Evan Mobley grew up more in Game 5, and Cavs need him to take additional steps | Ulrich

CLEVELAND — Darius Garland became so excited he couldn't resist shoving Cavaliers teammate Evan Mobley in the back of the head.

It wasn't THE BLOCK in Cavs lore. The distinction will always belong to LeBron James circa Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals, but the clutch defensive play Mobley delivered in Game 5 on Tuesday night in a 104-103 win over the Orlando Magic is still a pretty big deal.

It was significant enough for Garland to risk giving Mobley whiplash in a moment of pure joy.

Mobley is about as reserved as a professional athlete can be in 2024, yet he chuckled when reminded of his head being pushed forward during the celebration.

“It was just surreal," Mobley said. "Honestly, I've got to watch it back. I don't even know what was going on. I was just out there to play the game, and it was just a big play. I knew it was, and we got it done."

The Cavs secured a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven first-round NBA playoff series, which will resume in Game 6 on Friday night at Kia Center in Orlando.

After Mobley used his left hand to swat Magic forward Franz Wagner's layup attempt with 6.8 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Cavs small forward Max Strus claimed Mobley showed his teammates "nothing different" than he's demonstrated all season.

"Evan's been great all year," Strus said. "Evan's been phenomenal, so Evan steps up when we need him the most. Evan has shown that he's willing to step up in big moments, and he did again tonight."

With all due respect, this was different. The stakes were through the roof of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Coach J.B. Bickerstaff's job and others in the organization are likely riding on this series. All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell's future contractual decisions are expected to be influenced by how it unfolds.

The Cavs had built a 2-0 series lead before being embarrassed last week in Games 3 and 4 on the road. They returned home for Game 5 with the series tied 2-2 and an incredible amount of pressure on their collective shoulders.

Then about a half hour before tipoff, the Cavs officially ruled out starting center Jarrett Allen with a rib contusion he suffered when he took an elbow in Game 4. It wasn't exactly great news. Allen had arguably been Cleveland's Most Valuable Player through the first four games of this series, averaging 17 points on 67.6% shooting from the field and 13.8 rebounds.

With Allen sidelined, Mobley shifted from his usual power forward position and started at center. In the first half, Mobley had just four points and four rebounds. The Cavs need more from him, especially amid Allen's absence. Mobley finished with 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field (63.6%), a game-high 13 rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocked shots in 39 minutes.

Mobley's last block was a dream come true. He explained he knew Wagner would go for the layup and the tie. He timed it perfectly.

"The game was on the line," Mobley said. "I just went for it."

The 7-foot Mobley reminded everyone his defense is invaluable. It earned him third place in NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting a year ago. Knee and ankle injuries limited him to 50 regular-season games in 2023-24, disqualifying him from such awards in his third pro season.

Strus gathered the rebound after Mobley's crucial blocked shot. He passed to Mitchell, whom the Magic fouled. With 3.2 seconds left, Mitchell made two foul shots to give the Cavs a four-point lead. A 3-pointer right before the buzzer by Magic All-Star forward Paolo Banchero wasn't enough. Banchero had a game-high 39 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter.

Mitchell led the Cavs with 28 points, including 14 in the final quarter. Garland, Cleveland's starting point guard, added 23 points, 17 of them in the opening quarter. Strus had 11 of his 16 points in the third quarter. Veteran forward Marcus Morris Sr. came off the bench instead of Georges Niang and provided 12 points.

The Cavs needed every smidgen of those contributions to avoid the dreaded scenario of heading back to Orlando with a 3-2 series deficit.

Still, no one stole the show quite like Mobley did with his crunch-time block. He's been a good player since the franchise drafted him third overall in 2021. He's looked the part of a future All-Star selection at times, and he has disappeared other times. In Game 3, he had 10 points and two rebounds. He can be outmuscled in the post by larger, more mature opponents.

Mobley is only 22 years old, though. It's easy to forget just how young he is. Morris gets it. He's 12 years older than Mobley. Morris revealed he's constantly urging Mobley to stay confident and be aggressive.

"These moments right here, it is going to be really, really good for him in the long run," Morris said.

Mobley's development is ongoing. Given the intensity of the environment, he grew up a bit more Tuesday.

The Cavs will need him to take additional steps in this series, with or without Allen.

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com. On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Evan Mobley lifts Cavs in Game 5 with block, Jarrett Allen out