The Cleveland Cavaliers' balanced offensive attack led to a big win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
There was so much to like from the Cleveland Cavaliers’ recent win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, 146-134.
Whether it was Darius Garland showing he can still be the shifty point guard he is, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen asserting themselves in the paint, Donovan Mitchell continuing to play at an elite level, or the impact from Cleveland’s bench, this was one of the most complete games the Cavaliers have played all season.
There are a lot of individual takeaways from this victory, but one of the biggest takeaways from the win was Cleveland’s balanced scoring attack, in which it felt like everyone played a part in the victory.
The Cavaliers’ leading scorers included:
- Donovan Mitchell - 28 points
- Evan Mobley - 24 points
- Jaylon Tyson - 23 points
- Darius Garland - 22 points
- Sam Merrill - 20 points
As the NBA’s X account pointed out, this win was the second time in franchise his that the Cavaliers have had five players score 20 or more points in a game. It’s the 10th time since 2000 that this has occurred.
Jan 10, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley (4) celebrates with forward Nae'qwan Tomlin (35) during the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesAfter the game, as Garland was walking off the floor, he commented about the balanced attack from Cleveland’s offense.
“That’s what we do. We got a lot of talent on this team. So, yeah, share the wealth. It all goes around and something always happens,” said Cleveland’s star guard.
Too many times this season, it’s felt like the Cavaliers’ offense has been stalled, leaving it up to one player, usually Mitchell, to play hero ball and bail the Wine and Gold out. Saturday’s win over the Timberwolves felt like the complete opposite.
As a team, the Cavaliers dished out 38 assists, which was the second most in a single game this season. The most Cleveland has registered this season was 40, which came in their win over the New Orleans Pelicans on December 23.
There’s still a long way to go for the Cavaliers to truly be back on track, and that starts with Cleveland following up this win with another similar, complete performance. But as long as the Wine and Gold continue playing this team-brand of basketball, they should be in a good spot once all 82 regular-season games have been played.