The Cleveland Cavaliers finally played a complete game. It took until the sixth night of 2026-27 for them, but it did happen. And regardless of the fact that it came against a floundering Milwaukee Bucks squad, this is fantastic to see for a team that had not been able to fully put it together yet.
And while it was primarily a team effort in this contest, there are two players that do still stand out above the rest for their significant contributions in the 136-111 victory.
And it's on that note that the discussion shifts right to Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, and what they brought in this contest.
The most apparent thing from the Cavs last night is that they were paying attention. To the comments from the outside. To what their coach Kenny Atkinson has been telling them. To the thing that they really have not been able to do just yet. The big men need the rock for this squad to win the game, which was a pre-game key from me . The guards (and Peyton Watson + Mario Hezonja) got it to them.
By the time this game was over, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen had 52 points. They were tossing lobs to each other. They were getting to their spots and actually getting the rock this time around. That is what made all the difference. It really doesn't matter that they were facing a smaller team. Because that will happen. It's that they came in with a game plan and clearly executed it.
Allen scored 20+ points for the 91st time in his tenure. The team is now 66-25 in those contests, a clear sign that his aggression and victories go hand-in-hand. The Fro wound up with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. He was 12-16 from the floor and had a +24 net rating.
As for Mobley, this game marked the first time he got 15 or more shot attempts. The big man re-found the stroke from three after two games of struggling from deep. He finished with 27 points and five rebounds on 11-16 FG and 3-5 from 3PT. He was just a +6, but did what he had to.
The duo came through together and helped power a team-effort on a night where they dropped 136 big points.
Shoutout to the "third big" Mario Hezonja, who had eight points, 11 rebounds, and four assists in 20 minutes off the bench. He's blending beautifully with this team. Meleek Thomas also got a few buckets.
The Cavs will face a very short-handed Thunder team for each of their next two games. No Jalen Williams. No Cason Wallace. No Chet Holmgren. The effort they showed against the Bucks is a sign of what they are capable of.
With a critical stretch coming up, they'll bring some momentum in.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/cavaliers/onsi as The Big Men Proved to Be Duo Cleveland Needed Against Milwaukee .
