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Cavs Top 3: No Donovan Mitchell, no problem for the Cleveland Cavaliers as they take down the New Orleans Pelicans

By Chad Porto

Jan 16, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) shoots a three point basket as guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts to the shot during the second half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 16, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) shoots a three point basket as guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts to the shot during the second half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Cavaliers survived the New Orleans Pelicans without Donovan Mitchell

The Cleveland Cavaliers were able to defeat the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday in an early afternoon game. The Cavs downed the Zion Williams-less Pelicans, to the tune of 113-103, in yet another game where the Cavs started off slow. The team didn’t get any breaks as the game went on, with Donovan Mitchell leaving mid-way through the game due to a groin injury.

Mitchell’s injury was not a great thing for the team, but Ricky Rubio was able to help step up, at least on defense. Rubio is slowly getting integrated into the team more and more after returning from his ACL tear, and while his offense isn’t always called upon, he’s brought an immediate impact to the perimeter defense that the team was lacking before.

Despite Mitchell being out, Darius Garland didn’t let up and dropped 30 on the heads of the Pelicans and led a fourth-quarter beatdown that saw the Cavs outscore the Pelicans by 13 in the final frame alone.

Ball movement and inconsistent use with guys like Cedi Osman still remains an issue that the team has to figure out but the return of Rubio has really injected some life into the team. The team should stand pat through January to see how much Rubio can really be relied upon before making any major trades, as his return may change how we perceive this team in a few weeks.

Related Story. Cavs Top 3: Donovan Mitchell struggles and the Cleveland Cavaliers fall against the Minnesota Timberwolves. light

Cleveland Cavaliers top 3 vs. the New Orleans Pelicans

1 Point –Ricky Rubio

17 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, +13 BPM
.250/.000/.000

2 Points –Jarrett Allen

37 minutes, 24 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, +14 BPM
.750/.000/1.000

3 Points –Darius Garland

40 minutes, 30 points, 11 assists, 6 rebounds, +16 BPM
.409/.500/1.000

Cavs Top 3 Seasonal Standings

  1. Donovan Mitchell –54 Points
  2. Darius Garland – 46 Points
  3. Jarrett Allen – 30 points
  4. Evan Mobley – 29 Points
  5. Cedi Osman – 28 Points
  6. Caris LeVert – 20 Points
  7. Kevin Love – 19 Points
  8. Isaac Okoro – 9 Points
  9. Dean Wade – 3 Points
  10. Lamar Stevens & Raul Neto – 2 Points
  11. Ricky Rubio – 1 Point

Next. 3 trades the Cleveland Cavaliers could offer to bring back Bojan Bogdanovic. dark

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