Jarrett

Allen

While solid in Saturday’s series-opener, Mobley was considerably better in Game 2. He only missed two shot attempts from the field, and the tandem of him and Jarrett Allen (10/3/1/2/3) effectively played Raptors’ starting center Jakob Poeltl off the floor. Cleveland won the first two games by 13 and 10 points, and neither appeared to be that close. Mobley and the Cavaliers will look to take a 3-0 series lead on Thursday in Toronto.

The Cavaliers will be without most of their rotation players for Sunday’s regular-season finale, as their playoff seeding is locked in. The absences in the frontcourt free up opportunities for Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who should have the ultimate green light on Sunday.

On the heels of a 16-point, eight-rebound performance against the Hawks on Wednesday, Allen won’t take the floor in Friday’s rematch. The veteran forward remains an important piece for Cleveland in the middle, thanks to his ability to impact the interior on both ends of the floor. In his absence, Evan Mobley could see more minutes at center, and perhaps someone such as Larry Nance Jr. could find his way into the rotation.

Cleveland’s frontcourt tandem of Mobley and Jarrett Allen had the size advantage on Wednesday, and they took advantage. The former matched his career-high with 19 rebounds while also recording 22 points and three blocked shots. Allen contributed a stat line of 16 points, eight rebounds and two steals. While Cleveland can still grab the third seed in the East, Wednesday and Friday’s games against the Hawks are more likely to be previews of a first-round series.

Mobley and Allen did not play in Sunday’s win over the Pacers, resulting in spot starts for Keon Ellis and Thomas Bryant. While Bryant is out with a strained calf, Ellis could remain in the starting lineup since Donovan Mitchell is out.

The Cavaliers have games on Sunday and Monday, so some key contributors will sit out for injury management reasons. Allen and Mobley not playing against the Pacers frees up minutes for Thomas Bryant and Nae’Qwan Tomlin. While streaming either comes with considerable risk, playing time should not be a concern.

Harden’s night in San Francisco wasn’t as prolific as one would expect, but he was available when the Cavaliers needed him most. Down the stretch, the two-man game between and center Jarrett Allen (16 points, 13 rebounds and one steal) produced some key baskets to help Cleveland remain one game in the loss column behind New York for third place in the East. The Cavaliers are off until Sunday, when they host the lottery-bound Pacers. That could be a game where Harden gets his gaudy assist numbers.

Allen sat the first leg of this back-to-back, but he was able to lead the Cavaliers in scoring in his return to the lineup. All 18 of his points came before halftime, and he didn’t end up seeing the floor much after the break. This was an ugly loss for the Cavs that was somewhat redeemed on the scoreboard during the fourth quarter. Allen only played 19 minutes in this game after playing 18 in his return on Friday, though both games were blowouts. He’ll likely continue to have his minutes managed in Golden State on Thursday.

Allen sat out on Monday, which was the first leg of a back-to-back. He’ll return to take on Los Angeles, though with Sam Merrill (hamstring) sidelined, Keon Ellis could remain in the starting unit for a second straight game.

With Jarrett Allen (knee) getting the night off, Mobley was dominant in the opener of Cleveland’s three-game road trip. In addition to shooting over 70 percent from the field, he provided excellent value in rebounds and blocked shots. Mobley’s season-long fantasy value has not been what most fantasy managers expected before the season began. However, he’s still capable of big nights, especially when Allen is not available. The Cavaliers should have both of their bigs available for Tuesday’s game against the Lakers.