One-Sided 130-111 Victory at Moda Center

The Cavaliers affable big man was ready to rumble from the opening tip, dominating the Blazers on both ends in an historic performance as the Wine & Gold got right back into the win column – running away with the one-sided 130-111 victory at the Moda Center. 

Allen’s numbers were eye-popping in the win, finishing with a career-high 40 points to go with a season-high 17 rebounds, adding five assists, a pair of steals and season-best four blocks. 

Allen’s magnum opus in Portland puts him in elite company. He’s now just one of five players in NBA history to ever post those numbers – joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Joe Barry Carroll, Shaquille O’Neal and Joel Embid. 

On the night, the 9^th-year big man from Texas went 16-of-23 from the floor and 8-of-12 from the stripe, grabbing six of his 17 rebounds off the offensive glass – doubling up before intermission and holding Portland’s Donovan Clingan to eight points on 3-of-10 shooting. 

“I was just running the floor,” said Allen following the win. “Clingan is an excellent rim protector, but running the floor isn’t his specialty, so I figured I’d just get up and down the floor, and Craig did an excellent job of finding me in transition.”

Behind Allen’s 16-point first quarter, the Cavs jumped all over Portland, taking a double-digit lead midway through the period. The Blazers got to within a deuce in the second quarter, but Cleveland began taking charge in the third and coasted to the finish line in the fourth. 

As good as Cleveland’s starting center was at point-blank range on Sunday, two of his teammates were just as efficient from long-distance. 

Sam Merrill followed up with a season-high-tying 22 points, going 7-of-9 from the floor, 6-of-8 from three-point range, adding four assists in the win. Sunday marked the ninth game this season Merrill drilled at least five three-pointers, his fifth game with six. 

Jaylon Tyson was a perfect 4-for-4 from deep, 7-of-12 from the floor overall, finishing with 18 points and six assists. For the sophomore from Cal – who’s now tallied double-figure scoring in 12 straight games – it was the seventh time this season with at least four triples. 

Tyson is now shooting .473 from long-range this season; Merrill, .459 – good for 3^rd - and 4^th-best in the NBA this year, respectively. 

As for Cleveland’s other two starters, Donovan Mitchell finished with 14 points and nine assists – the fourth time since Darius Garland’s recent injury that Mitchell’s handed out at least eight dimes – and Dean Wade added six points and three steals, along with a team-best +32 plus/minus number in 26 minutes of work. 

Caleb Love led the Blazers with 21 points, going 8-of-15 from the floor, including 3-of-8 from deep, in 29 minutes off the bench. Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams III grabbed a dozen boards apiece, with Clingan swatting four shots in an otherwise rough evening.  

With the win, the Cavaliers even up on the extended trip, have now won six of their last seven games and are 13-5 since December 29. 

*** There’s a reason Jarrett Allen likes to say, “Feed your local big man.” And he showed why on Sunday night in Portland. 

The Cavs as a team were sharp overall on Sunday night – shooting 55 percent from the floor, drilling 16 threes and handing out a season-high-tying 41 assists. Cleveland piled up 68 points in the paint and committed just four turnovers after intermission. 

*** The Cavaliers new-look second unit was outstanding on Sunday night, despite being without its leading scorer – De’Andre Hunter, who was traded to Sacramento in exchange for Dennis Schröder and Keon Ellis in a three-way trade earlier that day. 

Craig Porter Jr. was fantastic on both ends, leading both teams with a career-high 12 assists along with a career-best five steals, adding four boards and two blocks in 27 minutes off the bench. 

Nae’Qwan Tomlin notched double-figures in his second straight outing, finishing with 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting and Thomas Bryant added 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting. 

Former Cleveland State standout Tristan Enaruna – who signed a two-way deal with the Cavs last Wednesday – scored his first NBA bucket with 52 seconds to play, adding a pair of boards and an assist in the win. 

*** Almost lost in a busy day for the Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell was named to his seventh straight All-Star selection, fourth straight as a Cavalier. 

Mitchell, the squad’s unquestioned leader, is the fifth player in team history with at least four All-Star nods – joining LeBron James, Brad Daugherty, Mark Price and Kyrie Irving. The 9^th-year guard from Louisville is averaging a career-high 29.1 points per and has gone for 30 points on 25 occasions and 40-plus five times, both tied for tops in the East. 

The 75^th NBA All-Star Game goes down on Sunday, February 15 at Intuit Dome in L.A., where Mitchell and the Cavs make their next stop. 

*** After sinking the Blazers on Sunday night, the Cavaliers continue their West Coast trip as they barrel towards the All-Star Break – traveling to Tinseltown for a Wednesday night matchup with Ty Lue’s red-hot Clippers. Cleveland takes on the Kings in Sacramento for a Saturday night showdown with the Kings before wrapping up the roadie next Monday in the Mile High City. Two nights later, the Cavs welcome the Wizards to Rocket Arena in the final game before the midseason caesura.