The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Utah Jazz behind a monster game from Evan Mobley. Let’s go over today’s winners and losers.

WINNER – Evan Mobley

It’s not every night that Evan Mobley looks like a bully. But tonight, the Utah Jazz had no one who could defend Mobley in the paint.

Mobley commanded multiple bodies to stop him from burrowing his way under the basket for a bucket. That gravity made it easier for the Cavs offense to operate — as Mobley was routinely sucking in the defense and getting the Jazz to scramble.

All of that was made possible by Mobley’s 16 points in the first half. Each basket came in the paint, with Mobley going 8-11 from the field in the opening half. He was a dominant force, attacking in transition and sealing mismatches deep in the restricted area.

Mobley finished with 34 points, 17 rebounds and 3 blocks. It was his first game of 30+ points since March 19, 2025. If this is Mobley peaking, then he picked the right time. They’ll need this version of him in the playoffs.

This is the mentality that’s expected of Mobley. He won’t always be the focal point of an offense that is led by two ball-dominant guards. But when Mobley has a favorable matchup, he has to make it undeniable. Demand the ball and prove why you should have it. That’s what he did in Utah.

LOSER – 3PT Defense

Rinse and repeat.

The Cavs have an obvious weak point. They haven’t successfully contained the perimeter for most of the season. Whether it be due to simple miscommunications or over-helping on the backline, there’s a pattern that can’t be ignored.

Utah is the latest team to light up the Cavaliers from downtown. They connected on more than half of their attempts (15-29) and nearly shot it well enough to win the game.

I’m more than willing to give credit where it’s due. The Jazz converted some difficult jumpers throughout the night. They did, however, also receive their fair share of quality looks. Again, this Cavs team is detached and far from playing on a string. Breakdowns are internal, with unforced errors resulting in open looks for their opponents.

This is difficult to fix on the fly. It’s one of the limitations they’ve faced since changing the roster in February. This team doesn’t have the continuity or chemistry required to be a flawless defensive team. They have just a few weeks to polish their scheme and get on the same page before the playoffs begin. That’s no small task.

It didn’t help that Cleveland shot just 6-32 from deep in this one. It was their worst three-point shooting game of the season.

But hey, credit to the Cavs for winning a game in which they were outscored by 27 points from deep.

WINNER – A Backcourt Trio

Let’s go down the list and give shout-outs to a trio of guards in the starting lineup. Sam Merrill, Donovan Mitchell, and James Harden showcased their own positives in this one.

Harden wasn’t overly aggressive in searching for his own shot. But he read the room and made a conscious effort to feed Evan Mobley. He repeatedly orchestrated the offense to center on Mobley — ultimately fueling the big man’s big scoring performance. Harden finished with 14 assists for the second game in a row.

Meanwhile, Mitchell poured in a somewhat quiet 34 points. It’s the type of thing we’ve almost come to take for granted, considering how often it happens. This was Mitchell’s 32nd game of 30+ points this season alone. He did it on 10-18 shooting (11-12 from the free throw line).

Finally, Merrill continues to impress me with his on-ball creation. He’s made a genuine leap in terms of attacking the basket. Merrill has had success putting the ball on the floor and bursting around defenders for layups. And, he’s expertly cut his way to the rim for even more scoring opportunities.

Players like Merrill can easily fall into a box. Specialists who never become anything more. But Merrill has proven he can impact the game in multiple ways. That’s made him a starting-caliber player for the Cavs and someone who can surprise you on any given night.

Much to the delight of both organizations, the Cleveland Cavaliers did enough to pull out the 122-113 win over the tanking Utah Jazz to start their brief three-game road trip.

This game was much closer than it should’ve been in the fourth quarter. The Jazz were without six rotation players and came into this game losers of their last five and having dropped nine of their last 10.

Meanwhile, the Cavs rested two key rotation players, Max Strus and Jarrett Allen, in preparation for tomorrow’s game with the Los Angeles Lakers. That, combined with being without Dean Wade (ankle) and Jaylon Tyson (toe), left the Cavs thin on bench reserves. However, that itself doesn’t explain why this game was close late.

Cleveland simply couldn’t put the game away despite having several chances to do so early. They opened the second quarter on a 13-1 run, which allowed them to stretch their lead to 14, but they didn’t keep their foot on the gas, allowing the Jazz back into the game before the break.

This happened once again in the third quarter. The Cavs pushed the lead to 15 midway through the third, but then allowed the Jazz to claw back. They tied things up three-and-a-half minutes into the fourth and even took a brief two-point lead with five minutes left in the contest.

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The Cavaliers’ starters were able to reassert control of the game from there. The offense executed well down the stretch thanks to a strong fourth quarter from Evan Mobley.

As was the case all game, the Jazz didn’t have an answer for Mobley inside. He did a good job of attacking in space, beating mismatches, and finishing lobs inside. This included putting the Jazz away with an and-one layup, an alley-oop from Sam Merrill, and an and-one pick-and-roll with James Harden on three-straight possessions, which started with four minutes to play in the fourth quarter. This took it from a three-point advantage to an 11-point one to help seal the game.

Mobley scored 10 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter. On the night, he finished with 17 rebounds, three assists, three blocks, and a steal on 15-21 shooting. This led to him leading the team in plus/minus at +21.

Not to be outdone, Donovan Mitchell also supplied 34 points. He did so on 10-18 shooting with five assists and a steal.

Harden once again showed his skill in manipulating the defense. He seemingly created open shots for his teammates every time down the court. This resulted in him racking up 14 assists for the second game in a row. He also had 13 points on 4-9 shooting to go along with six rebounds.

This game shouldn’t have been close based on how well the Cavs’ three best players performed. But, you’d also expect the team to shoot better than 6-32 (18.8%) from three.

Meanwhile, the Jazz were outclassed for most of the game, but their hot shooting kept them alive. They went 15-29 (51.7%) from beyond the arc. Allowing opponents to get hot from beyond the arc continues to be an issue for the Cavs.

The Jazz were led by 26 points from Cody Williams. Kyle Filipowski had 20 points and 10 rebounds on 7-12 shooting.

The Cavaliers will be back in action on Tuesday when they take on Luka Doncic and the Lakers. Tip-off is at 10:30 PM Eastern.

The Dallas Mavericks got blown out at home Monday night, losing 124-94 to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Dallas.

Cooper Flagg had a game to forget, as he couldn’t buy a bucket for the entire game. But it wasn’t just him that struggled. Almost every Mavericks was off, besides Brandon Williams.

The Mavericks were soundly outplayed in the first quarter, with the Timberwolves playing with playoff-like intensity. Flagg missed his first four shots, and was heavily bothered by Rudy Gobert’s rim protection.

The Timberwolves three point shooting carried their offensive output, and as usual the Mavericks did not respond in kind.

Flagg was able to get his first bucket on a beautiful cut to the rim, with a great pass from Brandon Williams. He followed it up with a great block on Gobert; although, he wasn’t able to hit the pullup jump-shot over the French big man. The Mavericks offense continued to struggle the rest of the quarter, with the lack of any three point shooters ruining the spacing.

The Timberwolves began to build a cushion in the third quarter, with the Mavericks having zero response to the early Minnesota run. Minnesota’s transition offense was especially crisp, with the Minnesota guards taking advantage of the Mavericks mistakes.

The overall difference in talent felt massive, and with the Timberwolves playing with playoff intensity, the Mavericks had no answer. The fourth quarter was mainly a formality, with the Timberwolves continuing the second half demolition of the Mavericks.

Cooper Flagg’s shot diet has to change

Flagg was pretty horrendous against the Timberwolves, as the pressure and physicality seemed to throw him of his rhythm.

It also didn’t help that he seemed absolutely terrified to shoot from behind-the-arc.

A microcosm of this issue came early in the second quarter, with Flagg settling for a terrible mid range jumper instead of an uncontested three. Obviously it doesn’t really matter for this season, but going forward it has to change, or Flagg’s scoring potential is capped.

It isn’t even the percentage that worries me, but rather the complete lack of confidence he feels in his shot. The Timberwolves perfectly exploited this, as they routinely gave him plenty of room in his isolation or pick-and-roll reps.

Hopefully an offseason of work can help the 19 year-old find his confidence, make-or-miss.

The Mavericks aren’t close… yet

A game like this truly illustrates the massive gap between a real deal contender, and the Dallas Mavericks.

While the Mavericks were without both Naji Marshall and P.J. Washington, it wouldn’t have mattered. The difference in execution, talent and intensity between the two teams was stark.

This game also showed how to build a great team around a slashing superstar wing, with Anthony Edwards not even being needed in this contest.

The Timberwolves three point shooting and point of attack defense are both elite, while the Mavericks have massive holes in both areas.

Hopefully the Mavericks realize this, and seek to actually address this in the offseason.

According to a report by Aris Barkas of Euro Hoops, the NBA, FIBA, and EuroLeague will reignite negotiations about teaming up to revamp professional basketball in Europe over the next few days. While broad discussions surrounding an NBA Europe venture have circulated for years, there has been building momentum for a 2027 start. Barkas’ reporting suggests it really could be close to becoming reality. There seems to be a pathway for all three major basketball institutions to support the new league.

Since Barkas says many investors are hesitant to pour nine-figure investments into an upstart league, the NBA is more open to collaborating with the EuroLeague than at previous points. While the NBA once aimed to immediately take control of the league from current ownership groups, they now appear interested in collaborating with the league on a minor expansion from 20 to 24 teams. It’s unclear if the added teams would be specific NBA affiliates or if the NBA will simply provide smaller support to all 24 squads.

Barkas adds that the NBA’s collaboration with EuroLeague could also help ensure the new venture does not add further conflicts to FIBA’s international competition schedule. While the NBA largely functions independent of FIBA, since basketball powerhouses like the U.S. can often rely on non-NBA talent for qualifying tournaments during the season, the EuroLeague has had a much more contentious relationship with FIBA. Barkas speculates that the NBA’s added presence could help mend those fences.

2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer season standings:

Tyrese Maxey – 22
VJ Edgecombe – 12
Joel Embiid – 10
Paul George – 7
Justin Edwards – 4
Kelly Oubre Jr. – 4
Quentin Grimes – 3
Jared McCain :’( – 3
Dominick Barlow – 2
Andre Drummond – 2
MarJon Beauchamp – 2
Adem Bona – 1
Cam Payne – 1
Jabari Walker – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1

Towards the beginning of Philadelphia’s crucial road contest against the Heat, it looked like the Sixers might have contracted the South Beach flu. Miami was racing out for a ton of transition points and opened up a 13-point lead in the first quarter. However, the Sixers rallied to take a seven-point lead in the second quarter and a game of runs ensued. With Philadelphia leading by four with three minutes remaining, the Heat went on a 14-0 run to seize control and put the game away in an eventual 119-109 final. Tyler Herro scored eight of his game-high 30 points during that run. It was a disappointing loss for the Sixers, who now drop 1.5 games behind Toronto and Atlanta in the standings. With this result, Philadelphia also lost the season series, 2-1, to Miami, which could come into play with the Heat just 1.5 games back of the Sixers. Let’s talk Bell Ringer before we move onto Washington Wednesday night.

Paul George: 19 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover

It really is noticeable how much healthier George feels after his time off from the suspension. You could see it on his first bucket of the game when he drove down the lane and rose up for a two-handed dunk. Or when he raced ahead in transition to get ahead of the defense and lay a bucket in for a three-point play. PG was instrumental to the Sixers hanging around in the first quarter. He threw a perfect alley-oop pass to VJ Edgecombe from about 35 feet away. George also made a great play to dig down defensively and knock the ball away from Bam Adebayo from behind, then rushed over to present an outlet option for Dominick Barlow, who had hustled to the floor for the loose ball. As the game wore on, George’s shot grew colder, but I’d still chalk this game up as a good sign of things to come.

Tyrese Maxey: 23 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers

Like many Sixers on the evening, Maxey had a cold shooting night from deep. I felt he nicely used the threat of his shot to work his way into easier mid-range looks on a few occasions. Tyrese also continued to attack, with a team-high seven attempts from the free throw line, and made some nice drive-and-kick reads to open three-point shooters. We also witnessed the growth in Maxey’s defensive game. On two separate occasions, Tyrese played outstanding isolation defense, staying with his man and blocking Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez as they went up for the shot, then collecting the ball to spur a transition opportunity. Overall, it wasn’t the best Maxey night, but remember he’s playing with a splint on his shooting hand after all.

Joel Embiid: 26 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 3 turnovers

Joel was the most consistent offensive weapon for the Sixers. He displayed physicality early on with a couple back-down drives and buckets in the face of Bam Adebayo. Later, Embiid was the skeleton key to unlock the Miami zone, finding his sweet spot in the mid-range circle and rising up over the likes of 6-foot-5 Pelle Larsson. Joel tried his best to carry the team across the finish line, leading the Sixers with 10 points in the fourth quarter, including the big three-pointer to put them up by four late.

MIAMI (AP) — Tyler Herro scored 30 points, Bam Adebayo finished with 23 points and 16 rebounds, and the Miami Heat used a 14-0 run in the final moments to rally past the Philadelphia 76ers 119-109 on Monday night.

Pelle Larsson added 20 points and a career-high 10 rebounds for Miami (40-36), which kept some realistic hope of getting out of the play-in tournament range — or at least getting into one of the top two spots and therefore assuring itself two chances of making the playoffs — alive with the win. The Heat are ninth in the Eastern Conference, in a virtual tie with No. 8 Orlando.

Joel Embiid scored 26 points for Philadelphia, which got a 23-point, nine-assist, seven-rebound night from Tyrese Maxey. Paul George added 19 points for the 76ers, who remained seventh in the East.

VJ Edgecombe had 13 points and five assists for Philadelphia, on a night where many from the Bahamas — his homeland — made the short trip to Miami and waved flags in the arena whenever he did something right.

HAWKS 112, CELTICS 102

ATLANTA (AP) — Onyeka Okongwu and Jalen Johnson each scored 20 points, and three days after losing to the Celtics on the road, the Hawks responded with a win over Boston. It was Atlanta’s 13th consecutive home win.

Okongwu (20 points, 10 rebounds) and Johnson each had double-doubles. It was Johnson’s (20 points, 12 rebounds) 45th of the season.

A tightly contested first half with 10 ties and nine lead changes ended at 54-all as Nickeil Alexander-Walker hit a 27-foot 3-pointer to seal the first half. Atlanta carried that momentum into the third quarter, outscoring the Celtics 36-22 to take a 14-point lead at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

The Celtics climbed back from a 21-point deficit in the fourth quarter to come within eight points in the last two minutes. Johnson and Alexander-Walker helped put the game out of reach with four made free throws in the final minute.

Boston’s lineup looked different this time around, with Jaylen Brown returning after a two-game absence and Jayson Tatum on the bench with injury management. Tatum scored 26 points during the teams’ Friday meeting.

Brown had a team high 29 points and 10 rebounds. Luka Garza had 20 points and nine rebounds.

SUNS 131, GRIZZLIES 105

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Devin Booker scored 36 points on 16-of-24 shooting, Jalen Green added 21 points, and Phoenix beat Memphis.

Collin Gillespie had 11 points — all in the fourth quarter — and 10 assists for the Suns. Oso Ighodaro and Rasheer Fleming also scored 11 points.

Booker banked in a straight-away 3-pointer at the buzzer in the third quarter to give Phoenix a two-point lead. GG Jackson threw down a dunk to open the fourth that made it 91-all, but Fleming grabbed an offensive rebound and his putback with 11:14 left in the game gave Phoenix the lead for good.

Ighodaro followed with a dunk and Gillespie added a 3-pointer and a jumper before Jordan Goodwin stole a pass and fed Ryan Dunn for a fast-break dunk that capped an 11-0 run. Goodwin and Fleming made 3s 21 seconds apart that made it 108-95 with 6:59 remaining, and the Grizzlies trailed by double digits the rest of the way.

Tyler Burton led Memphis with 17 points and Cam Spencer scored 16. Jackson and Jahmai Mashack each added 14 points.

SPURS 129, BULLS 114

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had a season-high 41 points and 16 rebounds while collecting the fastest double-double in NBA history, and San Antonio won their ninth straight, defeating Chicago.

Wembanyama had 10 points and 10 rebounds in his first 8 minutes, 31 seconds on the court, collecting his 10th rebound 1:55 into the second quarter. Jim Washington of the St. Louis Hawks had a double-double in nine minutes against the New York Knicks on March 6, 1966.

Wembanyama punctuated his season-high with a driving, one-handed dunk for his final points midway through the fourth quarter. He was 17 for 27 from the field and 3 for 6 on 3-pointers in scoring at least 30 points for the 14th time this season.

Stephon Castle added 21 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for San Antonio, which has has won nine consecutive games.

Bulls point guard Tre Jones had 23 points in his first game in San Antonio since being traded to Chicago as part of the deal that brought De’Aaron Fox to the Spurs. Leonard Miller added 21 points and Collin Sexton had 20 as the Bulls lost their fourth straight.

TIMBERWOLVES 124, MAVERICKS 94

DALLAS (AP) — Dallas native Julius Randle scored 24 points, Anthony Edwards had 17 points off the bench in his return following a six-game absence, and Minnesota beat Dallas.

Edwards was announced as a starter but was late to the court and replaced in the lineup by Mike Conley. Edwards checked in after 2:01 elapsed.

Edwards went in needing to play in every remaining Wolves game to meet the NBA’s 65-game minimum for eligibility for all-NBA consideration.

Ayo Dosunmu had 16 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists for his first triple-double since being acquired from Chicago at the trade deadline.

The Timberwolves (46-29) moved into sole possession of fifth place in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of idle Houston.

Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert had 14 points and 10 rebounds. Donte DiVincenzo hit 5 of 9 behind the arc and finished with 15 points.

Daniel Gafford scored 21 points to lead the lottery-bound Mavericks (24-51), who have lost their last 13 home games.

CAVALIERS 122, JAZZ 113

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell each scored 34 points and Cleveland used a late fourth-quarter surge to beat Utah.

Mobley set a season-high for points, including eight dunks, and also had 16 rebounds and three blocks. The 7-footer capped the decisive 14-1 run with a three-point play that made it 117-106 with 3:14 remaining.

James Harden had 13 points and 14 assists for the Cavaliers, who have won five straight road games and six of their last seven overall.

Cody Williams scored 26 points, Kyle Filipowski had 20 and Ace Bailey added 19 for Utah. The Jazz have lost six straight and 10 of their last 11.

LAKERS 120, WIZARDS 101

LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James had 21 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, Austin Reaves added 19 points and nine assists, and Los Angeles rolled to a win over Washington.

It was James’ 1,228th career victory, including the playoffs, to tie Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most in NBA history.

With Luka Doncic serving a one-game suspension after getting called for his 16th technical foul of the season against Brooklyn on Friday, an energized James led the Lakers to their 12th win in the past 13 games, attacking the rim from the start including throwing down two emphatic two-handed dunks set up by Reaves in the first quarter.

Luke Kennard and Jaxson Hayes each had 19 points off the bench, Deandre Ayton chipped in with 12, and the Lakers improved to 7-6 without Doncic in the lineup this season.

Los Angeles would have clinched a playoff berth and the Pacific Division title with the win and a Phoenix loss, but the Suns’ 131-105 victory over Memphis delayed the formality of securing a fourth straight trip to the postseason.

Will Riley led the Wizards with 20 points and Justin Champagnie had 18 as they lost for the 19th time in 20 games.

THUNDER 114, PISTONS 110, OT

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 47 points and Oklahoma City defeated Detroit in overtime.

The reigning league MVP, and strong candidate to repeat, made 12 of 19 field goals and 21 of 25 free throws. He extended his NBA record for consecutive games with at least 20 points to 136.

The Thunder became the first team in the league to win 60 games this season, and it’s the first time Oklahoma City has won at least that many in back-to-back seasons. The Thunder’s 15th win in 16 games kept them two games ahead of the San Antonio Spurs atop the Western Conference standings.

Oklahoma City, which defeated the New York Knicks on Sunday night, looked sluggish against the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons, who were missing four of their five regular starters. Cade Cunningham remained out with a collapsed lung. All-Star Jalen Duren was out with a right knee injury and Tobias Harris and Duncan Robinson were out with right hip injuries. Isaiah Stewart, a key reserve, missed the game with a left calf strain.

Detroit had won five of six without Cunningham, and they hung tough on Monday. Paul Reed had 21 points and 10 rebounds, Javonte Green scored 19 points and Kevin Huerter added 17 for the Pistons.

DALLAS (AP) — Dallas native Julius Randle scored 24 points, Anthony Edwards had 17 points off the bench in his return following a six-game absence, and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Dallas Mavericks 124-94 on Monday night.

Edwards was announced as a starter but was late to the court and replaced in the lineup by Mike Conley. Edwards checked in after 2:01 elapsed.

Edwards went in needing to play in every remaining Wolves game to meet the NBA’s 65-game minimum for eligibility for all-NBA consideration.

Ayo Dosunmu had 16 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists for his first triple-double since being acquired from Chicago at the trade deadline.

The Timberwolves (46-29) moved into sole possession of fifth place in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of idle Houston.

Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert had 14 points and 10 rebounds. Donte DiVincenzo hit 5 of 9 behind the arc and finished with 15 points.

Daniel Gafford scored 21 points to lead the lottery-bound Mavericks (24-51), who have lost their last 13 home games.

Mavericks star rookie Cooper Flagg scored 12 points on 5-of-19 shooting after starting 1 for 10.

The Mavericks’ home losing streak is their longest at the 25-year old American Airlines Center. It’s their longest since dropping their first 19 games at since-demolished Reunion Arena to begin the 1993-94 season.

Minnesota used a 19-2 run to open a 23-10 lead late in the first quarter and never again trailed. The Wolves led by as many as 33 points in the fourth quarter.

Up Next

Timberwolves: Visit Detroit on Thursday.

Mavericks: Visit Milwaukee on Tuesday.

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AP NBA: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NBA