Three Cavaliers Takeaways in their 122-111 Win Against the Wizards

This Cavaliers team is different from the team that played just last week.

Oct 28, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Meleek Thomas (15) drives to the basket beside Washington Wizards forward Kyshawn George (18) in the fourth quarter at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Once again, the Cleveland Cavaliers were the team to come back after being down in a game. Washington was up by as much as 13 points at one point, and they still made the comeback.

Leading the way tonight was Evan Mobley, who finished the night going 5-for-6 from three and scoring 24 points. Behind him was Peyton Watson, in arguably his best game offensively for the team. He put up 22 points and found his role on the team.

What went well for the Cavs to win tonight?

Stopping Trae Young

The biggest factor in the win tonight was the ability to shut down Trae Young tonight. He is a major force on offense and was held to 3-12 shooting on the floor, ending the night with 14 points and 8 assists, which is an off night for him.

Cleveland forced 10 turnovers, which is not a major number for a team, but Young himself was responsible for 4 of them. They forced the other guys on the team to make plays for themselves later in the game and that is what sealed it.

Evan Mobley Is Finding It

This season, Evan Mobley is shooting 12-for-19 from beyond the three-point line this season, a massive jump in his offensive production this year. At this moment, he has made more three-pointers than buckets made at the basket over the last two games.

In a game where Donovan Mitchell was able to take the backseat offensively, the Cavs got better, which has been part of the Mobley conversation over the last few seasons. Outperforming Anthony Davis tonight in what was a must-watch matchup.

He took over the game, and it then left Don open on more possessions and led him to score some important shots at the end of the night.

Best case scenario is that he can keep up this level for a majority of the season and the playoffs.

Meleek Thomas Has His Spot

After tonight’s game, coach Kenny Atkinson said he now has a lot of trust in Thomas and that fans can expect to see him a lot more in games. This is fantastic news for this team. He has provided some important bench offense.

Thomas had 10 points tonight, but it was his defense that stood out in moments. Taking on Trae Young through multiple possessions and getting the stop also contributed to his role increasing so much.

Could he end up in the Rookie of the Year conversation? Maybe he could, but at the end of the season, he is looking at being on the list of the best rookies this year.

This was the first night of a back-to-back for the Cavaliers, which could also have contributed to the lesser role that Mitchell played. To stay fit and ready for the trip to Atlanta tomorrow night.

Cleveland played Atlanta at 8:00 p.m. tomorrow on DAZN.