Evan Mobley Scores 27 as Cavaliers Rout Bucks

Evan Mobley and the Cleveland Cavaliers dropped 48 points on Milwaukee in the second quarter alone, and that was the ballgame. Mobley scored 27 points on 11-of-16 shooting as the Cavs cruised past the Bucks 136-111 on Saturday night in Milwaukee, per the AP recap.

Cleveland needed this one. The Cavaliers move to 4-2 after their three-game winning streak got snapped Thursday in Atlanta, and they bounced back with a dominant first half. Milwaukee drops to 1-5 and is still looking for its first road win, a few days after getting routed 132-100 in Houston.

The 48-Point Quarter

The Bucks actually led 25-24 after one. Then the Cavs exploded. Cleveland scored 48 in the second quarter, shot 62% in the first half, and went into the locker room up 72-46. Milwaukee shot just 31% over the first two quarters.

It did not slow down after halftime. Cleveland passed 100 points with 2:22 left in the third on a Jarrett Allen putback, scored 37 in the period, and built a 34-point lead.

Mobley and Allen Owned the Paint

Mobley did his damage in only 25 minutes, hitting 3 of 5 from three to go with his work inside. Allen was right there with him, scoring 25 on 12-of-16 shooting with 11 rebounds, 19 of those points coming in the first half. When both bigs are this efficient, Cleveland is very hard to stay with.

Donovan Mitchell added 15, James Harden had 13 points and seven assists, and Mario Hezonja grabbed 11 rebounds. Meleek Thomas returned after missing a game with right foot soreness and scored 13 in 23 minutes. Jaylon Tyson sat out with a right ankle sprain.

Rough Night in Milwaukee

Kel'el Ware led the Bucks with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Tyler Herro scored 15, and Kyle Kuzma plus rookies Nate Ament and Brayden Burries had 14 apiece. A few World Series champion Brewers, including Jackson Chourio, were in the building, but there was not much for the home crowd to cheer after the first quarter.

Up next, Cleveland hosts Oklahoma City on Monday, and Milwaukee visits Minnesota on Monday.

Smacktok Pick Lean

Mobley put up 27 in just 25 minutes because the blowout let the starters rest. Monday's home game against a Thunder team that just lost Chet Holmgren for at least two months should be a lot more competitive, which means more minutes. We are leaning higher on Mobley's points against OKC's thinned-out frontcourt. Cavs fans, this is the version of the team you have been waiting for.