The Cleveland Cavaliers put together 48 minutes of near perfection as they sent home the Toronto Raptors for their 17th win of the season.

Grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

Donovan Mitchell

26 points (10-18 shooting), 4 rebounds, 1 assist

Mitchell was in coastal mode for 45 minutes. He was mostly used as a decoy as the Raptors got overloaded and tried to keep him from developing an offensive rhythm. Mitchell played it slow and waited until the final period to make his presence known.

It was seven straight points from Mitchell to start the fourth quarter that blew this game open. The Cavs defense rumbled around his scoring outburst and as a result they pulled off a stress-free win.

Grade: A

Ty Jerome

26 points (9-14 shooting), 6 assists, 4 steals

Jerome is on fire to start the season. His unlimited range has made him an overnight hero and tonight was no different as he scored more than 26 points for the second time in a row after never scoring more than 24 points in a game in his entire career.

Jerome has found a house in Cleveland. He destroys secondary units with his shooting and playmaking. Most impressively, his active, hands-on defense keeps him a constant threat to opposing ball handlers. Jerome’s four steals were huge in this win.

Grade: A+

Evan Mobley

14 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

Mobley took the match against Scottie Barnes personally. He denied him repeatedly in their first meeting of the season and tonight Mobley had Barnes underwater again until it was time for the trash. It was another fantastic defensive game in a season where Mobley’s offense turned heads. Don’t take it for granted.

Grade: A

Darius Garland

16 points (6-14 shooting), 6 assists, 3 rebounds

There’s only so much to do when the entire basic setup clicks like this. Garland took a back seat most of the night, playing to himself and creating plays for others. That’s all it took. His ability to collapse a defense and score against the drop remains a highlight of his season, despite Garland’s recent struggles against Boston.

Quality: A-

Jarrett Allen

23 points (10-14 shooting), 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

Do you want a monstrous defensive anchor who can run the floor and set up everything on the other end? If the answer is yes, Allen would have made you proud tonight.

Allen’s role as the unsung hero is what makes Cleveland such a dominant team through 82 games. On any given night, he can dominate both paints and make it a nightmare for his opponent. Allen was everywhere at all the right times in this game.

Grade: A+

Isaac Okoro

10 points (4-4 shooting), 6 rebounds, 4 assists

I said Mitchell’s fourth-quarter scoring rush galvanized Cleveland’s defense. Okoro was the main driver of this run. He provided frenetic energy at the rim, stopping ball handlers or directing them to the two beasts in the paint.

Okoro’s ball defense has always been fantastic. But in this game, he also knocked down a pair of threes and had four assists. This is everything you’d hope to see from Okoro if he’s in the starting lineup – he even grabs six rebounds.

Grade: A+

Sam Merrill

3 points (1-6 shooting), 4 rebounds, 3 assists

Merrill had numerous open attempts that would have blown the roof off the arena had they fallen. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t his night.

But I can’t give Merrill a bad grade. His off-ball movement was effective in keeping the Raptors moving. He routinely made good cuts and used his gravity to generate three assists. Merrill also struggled on defense, making it difficult for Toronto to attack him.

Grade: B-

George Niang

2 points (1-13 shooting), 4 rebounds, 1 assist

Yep…this was the only rough performance of the night. Niang led the team in field goal attempts through three quarters. In all that time he had only connected once.

I can’t say Niang was insistent – ​​or even that he was largely absent. It was a good process play from Niang that just didn’t deliver anything tangible to feel good about. He started the year well, but this was not his best performance.

Grade: D