Collect Moments from your 2024-25 Cleveland Cavaliers featuring Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, and Evan Mobley!

It’s certainly no secret that if the Cavaliers aspire to deliver a second-ever championship to the city of Cleveland, there’s one team in green-and-white that they must prepare to overcome. Spurred on by 19,432 in attendance, hoping to see mid-November’s loss be avenged, Donovan Mitchell used December 1, 2024’s opportunity to do what every great contender before has done: give the people something to talk about anyways. Reasons to “fold,” as Mitchell noted in his postgame presser, arrived in bunches, as Cleveland eyed a scoreboard that verified a late-game 12-point deficit. Finding it to be nothing that a 20-point fourth quarter couldn’t solve, Cleveland’s six-time All-Star got to work, flipping his switch to a postseason-like setting. 3-pointers arrived in every variation; first came the nifty stepbacks through traffic, with spot-up and off-screen buckets arriving closely behind. Before one knew it, the Boston Celtics’ lead had been erased, and Mitchell’s individual box score told the prevailing story. Elevating his game, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ star poured on 35 points (on 12-of-21 shooting), along with seven rebounds, three assists, two steals, one block, and six triples.

Donovan Mitchell

For those that observed Darius Garland’s 18-point fourth quarter heatwave on February 5, 2025 as it occurred, it felt safe to assume that enough must-have buckets were secured to keep the Detroit Pistons out of grasp on the scoreboards. Upon realizing that his pesky Central Division foes had one spirited run left in them, Garland merely pivoted to a thrilling Plan B: pulling up from a spot Detroit’s defense simply couldn’t reach. No. 1 across the Association in both crunchtime efficiency (59.5 percent on 37 attempts to date) and high-volume pull-up shooters, the recently-named All-Star prepares to test his limits, racing the length of the floor with five seconds remaining. Forced into a stop-and-launch from the Pistons’ midcourt logo, Garland parlays the momentum of his elusive misdirection dribble into a game-winning 31-footer, leaving even Detroit’s road crowd in an audibly-stunned appreciation. In what ultimately marked the second-consecutive buzzer-beating heartbreaker for Motor City, Garland helped guide the Cleveland Cavaliers’ success, swishing in 25 points (on 8-of-18 shooting), three rebounds, five assists, one block, and four 3-pointers.

Darius Garland

Seemingly safe after surviving Max Strus’ first 3-point avalanche, the Dallas Mavericks had no idea that his historic, unforgettable night was only just beginning. Even after a breathtaking barrage that included four triples over a three-minute span, Strus and the Cleveland Cavaliers remained in dire need of one more miracle, and only 2.6 seconds left to do so. Trusting in a right wrist that hadn’t failed him to that point, Strus inbounds the ball, quickly receiving it back after generating a running start. Summoning the perfect mixture of power and touch, Strus connects on a crowd-rocking, 59-foot bomb, stealing victory from the jaws of defeat with the second-longest game-winning shot in NBA history. Heroic in a game that featured 25 lead changes, the first-year Cavalier commanded the last word, pouring in 21 points, four rebounds, four assists, two blocks, seven 3-pointers, and clutch defensive stops throughout in the win on February 27, 2024.

Max Strus

As the NBA’s No. 1 team in terms of generating pick-and-roll points, the Cleveland Cavaliers have left it crystal clear that, regardless of whether a guard or forward is running the show, it’ll be must-see television nonetheless. Offering a case in point as he surveys the scene of the Atlanta Hawks’ defense from the right 3-point slot, Evan Mobley uses a teammate’s space-clearing inverted ball screen, punching a first-class ticket to the paint. Poised to make All-Star leaps in more ways than one in 2024-25, Mobley elevates, outmatching fellow slam artist Jalen Johnson by powering through an acrobatic two-handed flush that extends Cleveland’s second quarter lead. “Versatile” was perhaps the best word to describe Mobley’s approach, even as Cleveland ran into an early-season kryptonite of sorts during November 27, 2024’s defeat. Must-see on both sides of the floor, Mobley’s final box score read as follows: 22 points (on 7-of-15 shooting), 12 rebounds, five assists, four steals, three blocks, one 3-pointer, a game-high 13 contested shots, and four deflections.

Evan Mobley

In need of one final shot to knock the feisty Philadelphia 76ers down for an In-Season Tournament win, the shorthanded Cleveland Cavaliers turned to a trusted go-to: Jarrett Allen’s right hook. Known for his soft touch and dexterity around the basket, the former All-Star center picked the perfect opportunity to utilize it, tossing in a cold-blooded floater to put his team up for good in an overtime victory on November 21, 2023. Up to the challenge against the league’s reigning Most Valuable Player, Allen was magnificent with 26 points, 13 rebounds, and three assists.

Jarrett Allen

24 hours after watching their historic season-opening win streak come to a close, Ty Jerome viewed November 20, 2024’s matchup to be a good test of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ “maturity level.” By halftime, the scoreboard left it poetically clear that Cleveland’s standout combo guard had no plans of kidding around. Like a thrilling movie continually spicing its plot, Jerome’s single-quarter 20-point heatwave took on its fiercest form at the second period’s two-minute mark, starting with a teammates’ double screen and handback pass, setting up an in-rhythm 3-pointer. Moments later, with the New Orleans Pelicans’ defense unprepared, Jerome — No. 1 in pull-up eFG% for the top-ranked Cavaliers — illustrates his gifts, calmly stepping into a triple. One flamethrower away from blowing the roof off of Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, Jerome uses a drag screen to clear his path for a third deep-range connection, leaving 19,432 wide-eyed and astonished. In what ultimately became a six-trifectas-in-six-minutes sequence, Jerome produced one of his career’s great games, guiding victory through 29 points (on 10-of-19 shooting), three assists, seven 3-pointers, and a game-high +28 plus-minus in 23 minutes.

Ty Jerome

In his rise to becoming an All-Star, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland has proven he’s not afraid to battle amongst the trees against the NBA’s bigs. Showing off his tenacity and hustle, the 6-foot-1 Garland finds a way to track down a loose ball and rip it away from a much bigger Memphis Grizzlies player, then caps off the play with a high-IQ bounce pass to a teammate from the floor, setting up the highlight score. Garland was excellent in the January 4, 2022 contest, with 27 points, 10 assists, four rebounds and three triples.

Double-digit deficits mean nothing when Donovan Mitchell is in the building. With his Cleveland Cavaliers down as many as 15 points in the first half against the Boston Celtics, Mitchell cuts that number to nine with a third-quarter pump fake behind the arc leading to a ferocious slam over the 7-foot-2 Luke Kornet. Mitchell helped bring his new squad all the way back thanks to a Herculean effort of 41 points, four rebounds, three assists and five three-pointers in the 132-123 overtime victory on October 28, 2022.

Get up or get out of the way! Standing in between Jarrett Allen and the rim is a recipe for disaster. The Cleveland Cavaliers center catches the ball in the paint, takes his time to gather and pins his defender with a ferocious, one-handed jam. He finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds, an epic dunk and the W on January 22, 2022.

The first game-winning shot of Evan Mobley’s young career was worth the wait. Locked in a tie game with the Phoenix Suns, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ talented second-year forward puts himself in the right spot to benefit from a Donovan Mitchell drive to the basket. When Mitchell runs into traffic he spots a cutting Mobley, who calmly sinks a 14-foot pullup from just inside the foul line to deliver the Cleveland Cavaliers a thrilling win. Mobley had six points, eight rebounds and two steals in the 90-88 triumph on January 4, 2023.

When he finds an open lane to the basket, few players are as creative as Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland. Here, he rejects a screen before turning on the speed boost on the way to the rim, lofting up a thunderous alley-oop for teammate Jarrett Allen. Garland was in pure point guard mode in the 114-96 win over the Dallas Mavericks, with 18 points and nine assists on November 29, 2021.

Trying to play the role of rim protector against Jarrett Allen in flight is not worth the cause. The Cleveland Cavaliers center takes a perfectly placed bounce pass and elevates up and over the outstretched arms of Mason Plumlee. That's a major throwdown.

There are shot blockers... and then there is Evan Mobley. In less than two seasons in the league, the Cleveland Cavaliers big man has not only established himself as one of the NBA’s most intimidating rim protectors, but also one of its most unique. The Charlotte Hornets found out the hard way that Mobley likes to get creative with his denials, as Terry Rozier’s putback attempt is thwarted when Mobley snatches it out of the air with both hands. Mobley also flipped possession by preventing the ball from going out of bounds, and his 21 points, career-high 18 rebounds, five assists and two blocks paced the Cavs to a 132-122 overtime victory on November 18, 2022.

Jarrett Allen is as fearless a rim protector as there is. The Cleveland Cavaliers center, unfazed by the prospect of getting put on a poster, challenges a Bam Adebayo dunk attempt and breaks up the two-handed slam before he can flush it through the rim. Allen finished with eight points and 10 boards in the March 16, 2021 matchup with the Miami Heat.

Down by six with only a minute-and-a-half to play, Donovan Mitchell provided the Brooklyn Nets’ defense with floor seats to his new season’s first exhibit of late-game excellence. With the entire arena fully aware of whom the Cleveland Cavaliers’ final shot attempt would go to, Mitchell uses a teammate’s ghost screen to generate confusion before colliding with a defender, sending him to the ground. Free to hoist with no opposition in sight, the five-time All-Star locates the bottom of the net on a clutch 3-pointer, affording the Cavs both a permanent advantage and ultimately, its first season-opening road win since 2000. Mitchell was in midseason form during the season opener, punishing the Brooklyn Nets to the tune of 27 points, five rebounds, six assists, four steals, one block, and four 3-pointers on October 25, 2023.

Jarrett Allen’s first game with the Cleveland Cavaliers came against the Brooklyn Nets squad that dealt him, so the 22-year-old’s mega rejection against Reggie Perry hits just a bit different. Allen put up 12 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks in the January 20, 2021 contest.

If at first you don’t succeed, fly, fly again. Undeterred after his initial 3-point attempt rattles out, Cleveland Cavaliers forward Max Strus shows what happens when ambition meets opportunity, perfectly timing his cut before catapulting through the lane for a rim-shaking poster jam. Respected for his perimeter shooting, Strus was intent on putting every aspect of his game on display in a win against the Detroit Pistons, stuffing the stat ledger with 18 points, seven rebounds, four steals and a block on November 17, 2023.

Jarrett Allen sure likes a defensive challenge. Kristaps Porziņģis isn’t the easiest player to guard, but Allen doesn’t back down as he drifts into the paint to disrupt the cutting 7-foot-3 center’s dunk attempt with an emphatic rejection at the rim. The Cleveland Cavaliers’ All-Star big man made a massive impact on both ends, posting 15 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and two blocks in his squad’s 117-107 overtime victory over the Washington Wizards on October 23, 2022.

Questionable to even play the night’s game with an illness leaving his status up in the air, Darius Garland used the game’s most pressure-packed possession to introduce the world to yet another obstacle incapable of stopping him from getting a bucket. Having missed a similar, buzzer-beating shot from the same spot just one quarter prior, the former All-Star cashes in on opportunity No. 2, taking Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso for his last dance with a slippery between-the-leg, hesitation, crossover combo in quick succession before burying a cold-blooded stepback 3-pointer. Garland’s clutch triple —  and subsequent free throws thereafter —  lifted the Cleveland Cavaliers’ burden on the way to a fascinating home win. Ensuring his team good spirit heading into the All-Star break, the skilled guard chipped in 12 points, seven assists, one steal, and two 3-pointers on February 14, 2024.

On the short list of the league’s scariest scorers, Donovan Mitchell knows how to put the ball in the hoop. After deftly splitting a pair of defenders at the three-point line, Mitchell penetrates into the paint, sidesteps a help-side defender and lofts an off-balance scoop shot through the net. Mitchell dropped 30 points in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ victory over the New York Knicks on November 1, 2023.

It’s unclear as to if Jarrett Allen needed to clear his schedule, but on October 30, 2024, the former All-Star’s calendar appeared quite busy, meeting with both could-be Los Angeles Lakers scorers at the rim, and history at once. Through well-timed leaps from his 6-foot-11 frame, it became clear, though, that the Cleveland Cavaliers star center had time to accommodate both. As elite as one could get in his early-game, two-way efforts against a Western Conference elite, Allen utilizes instincts to fuel one of the night’s more memorable instances, rotating over upon sensing Rui Hachimura’s driving intent. Meeting the smooth-scoring forward at the absolute summit, Allen stifles his efforts, sending his dunk attempt away for an emphatic, crowd-invigorating swat. Head-to-head with a Los Angeles team featuring a superstar that led Cleveland’s last 5-0 start, Allen played a role in its next, helping propel the Cavaliers to an eye-opening start to 2024-25. Opposing scorers — knowing Allen’s defensive capabilities —  tested him infrequently, though Allen nonetheless managed a game-high seven contested shot attempts, paired alongside 20 points (on 9-of-12 shooting), 17 rebounds, two rejections, and a +14 plus-minus.

In the aftermath of yet another electric offensive performance, this time in a Game Two blowout to stun the top-seeded Boston Celtics on their home floor, Donovan Mitchell offered a simple explanation for what propelled his second-half takeover: “Just picking my spots.” Unfortunately for the Celtics’ defense, those “spots” essentially meant every area of the hardwood when it came to the five-time All-Star. Already directing traffic prior to even crossing the halfcourt line, Mitchell puts Boston through the maze with a pair of high screens before assessing his options from the left wing. Coolheaded, even with the clock down to its final three seconds and Jayson Tatum obstructing his path, Mitchell prevails in the star-powered matchup with a fleet-footed crossover, creating enough space to elevate into a buzzer-beating triple, extending the Cleveland Cavaliers’ lead to double figures in the process. An already-historic postseason bucket-getter, Mitchell added another bullet to the résumé on May 9, 2024, netting a game-high 29 points —  including 23 in the second half — paired with seven rebounds, eight assists, five 3-pointers, and a +38 plus-minus, tying the series at one game apiece. Mitchell’s heroics also guided a 24-point win, the largest postseason victory for a double-digit underdog since 1991.

A few short moments after burying a game-winning shot, Donovan Mitchell stood on the Milwaukee Bucks’ home floor preparing for a postgame interview, only to be bumped out of camera view entirely by a fired-up teammate. As fate would have it, that might’ve been the only time the five-time All-Star was stopped from getting to one of his spots on November 2, 2024. Not allowing Milwaukee’s long-celebrated All-Star point guard to be alone in displaying crunchtime excellence, Mitchell —  with his undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers down by one — found his opportunity with under 10 seconds remaining, and Gary Trent Jr. badgering his every dribble. Calm and collected, Mitchell adds to his own expansive rolodex of elite late-game play, recollecting his dribble before elevating into a difficult pull-up jumper to silence the Bucks’ crowd. In a final minute that featured near misses around the rim, players diving for loose balls, and a postseason-type atmosphere, Mitchell, predictably, brought his best, turning in 30 points (on 11-of-25), three rebounds, four assists, and four 3-pointers. The performance elevated Cleveland to 7-0, and Mitchell into a tie for No. 3 on Cleveland’s all-time 30-point-game leaderboards.

One victory shy of becoming just the NBA's sixth-ever team to begin a season 14-0, the Cleveland Cavaliers, within an eye’s blink, had left supporters —  and skeptics alike — wondering how they would handle the pressure of becoming the league's “hunted.” Allow Donovan Mitchell to explain it, and the answer proved quite simple on November 15, 2024: with ball control, creativity, and a confidence that few have ever shown. In need of a trademark “Cav-a-lanche” with his Central Division foes keeping pace, Mitchell pumps his brakes expertly, first utilizing a spinning pick-and-roll rejection before taking Patrick Williams through a whirlwind with a shammgod pullback handle. Only in need of a perfectly-accurate bucket to officially capture his one-for-the-ages highlight, Mitchell buries a crowd-rocking 3-pointer, maintaining a late-game stretch in which he scored 11 straight for Cleveland. Buoyed by Mitchell’s distinctive brilliance, Cleveland’s regular-season perfection held steady in NBA Cup play during a 144-point demonstration against the Chicago Bulls on November 15, 2024. Mitchell, individually, paved the way through 37 points (including 18 in the fourth), alongside seven rebounds, four assists, one steal, two blocks, and seven 3-pointers.

With pressure mounting amid a late-game comeback from their opponent, the Cleveland Cavaliers put their faith in an All-Star. Leading by two in the final minute, point guard Darius Garland struck back against the Toronto Raptors, slashing into the paint for a contested layup that provided much needed insurance down the stretch. When the dust settled, Garland racked up 24 points and eight assists for his squad as they held strong for a November 26, 2023 victory.

With three of their Opening Day starters tending to injuries, Jarrett Allen decided it was time to do what All-Stars do best. Setting the tone early, the Cleveland big showcases his physicality, snagging a teammate’s miss before putting it in himself. Anchoring the Cavs’ late come-from-behind victory, Allen was brilliant, posting 24 points and 23 rebounds —  the fourth 20-20 game of his career —  and six assists, a signature performance against the Dallas Mavericks on December 27, 2023.

All the while adding new attributes to his game with each passing year, Evan Mobley’s willingness to take an opponent’s spirit away remains as impactful as ever. Omnipresent inside the arc as one of the NBA’s most revered defensive specialists, the Cleveland Cavaliers big steps up along the perimeter, forcing a Washington Wizards ballhandler to reconsider his idea to drive. Free to shift his attention back to the paint, the 2022-23 All-Defensive First Team selection turns up the intensity, humbling his opponent with an audacious snatch block, ripping his shot attempt out of the air with ease. In a win on February 7, 2024, Mobley was excellent once more on both sides of the floor, missing just one shot during a 22-point outing, alongside eight rebounds, one steal, one block, and a pair of 3-pointers.

Focused in on the goal of helping the Cleveland Cavaliers both end a two-game losing streak and maintain their grip on the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed, Evan Mobley fittingly did his part with two-way brilliance. One of the game’s most impactful producers on both sides of the floor, Mobley starts his sequence by protecting the paint with a purpose, soaring through the air to deny Jordan Poole’s layup any entry. Perceiving the chance at a 5-on-4 if he hustles, the talented big strides down the middle of the floor unimpeded, taking a perfectly-timed pass from his teammate before finishing at the rim with a two-handed flush. Cleveland kept the positives coming in pairs, defeating the Washington Wizards on February 25, 2024, its second head-to-head win in the month of February. Playing a key role, Mobley put in 21 points, six rebounds, one steal, and five blocks.

Limping into a back-to-back with a trio of All-Stars missing from their starting lineup, the Cleveland Cavaliers had reason to worry —  until Sam Merrill provided them with a different “three” to think about. Mere buckets away from closing out the Utah Jazz for a resilient home win, the sharpshooting two-guard rises to the occasion, putting his picture-perfect form to use with a dagger 3-pointer, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Seizing every bit of his increased opportunity, Merrill embedded his name into the Cavs’ history books, tying the record for the most 3-pointers off the bench with eight, on the way to a career-high 27 points, three rebounds, and a steal in the victory on December 20, 2023.

Sam Merrill

To accurately know the whereabouts of one of Darius Garland’s trademark no-look passes before it happened, opponents would need to find a way to build a time machine. Though, a quick process of elimination game — and a look through the NBA’s most frequent passer-to-score combinations — confirms that those highlight dimes often fall into the possession of one player in particular. With a blazing-quick drive through the lane, Garland introduces that celebrated one-two punch, drawing the investment of both Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren before whirling a no-look dish through traffic, positioning his All-Star big man for a workman-like jam. The heads-up play merely served as one of many, with the Garland-to-Allen combination leading to 111 assists in 2024-25 to date, No. 11 across the entire NBA. Using it to secure a blowout win over the up-and-coming Detroit Pistons, Garland helped lead the Cleveland Cavaliers’ attack with a 22-point, five-rebound, seven-assist tally, alongside three triples on January 27, 2025.

As one undefeated, 10-win team met another with only a single defeat, widespread expectation was that a duel between early-season juggernauts would likely offer thrilling, down-to-the-wire competition. Fate didn’t allow the basketball world a battle built on clutch play, but it did offer something similar in both wording and thrill: double-clutch jams from the up-and-coming Evan Mobley. Knowing towel-waving and warm-up suits to be in his near future with the Cleveland Cavaliers ahead by 24, Mobley puts November 8, 2024’s final minutes to use, turning a slippery spin move and downhill drive into an acrobatic, in-traffic jam. Uniting the arena in celebration, Mobley kept both the Cavs’ historic winning tear and his own double-figure scoring streak rolling during a rout of the Golden State Warriors. In just 26 minutes time, Mobley starred, collecting 23 points (on 7-of-12 shooting), accompanied by four rebounds, four assists, one steal, and two swats.

It may not bring the Barclays Center to its feet in celebration as it once did, but four seasons after leaving the Brooklyn Nets, big-time jams remain on Jarrett Allen’s itinerary during his twice-per-year visits. Still in the beginning stages of February 20, 2025’s game, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ All-Star center works free of Nic Claxton’s shadowing with a smooth off-ball cut, leaving no real obstacle in his path from the paint to the rim. 6-foot-11, and likely appearing much taller from Jalen Wilson’s helpless perspective, Allen powers into a one-handed throwdown, prompting audible reactions from the 17,926 in attendance. With Cleveland’s outside-the-arc attack slightly off-target, Allen’s brilliance from inside the arc became a much-needed luxury during the road win.  Well-rested following the weeklong break, Allen was best described as spry, as he recorded a 16-point, 20-rebound, one-steal, one-block tally on near-perfect efficiency (eight-of-nine shooting).

Met with their season's first true test of “adversity,” the Cleveland Cavaliers —  down two starters, and just one night removed from seeing their historic 16-game winning streak end — could’ve been forgiven had they been slightly off-rhythm. With other plans in mind, Jaylon Tyson ensured that during November 20, 2024’s tango against the New Orleans Pelicans, the NBA’s No. 1 team wouldn’t be missing a single beat. Unquestionably ready for his long-awaited moment in the spotlight, Tyson, already remarkable throughout, keeps the pressure on, invading his way into an inbounds passing lane to set up a potential coast-to-coast finish. Anything but cavalier in his transition approach, Tyson helps Cleveland win this night’s Boston-based battle, outspeeding Brandon Boston Jr. for a highlight-worthy fastbreak finish. The 28-point victory quickly became one to remember for the gifted two-guard as Tyson, in his first-ever NBA start, flirted with a triple-double in collecting 16 points (on 7-of-12 shooting), 11 rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and one 3-pointer.

Jaylon Tyson

Having a bird’s eye view of the entire Eastern Conference since 2024-25’s first week has come with plenty of perks for the No. 1-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. As confirmed through Donovan Mitchell’s highlight tape on March 5, 2025, the ability to locate unseen angles and gaps within an opponent’s defense stands among that many. Equally dangerous as both a scorer and facilitator, Mitchell leverages the respect of both, drawing in more eyes than a highway billboard after one subtle, inside-the-arc step. Keeping his intent well concealed on what follows, Mitchell — spotting a baseline cutter from his peripheral — hangs a no-look dime through traffic, hitting his teammate for a heads-up score. From the 1990s-inspired court to the in-game execution that followed, Mitchell left Cleveland's faithful with plenty worth celebrating, tallying 26 points (on 8-of-17 shooting), seven rebounds, five assists, two steals, and four 3-pointers. The performance ultimately set the tone for a nationally-televised, postseason-clinching win over the gritty Miami Heat.

Through a silky-smooth release and a 3-point percentage often rivaling 40 percent, Sam Merrill’s catch-and-shoot ability might be described as sometimes otherworldly. In stark contrast, with only two documented dunks throughout his NBA run, the fifth-year veteran’s willingness to rock the rim for ferocious jams, though, could be labeled an “every blue moon” occurrence. Finding the stars aligned, perhaps, for his first recorded jam since 2020-21, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ celebrated sharpshooter hustles into an interception, positioning himself for a one-man fastbreak with a wine-and-gold red carpet rolled out. Very much aware of the cheering along the sidelines, encouraging a rim attack, Merrill opts instead for fundamentals, softly guiding a layup off the glass, predictably drawing playful jeers from his warmup-wearing teammates. Merrill left the Cleveland faithful with plenty to otherwise cheer for in a win over the Milwaukee Bucks, recording 12 points (on 5-of-10 shooting), five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and two 3-pointers on November 4, 2024.

A best-selling book on how to become a fan favorite during one’s first month with a new NBA team hasn’t yet been written, but when it does, De’Andre Hunter deserves to be among those writing the foreword. Seemingly clear of every regular-season milestone outside of hitting a game-winning shot in the wine-and-gold, Hunter gets his pen ready, first by establishing himself along the floor’s weak side. Positioned for a knockout blow after his teammates’ pick-and-roll softens the Portland Trail Blazers’ defense, Hunter unloads a spot-up overtime triple, affording the Cleveland Cavaliers’ a two-point edge in the final 30 seconds. In lockdown mode over the ensuing half-minute, Cleveland’s 18-point come-from-behind triumph held special significance, as they entered the victory column without their No. 1 scorer, and became the league’s first to cross the 50-win plateau. 8-0 since arriving to Believeland — and ultimately, perfect over his first 13 games — Hunter led all bucket-getters with 32 points, seven rebounds, and a steal, accompanied by standout efficiency overall (8-of-15), from deep (five-of-nine), and from the charity stripe (11-of-12).

De'Andre Hunter

As he absorbed and overcame everything from defensive crowds to inadvertent elbows and hard falls during February 21, 2025’s show of resilience, Darius Garland discovered that his all-seeing court vision, ironically, wouldn’t allow him to see doubles — only W’s. Jumping the Cleveland Cavaliers’ almost-unguardable offense into gear before the game’s first commercial break, Garland first works off-screen, disattaching himself from Mikal Bridges’ defense, only to find the entire city of New York encircling his drive. Upper echelon in his rank among the NBA’s most creative dime-droppers, Garland opts for a thread-of-the-needle dish, scooping an underhand no-look pass past Karl Anthony-Towns’ surveillance, and into the hands of a cutting teammate for a jam. The roof on the Cavaliers’ arena remained rocked throughout, as they rode a 17-of-23 opening-quarter shooting display to a 142-point masterpiece and blowout win over a fellow Eastern Conference elite. Offsetting his off-shooting display with postseason-like mettle and supreme playmaking, Garland inconvenienced the New York Knicks through a nine-point, four-rebound, five-assist, one-trifecta contribution.

As he considered the 6-foot-8 frame and multifaceted skillset of his new No. 56 pick, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ head coach considered one question when it came to Luke Travers: “What could this guy be?” In all of four minutes during his first-ever Association appearance, the former NBL star made certain to give everyone — including the Orlando Magic’s fellow rookie — a resounding answer to that query. Accepting a tough task in containing Tristan da Silva’s downhill drive in a battle of new NBA talents, Travers absorbs a forceful bump in stride, ultimately remaining disciplined enough to send a pivot-and-spin shot into the crowd. Understanding basketball’s mental game at a high level, Travers showcased it throughout, incorporating perfectly-timed cuts, heads-up passes and sound defensive rotations into his brief cameo on November 1, 2024. Helpful in his donation to Cleveland’s home win, and sixth-straight victory, Travers offered four points, two rebounds, two assists, and a rejection.

Luke Travers

On the rare occasions in which he wasn’t helping padlock the Minnesota Timberwolves’ offense, and forcing them into seven-minute-long, game-opening scoring droughts, De’Andre Hunter ensured that February 10, 2025’s highlight reel featured brilliance on both sides. Ironically only two weeks removed from putting together a career-best 35-point performance against Minnesota in a different uniform, Hunter tests his new fit in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ wine-and-gold, establishing camp along the far 3-point corner. Benefitting from a one-handed, across-the-floor dime that somehow creeps behind the rim and under the basket’s stanchion pole, Hunter rewards the heads-up play, cashing in a 3-pointer that helps maintain a sizable distance on the scoreboard. Positives could be found throughout Hunter’s debut in Cleveland, as he used a 23-minute appearance to collect 12 points, one rebound, one steal, and three 3-pointers. The Cavaliers rode that momentum to guide a third-straight win, moving them to 43-10 with the All-Star break rapidly approaching.

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