Player Grades: Cavs at Warriors – James Harden closes the door

The Cleveland Cavaliers overcame a heavy turnover game to win on the road against the Golden State Warriors.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Donovan Mitchell

25 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block, 5 turnovers

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This was a weird game from Mitchell. He attempted some truly audacious shots in the first half, including the one below.

Yet, as much as I want to bemoan the quality of attempts like this, I can’t deny that Mitchell was scoring efficiently. I can’t say I love the process. But for tonight, I’ll live with the results.

Turnovers were an issue for Mitchell. Though each unforced error seemed to fuel his frustrations and make him more engaged defensively. As I said, this was a contradictory game.

Grade: B-

James Harden

19 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 4 turnovers

Harden’s defense has been as bad as advertised. It’s not fun watching him get backdoor cuts for easy layups. It is, however, fun to watch him throw lobs. The duality of man.

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The Cavs closed this game behind two plays from Harden. First, he drew a double team and dished to Max Strus for a huge three-pointer. Then, he danced one-on-one for a tough floater in the lane to extend the lead to six with 21 seconds remaining. That will help your grade.

Grade: B

Evan Mobley

12 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal

Mobley has historically struggled against Kristaps Porzingis. With this in mind, he certainly handled that individual matchup better than in the past. Mobley didn’t appear as bothered by KP’s length and was able to help contain him on the other end.

Zooming out, Mobley lost this matchup in the non-Porzingis minutes. That was his opportunity to make his presence felt. Instead, Mobley lacked the aggression he had in March. Let’s hope he finds that again soon.

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Grade: C+

Jarrett Allen

16 points, 13 rebounds, 1 steal

Allen is still clearly working through some pain in his knee. He hasn’t been as explosive with the ball. Though, he’s still converting most of his looks at the rim and playing a key role as Cleveland’s defensive anchor.

Gotta hit more than half of your…

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Publish date : 2026-04-03 05:23:00

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