmaker. Seeing the Spurs’ defense collapse on his drives, he began dishing out pinpoint passes to teammates in key moments.
First, he found Sam Merrill cutting along the baseline for an easy layup. The very next possession, he kicked the ball out to Merrill again—this time for a deep three-pointer that helped the Cavaliers regain momentum.
“It changed the game. Because we started out poorly,” Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson said of Mitchell’s facilitating. “[Mitchell’s] stint was not good, his first stint, and in that second stint he came in, they packed the paint, I mean, extreme paint packing, and he just started spraying the ball around.
“Once he got it out of their tight shell, then we started making decisions behind that, and that kind of broke the game out. So his understanding, his reading of the game is elite. It changed the game.”
Despite Mitchell’s heroics, the game was far from over. The fourth quarter saw eight lead changes as both teams battled for control.
That’s when Jarrett Allen took over.
Jarrett Allen carried the Cavaliers in the fourth quarter
Through the first three quarters, Allen had been relatively quiet, taking only two shot attempts in the first half. But with Mobley out, Thompson gone, and Cleveland in desperate need of an interior presence, Allen delivered dominantly.
The 6-foot-9 big man feasted on the Spurs’ undersized lineup, scoring 19 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter alone. He was perfect from the field in the final frame, going 6-of-6 while also pulling down critical rebounds.
“[The] number one key to our victory tonight was Jarrett Allen,” Atkinson said. “I don’t know how he does it energy-wise.”
Allen’s biggest moment came with just under five minutes remaining. After a missed shot from Garland, Allen battled through traffic, grabbed the offensive rebound, and slammed home a powerful putback dunk to put Cleveland up by five. The arena erupted, and from that moment on, the Cavaliers never looked back.
Beyond his scoring, Allen’s defensive presence was equally crucial. He altered shots at the rim, secured key rebounds, and made life difficult for San Antonio’s interior players. By the time the final buzzer sounded, he had not only racked up 29 points but also 15 rebounds, securing his 38th double-double of the season.
Despite the win, the Cavaliers are focused on the bigger picture
With the win, the Cavaliers improved to 59-14, marking their sixth three-game win streak of the season. But while they continue to rack up victories, the team knows that consistency will be key as the playoffs approach.
The biggest concern? The Cavaliers’ tendency to start strong but lose focus in the middle quarters. They’ve been able to rely on late-game heroics, but in the postseason, slow starts could prove costly.
“You got to be playing your best basketball going in the playoffs,” Max Strus said. “You don’t just want to wake up when it’s time to wake up.
“We need to start figuring out what it is that we need to do to play our best basketball and be our best selves going into April and May. … I think everybody in here knows that and got that message, and we’re gonna try our best to figure that out for these last nine games.”
Cleveland still has work to do, and they know it. But if they can put together 48 minutes of their best basketball, this is a team that could make serious noise in the postseason.
For now, they’ll take the win, learn from their mistakes, and prepare for what’s next. If Thursday’s battle proved anything, it’s that this Cavaliers squad refuses to back down—no matter the circumstances.
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