The Cleveland Cavaliers lost a 115-121 contest versus LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday. The first half was capped off at 71-70 in the close matchup but the Lakers were able to pull away down the stretch. Darius Garland left the game with a reported neck strain which halted Cleveland’s momentum.
Lakers Capitalize on loss of Darius Garland
Anthony Davis scored 32 points while LeBron James scored 22 with six rebounds and six assists in yet another return to Cleveland. Austin Reaves posted a 15-point, 10-assist double-double off the bench for Los Angeles in the win.
Cavaliers Top Performers
The Cavaliers were led by a 21-point, 14-rebound double-double from Jarrett Allen and an 18-point showing from Evan Mobley. Mobley grabbed six rebounds and assisted on six buckets while snagging four steals on the defensive end. From the bench, Caris LeVert posted a team-high eight assists. Rookie Craig Porter continued his stretch of solid play off the bench with an efficient 11 points. He shot 71% from the field and saw his lone three-point attempt of the night go down. Porter has been playing incredibly well for the Cavs this season and is watching his minute count go up game after game.
Donovan Mitchell struggled to get anything going for the Cavaliers, shooting a lackluster 4/18 from the field. Mitchell did post a team-high 22 points to go along with five rebounds and six assists but was unable to see a higher amount of shots fall. This was only Mitchell’s first game back after missing four straight contests with a hamstring injury.
Lingering Injury Concerns for Cleveland
Injury continues to plague the Cavs in the young season as it is unknown how much time Darius Garland will miss. Garland had carried a large portion of the offense in Donovan Mitchell’s absence. The team will hope to get their point guard back as soon as possible.
The Cavaliers will look ahead to a Sunday night matchup versus the Toronto Raptors in Cleveland. Toronto boasts the same record as the Cavs at 8-8 and has looked good at times this season. Cleveland will hope to bounce back after a two-game skid versus the Heat and Lakers.
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