Cavs vs Raptors | Nae’Qwan Tomlin, Craig Porter Jr., Donovan Mitchell Post Game | 11.13.2025

Cavs vs Raptors | Nae’Qwan Tomlin, Craig Porter Jr., Donovan Mitchell Post Game | 11.13.2025

Naquin, you were one of the bright spots of this game, but overall second night of a backtoback and this is a five and seven. What did you feel like just kind of was missing overall from the group? Um, I think probably just energy. I think like he was just tired, you know, back to back late travel. Um, so yeah. What are you being told about your play and how you’ve been able to kind of be that spark off the bench? Um, just coming in being an energy guy, crashing boards. Um, just trying to give the team extra possessions. Um, just playing hard. How much do you think the schedule plays into what the energy level was tonight? Um, I think it played a, you know, a decent part. I don’t want to make excuses, so, you know, I feel like we should come out and win every game, but I feel like it decent part. These last two nights, you showed that you showed what you could do on the court. What do you feel like you’ve showed in these two good performances? um that I’m just play hard guy. Just go out there and play hard, do whatever I can to help win. We talked a little bit about the energy that you can ignite. Obviously, your dunks, blocks, rebounds can do that. And looking over to the bench and seeing how much that is appreciated, particularly guys that aren’t playing. What does that mean to you? It means a lot. I mean, you know, um means a lot, you know, like some of these guys, you know, I talk to them all the time, you know, when I wasn’t playing. Um, and they just give me that encouragement and things like that. Yeah. How much fun is it for you to get one of those monster dunks and look over and see them celebrating you, but also you getting to do what you do? Well, it means a lot. Um, that’s just what I, you know, I like to I’m passionate. I’m very passionate. So, you know, if I get a dunk, block, stop, anything, you know, I just want to give out my emotions. Offensively, how much is utilizing those baseline cuts going to be getting you easy buckets with this guys with these guys? Oh. Um, a lot. You know, some guys be in high gaps, so you know, got to cut and slide. How do you how do you summon energy within yourself when you’re not maybe plays aren’t necessarily being run for you? Um, you just you just do, you know, I just, you know, it’s just what I have to do when I come in the game and just be that spark. Um, how do you learn that or or is that maybe something that’s just inherently you have it or you don’t? I think it’s just something that I gained over time just, you know, I’ve been like throughout even just college or my last year in the G. I’ve been that guy that was a starter or came off the bench, you know, or didn’t play. So, always just to find minutes, I always, you know, had to find something for me to get on that court. So, that just always stuck with me. You mentioned that passion and obviously you have to play at a certain intensity. Did you learn that from like playing at Rucker Park or or where where does that dog mentality come from? Oh, definitely New York for sure. Thanks. Craig, obviously second night of a backto-back, you guys were getting in, you know, midway through the the morning, five and seven. Just what did you feel like was missing from this Toronto game? Um, just like you said, you know, we just came in and everybody’s kind of tired and you could see that. Um, but it’s not an excuse for us to give that level of effort and we all know that and that’s one thing we emphasize, just just making sure we play hard every night regardless of who’s out there. What was Kenny’s message after this game? Uh the same thing, you know, um we have enough guys in this room and we know even from yesterday’s game how many guys in this room can play and can contribute to winning and it was just a disappointment with the effort and that’s all. What did you make of Naquin Tomlin out there tonight? That was probably the bright spot of the game. Yeah. Um I mean he showed everything he can do and everything he needs to do to help this team. And I mean it’s it’s nothing we haven’t I haven’t seen before honestly. And uh it’s a guy I like to play with a lot because he he does everything you could ask. I mean, all the little things, the rebounding and just the energy, and he he brought us back into that game a lot. What do you think you guys have to do better in order to dictate the style of game that’s played? Um, I feel like every a lot of the last few games, um, I feel like shots haven’t fallen. Um, you know, I feel like we’ve driven the ball a lot more, gotten a lot more paint touches in transition a lot more. You know, our defense picked up and everything. Um, I feel like shots just haven’t been falling, guys are tired and everything, but, uh, I feel like that’s the biggest part of it. when it comes to like Naquan’s performance and just the energy that he brings, the intensity that he brings. You see the monster dunks in the lobs that you guys connected on, what does that bring like infectious wise to this group? Um, I feel like it just brings another level of energy. Um, you know, there were times at tonight where, you know, we we let a couple guys go and get a wide openen layup or whatever. You know, you might have to put Naquin in and he’s not going to let that happen. He might foul a guy or whatever, but he just brings a different level of energy and, you know, that’s the type of things we need to just stay in games like this on backto-back nights. Seeing him do that over the last couple of years, obviously he’s he’s been here now for the second year, but you seeing him with the G- League and seeing just the work that he’s put in to get here and seeing the opportunities that he’s getting. What does that mean to see that? Um, you know, it’s big, especially for me cuz I was in that same position. So, he’s anytime I see a two-way guy in that position, I just try to help him any way I can because I’ve been through that same road and I know what it will take for somebody to get what they want out of this I mean job at the end of the day and um he does all the little things and that’s all you can ask of a guy like that and I’m proud of him. Evan only took seven shots, 35 minutes tonight. What What can you guys do to to help get him more involved? Um I feel like we could just lighten the load on him a little. Um, you know, I feel like we’ve been asking a lot of him this year and, you know, him being in that position, it’s it’s going to be difficult and, uh, nights like this, you know, it’ll happen. Um, I feel like we all kind of lost him a little tonight. And, um, I feel like honestly, it’s just a lot of little things like I could probably scream a couple more times for him, get him the ball in an easier spot and not try to make him force and play make for himself. So, and what what if, if anything, can you do to make himself more available? Um, I feel like just using his voice a little more. I know it’s a thing he’s been working on, but uh I feel like he’s gotten a lot better at it, just being more dominant and being the leader of this team and and it’s not anything I don’t think he can can’t do, and I’ve seen him do it before, and you know, it’s it’s evident. So, we know he’ll do it. You mentioned the defensive rotations being a little bit slow. How do we prevent that? How do you prevent ball watching and those things that have kind of forced to the offense of the other team to do different things? Uh it’s just it’s like you said, it’s a mental thing. Um you just got to be focused on it. And uh the way our defense is, we all protect each other, so we just got a little lopsided on that. And you know, fatigue played into it a lot for sure, but uh I feel like we can definitely get back on that chart. Thanks. Appreciate this is five and seven, but what did you feel like was missing from this one? Um sorry. I think the biggest thing was just Sorry. Just the mental push through. Yeah, we’re going to be tired, right? Like but at the end of the day, we’re going to be tired when it comes down to it. And this was a a test that I say we we failed, right? But, you know, we can use this and be better next time, but we just didn’t didn’t have it as a collective. Um, and that’s natural when you have a five and seven and you’re traveling, doing all that stuff, but as a collective, we just didn’t do it together. Um, and that was that’s the tough part cuz when those moments we got to talk even more, we got to execute even better. You know what I mean? And I think as a group, we just didn’t do that. And, you know, we’ll be better. In terms of the offensive rhythm, why do you think it just kind of wasn’t there? Well, I mean, it’s tough. It’s It’s one of those things where if you’re not making shots as a group before I before I was hit, like especially from three, like shooting 24%, it you can’t let it affect you as a whole. And then I come out there with seven turnovers doesn’t help, right? You know what I mean? But, um, as a as a group, like I said, when you’re mentally fatigued and you’re physically fatigued, that’s where mentally you got to be sharper and stronger as a group. And we weren’t that um tonight. And I think that that’s the biggest thing. Obviously, you have a home stand coming up. How do you want to respond? Yeah. I mean, respond on on Saturday and and play for play well in front of the home crowd, get a sleep in our beds for a little bit and then kind of re re recoup and and and as a group, like I said, get better. Donovan, what do you think that you guys need to do better in order to control how the game is played like in terms of the style? Well, I mean, it’s it’s it’s one of those things where it’s like a an execution standpoint on both sides, right? Um there’s certain plays or certain things where if you get back cut or if we’re if we do get back cut who’s there to protect like who’s you know there’s one where I got the foul on um I forgot how to say his name the the lefty 55 and I get the foul cuz I’m step late right like those are those are situations where you got to be there early cuz we’re going to make mistakes right teams are going to guys are good you know they’re going to make plays but it’s like what do we do to cover those things up and we just didn’t do that we haven’t done that um and yeah fatigue is obviously a factor but you know at the end of the day this is this is what it’s going to be, right? And how do we continue to think the game as even though physically we may not be excuse me where we where we want to be? So, you think that’s more of a mental thing that you guys I think just being in our spot cuz you see, you know, obviously the young guys last night had energy and and they did a great job as a collective, but you know, it was a it was just like, hey, even if you make aggressive mistakes, we had each other’s back, right? Tonight wasn’t that. Um Monday in the second or was it Monday, whatever it was in the second half, you saw that, right? So, like it’s like how can we on a consistent basis do that every single night? Um, and tonight we didn’t do it and but we watch the film and we’ll we’ll improve. Donnie, you talked a little about wanting to be effective this season, wanting to save your body as much as you could, but tonight you got downhill, you got 15 of 17 from the free throw line. What told you that tonight was a night that you need to get to the basket? I had the day off for a reason, right? Like, you know what I mean? like it’s is one of those things where um when you have a plan, which we do as as a team, which we’ve all we all know, um when you have that burst to get downhill and obviously three ball hasn’t necessarily gone in for me the past few games. So, just trying to make it a point and also what comes with that is driving lanes and and passing lanes and getting guys opportunities to shoot. Um but when you you know, you get the day off, if you have fresher legs, you push the brake, try to get that, try to create, initiate, and um live with the result. And I think we made some great play. I mean, I had seven turnovers, which are very bad. And some are stupid, some are, you know, just once you it just happens, right? But at the end of the day, hey, just trying to create, trying to trying to be that guy to get downhill and create, but at the end of the day, um, that’s my job to try to find a way to playmak. And tonight was one of those nights where you got to go. You got to just find a way to get down there and get downhill and create, however that may be. Without D, without Darius and without Lonzo tonight, how much did you put on yourself, maybe even a little bit more than you needed to for the offensive creation? Yeah, when you you you read the game, right? And like I said, you could tell guys are tired. So now it’s like, all right, making it a point to be a little more aggressive. And I don’t mean just to go score, right? Just to get down there and, you know, make plays. And sometimes you you make mistakes with that. I’m not going to be perfect. You know, I’m not a guy who averages seven turnovers, but I made some mistakes tonight, you know, but I’ve also did some made some solid plays and I watched the film and I’ll be better. But as as it’s my job to kind of feel what the game gives, right, and understand that, hey, you know, let’s slow the game down and get to the free throw line. Let’s give guys a break like let’s give us a break to stay. They’re going to mean different things and um that’s just part of it. And you know, this these are the nights where you just got to find ways to to win by any means necessary. And unfortunately, it didn’t happen tonight, but we’ll be better. Last regular season, everything started off perfectly. This has been an up and down start to the season. What can you learn from this and build off from this experience? This is I hate to sound like a sicko, but this is great. Like to be honest, cuz last year you started 15 and0 blowing teams out. You’re never really mentally tested, right? Like you know what I mean? And uh I think now we’ve had what are we eight and five? Eight and five. Like in those 13 games you’ve we’ve had 13 different scenarios, right? We’ve had blowouts. We’ve had come from behind wins. We’ve had given up a lead and still won. We’ve had, you know, where we’ve just g up the lead and like tonight, like, you know what I mean? Like there’s different things and you’re learning so much. And on top of that, our young guys, and I want to take away from your question one second, but like our young guys have been phenomenal. Like that’s that’s the thing that’s been consistent the entire year. Aquinon Tomlin, Craig Porter, Tyresese Proctor, Jaylen Tyson have been phenomenal. I don’t think you see that if we go 15 and0, right? Like, you know, I don’t I don’t think you see that. So, when we come to the playoffs, we know they know, you know, the moments, you know, the fourth quarter, Tyrese is big time, Craig last night, Naquin tonight, eight of 10 getting guarding Scotty Barnes, getting on the boards, right? Like Jaylen Tyson, we’ve all seen what he’s been doing. So, like, we don’t get that if we just go perfect. You know, you go through all these things and um there are times in Utah, we were 19 and 30 and then made the playoffs, right? It’s like this is the sky’s is not falling. These are great tests for us and great battles and I’m not we’re not worried as a group. We have things to fix. Don’t get it twisted, but this is this is a good place and a good thing for us to learn. Evan had seven shot only took seven shots in 35 minutes tonight. Um what what can he do on his end to make himself more available? Yeah, I think just being like more assertive, right? Like I said, u a lot was put on him expectation wise, rightfully so. He’s done the work. He’s he’s he’s been there. It’s never always going to be perfect, right? There’s going to be nights where tonight he he he struggled, but he’s also the same guy that when we played these guys last time, he had 29 and figured it out, right? So, like, let’s understand that there’s going to be es and flows. There’s going to be days where we have to get on him. There’s going to be days where he’s going to figure it out. But, like, it’s all part of the process. And, you know, in a sense, this is a good thing because he sees, okay, I got to kind of assert myself here. You see in the fourth quarter against Miami, he’s taking over like getting the big shots, getting to the like. So, it’s all it’s all part of that process. It’s hard coming in and just beating that guy right at a young at a young age like to like it’s it’s hard. It’s not easy. And you guys are watching development in real time and development isn’t just a straight shot, you know what I mean? And I think for for what you’re seeing, it’s just all part of the es and flows and he’ll be better. He knows it and and we know it and he’ll be better for us. But um it’s all part of it. Last question. You mentioned Naquin Tomlin and obviously wanting to have players to have that energy, that intensity, and obviously the monster ducks can do that, but like his energy, his mentality even when he’s not getting minutes to come in and have a game like tonight, what does that say about a player and what he can do when called upon? Well, I mean, when you’re ready for your moment, like you look at he’s only played basketball for like five years. Like, you know what I’m saying? Like, it’s it’s one of those things where he doesn’t even know how good he can be. He’s starting to figure it out. Starting to do, but it’s all the little things. Like, it’s the cut when I’m driving and I He gets the dunk. Like, it’s the little things that teams are going to load up on me. What are you going to do? You going to stand there? No, you make the right play. Teams aren’t going to box you out cuz they’re necessarily worried about Evan or Ja. You come in there sneaking. Now you’re getting two tips. Now you’re getting two rebounds. Now you’re there. Energy play and one, right? Like it it just lifts us. It’s not always necessarily going to come from myself, DG, Dre, J, right? Like it should, you know, obviously, but like there’s going to be moments where, hey, we’re going to need like that little burst. we’re going to be a game three on the road and we’re going to they’re going to be doing all they can and and you got him come in for two or three or four or five minutes and like change the game. Like that’s that’s what you’re seeing in in these 13 games and that’s the bright spot, right? Like there there’s so much growth to be to be had as a group, but you’re seeing it in every single one of our young guys and that’s if you take one thing from these 13 games, that’s the highlight. They’ve been unreal. You know what I mean? And that and that’s big time. Thank you. Peace out.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin, guard Craig Porter Jr., and guard Donovan Mitchell spoke with the media in the locker room following a 126-113 loss to the Toronto Raptors on November 13, 2025 at Rocket Arena.

NAE’QWAN TOMLIN 0:00
CRAIG PORTER JR. 2:51
DONOVAN MITCHELL 6:25