Mitchell, Cavalier of the Game, in win over Pelicans

Cavs news and links for Thursday, Nov. 7.

The Cleveland Cavaliers picked up their ninth straight win to set a new franchise record for best start to the season. They’re also the only undefeated team left standing.

Donovan Mitchell - Player of the Game

Good players know when they need to turn it on as Mitchell did in New Orleans. This wasn’t a great first three quarters by his standards. Mitchell had 14 points on 5-11 shooting and it didn’t feel like his scoring was coming within the flow of the offense. That changed in the fourth quarter.

Mitchell took over the game when the Cavs needed him to. He put up 15 points in the fourth quarter alone while dishing out two assists. The Pelicans fought back early in the final frame to make it a six-point game, but then Mitchell responded with two triples of his own to give the Cavs a comfortable lead.

New Orleans cut the deficit to six again midway through the fourth, but Mitchell responded with an impressive floater to give Cleveland more breathing room. He then closed the Pelicans out by scoring 10 points in the final minute and a half.

Mitchell hasn’t had to carry them to victory for 48 minutes like they’ve needed in the past. They’re winning with complete game performances. But when Cleveland has needed Mitchell to get them out of a jam, he’s met the challenge.

This is his ideal role.

The second sip

I’m still thinking about this pass from Evan Mobley. This isn’t something that seven foot centers (or wing/bigs if you ask Kenny Atkinson) make.

Notable NBA results from last night

The Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder both fell yesterday evening. This leaves the Cavs as the only unbeaten team and with a two-game advantage for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Denver Nuggets may not be a good team, but Nikola Jokić is going to get the absolute most out of his imperfect squad. He did that in the win over Oklahoma City as he put up 23 points, 19 rebounds, and 16 assists in the win. Jokić could be set up for a 2018 LeBron type season.

Also, the Charlotte Hornets were able to come away with an improbable win against the Detroit Pistons thanks to this putback from Brandon Miller.

NBA schedule today

• Timberwolves vs. Bulls - 8 PM, NBA TV
• Jazz vs. Bucks - 8 PM
• Trail Blazers vs. Spurs - 8 PM

Links of the day

• Inside the NBA arena that’s trying to change how fans cheer
• Lakers have shown us the good and the bad, but what team are they?
• It’s not just Ant, all young stars are bombing from three
• NBA trends up and down