Player Grades: Cavs vs Raptors Game 3 – A full blown disaster

The Cleveland Cavaliers got run off the floor in Game 3 against the Toronto Raptors.

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

Donovan Mitchell

15 points, 3 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 turnovers

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Mitchell didn’t do enough tonight. Simple as that.

It’s unusual to see Mitchell so uninvolved in a playoff game. The Raptors aggressively denied him the ball — and neither the Cavs nor Mitchell seemed overly willing to challenge that. They instead allowed Toronto to dictate the terms of engagement, keeping Mitchell off the board with just 15 points on 16 shot attempts.

All the while, he was targeted in the pick-and-roll by Toronto’s offense. He didn’t fare very well there, either.

Grade: F

James Harden

18 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 8 turnovers

You’ve seen this type of game before from Harden.

More turnovers than field goals made is painful. Not hustling back after turning it over is worse. Harden’s defense was bad, and for the first time in Cleveland, his offense didn’t even come close to making up for it.

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Grade: F

Evan Mobley

15 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 1 block

Mobely was able to feast in Game 2 as a result of Mitchell and Harden breaking down the defense and then feeding him with an advantage.

Tonight, however, Scottie Barnes expertly denied Harden the ball in the backcourt. That forced Mobley to bring the ball up the floor and create for himself more than at any other point in the series.

The results weren’t awful, with Mobley dishing 7 assists and actually finding a brief groove in the second half. But that moment was fleeting — and most of those possessions ended in a drained shot clock with nothing to show for.

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Worse, I think this was one of the least impactful defensive games of Mobley’s career. He was shockingly absent while the Raptors scored 60 points in the paint.

Grade: D

Jarrett Allen

12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 blocks

The Cavs can’t afford for Allen to slip now. He’s been crucial to their success all season, but is once again looking like an afterthought as the team jacks three-pointers and stretches him too thin…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/player-grades-cavs-vs-raptors-034345093.html

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Publish date : 2026-04-24 03:43:00

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