Player Grades: Cavs drop Game 1 to Pistons – Turnovers cost Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers erased an 18-point deficit to tie the Detroit Pistons midway through the fourth, but an inability to get stops and scores when they needed them wound up in Detroit escaping with a 111-101 Game 1 victory.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents that player performing to our expectations for them.

Advertisement

James Harden

22 points, 7 assists, 8 rebounds

Harden was brought in to help with games like this. They needed someone who could provide consistent ball-handling, playmaking, and relieve some of the pressure off Donovan Mitchell. Throughout the regular season and parts of the first-round series against the Toronto Raptors, he did that. However, there’s also been too many times he seems a step slow and isn’t able to take care of the ball. We saw that latter version far too much in Game 1.

Turnovers are painful in any context, but they hurt so much more against a team that struggles with its half-court offense. The amount of giveaways allowed Detroit to get out in transition and pick up easy baskets. To be clear, turnovers were a team-wide issue. Harden isn’t the only one to blame. At the same time, there’s no excuse for your starting point guard to have seven turnovers.

Advertisement

Harden turned things around in the fourth quarter. Seven-straight points allowed the Cavs to tie the game. However, if he takes care of the ball like he should’ve they don’t find themselves in the hole they were in.

Grade: D

Donovan Mitchell

23 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists

Mitchell hasn’t been himself since Game 2 of the first round. He’s registered fewer than 25 points in his last six games and hasn’t been forceful in getting to the basket. This game was no different, as he took just one shot in the restricted area and had only two free-throw attempts.

There isn’t much else to Mitchell’s game if he isn’t a premier scoring threat. And this whole team falls apart if he’s not scoring at an elite level. Twenty-three points on 9-19 shooting just isn’t going to cut it in a road playoff game.

Advertisement

Grade: D+

Evan Mobley

14 points, 9…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/player-grades-cavs-drop-game-023734923.html

Author :

Publish date : 2026-05-06 02:37:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.