The Cleveland Cavaliers are playing their second game in Philly this week. They beat the 76ers in dominant fashion on Wednesday.
Mobley was fantastic in his previous game against the 76ers. He put up 17 points (7-10 shooting), 13 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 blocks.
The Cavs are tough to beat when Mobley is this assertive. He established himself as a threat on both ends of the floor, anchoring the defense and scoring at the rim on offense. Cleveland can control entire games when Mobley is in this type of groove.
Mobley’s playmaking is something to watch for. We know he can dunk the ball and block shots. But Mobley is averaging a career-high in assists this season, too. If the 76ers load up against him, Mobley has proven he can make the correct pass to punish them.
Cleveland’s defense might have won them the game on Wednesday night. The Cavs were connected and defending on a string — something they haven’t always been able to do this season.
The Cavaliers’ point-of-attack defense has struggled. They don’t have enough perimeter defenders to contain opponents on most nights. But, they got the job done in their previous matchup by running the 76ers off of the three-point line and funneling them to Mobley or Jarrett Allen.
The possession battle is everything. Modern NBA teams are preaching this more than ever. Winning on the glass (or generating turnovers) can flip the outcome of any game.
Cleveland won the rebounding battle 52-42 on Wednesday. They did it through a team effort. Mobley led the way with 13 rebounds, but Donovan Mitchell chipped in with 7 rebounds while Allen and Jaylon Tyson combined for 10 boards. Allen didn’t grab many himself, but he successfully fought Joel Embiid on the glass for most of the night.