Jaylon Tyson put the Cleveland Cavaliers on his back in their victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, 117-115.
Injuries have caused plenty of problems for the Cleveland Cavaliers this season, but they’ve also created opportunities for others to step up, one of those being Jaylon Tyson.
Tyson's emergence for the Wine and Gold couldn’t have been more evident in Cleveland’s victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday evening, 117-115.
With both Darius Garland and Sam Merrill sidelined, Tyson slid back into the starting lineup, and the forward didn’t disappoint and was easily the player of the game.
Tyson ended the night with a career-high 39 points, while shooting an efficient 76 percent (13-for-17) from the floor and 77 percent (7-for-9) from behind the arc. The forward also tacked on five rebounds and four assists to his stat sheet.
Jan 16, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) controls the ball against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jaylon Tyson (20) during the second quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn ImagesEven though Tyson had a game-high in points, his biggest play of the night was the shot he didn’t take.
With eight seconds on the clock in the fourth quarter, with the game tied, Tyson caught an in-bounds pass from Lonzo Ball and drove to the hoop. Paul George and Joel Embiid both stepped up to guard him, and instead of forcing a tough shot, Tyson passed the ball to a cutting Evan Mobley, who easily laid the ball in to win the game.
“Young guy, would think he tried to challenge, try to get a dunk, the fact that he made the wraparound dish to Evan, that just speaks of his maturity, how much he's grown in, in two years,” said Kenny Atkinson about the game-winning play.
Cleveland’s head coach also emphasized that, yes, the scoring was a key piece in Tyson’s performance, but the forward’s defensive impact was a difference-maker in the Cavaliers’ stunning win over the 76ers.
“Everybody's gonna talk about the 39 points, but I'll talk about his defense on [Tyrese] Maxey. You know, [Tyson would] hit a three, then he'd pick [Maxey] up full court. He was great on both ends. Man, what a game. Five-star performance,” Atkinson said.
Tyson started off the season as just another bench piece for the Cavaliers, but performances like this one against the 76ers show that he can be so much more for the Wine and Gold, and he’s only getting better.