Cavs Share the Wealth, Overwhelm Pelicans with Offensive Masterclass
On a night when the Cleveland Cavaliers could’ve leaned on their stars, they chose to lean on each other instead. And that decision paid off in a big way. With the offense humming and the ball zipping around Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse like it had somewhere to be, the Cavs cruised to a 141-118 win over the New Orleans Pelicans - their most complete team performance of the season.
This one wasn’t about one guy going nuclear. It was about everyone eating.
A Subtle Lineup Change, a Major Impact
Before the game even tipped, head coach Kenny Atkinson made a quiet, but meaningful tweak: inserting Sam Merrill into the starting lineup in place of Jaylon Tyson. Just Merrill’s second game back from injury, and already he was back in the mix - and making a difference.
The effect was immediate. The floor spacing opened up.
With Merrill flanking Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Dean Wade, and Jarrett Allen, Cleveland stretched New Orleans thin, both vertically and horizontally. The Pelicans’ defense couldn’t load up on any one player without leaving themselves vulnerable elsewhere.
Merrill and Garland, in particular, brought a kind of gravitational pull that forced the Pelicans to make choices - and most of them were wrong. Both guards were willing to attack off the dribble, collapse the defense, and kick out to open shooters.
The result? Cleveland assisted on 12 of its first 13 made shots, including six from beyond the arc.
The ball never stuck. Movement was intentional, not frantic.
Paint touches led to kickouts. Off-ball cuts punished ball-watchers.
It was beautiful, connected basketball.
Supporting Cast Steps Up
By halftime, Merrill and Wade had combined for 25 points and seven threes. But their biggest contribution wasn’t in the box score - it was in the way they relieved pressure from Mitchell and Garland.
The Pelicans still had to respect Cleveland’s stars, but now they had to worry about the corners, the wings, the cutters. Every decision came with a cost.
That ripple effect extended to the bench, where Cleveland has been searching for consistency all season. With Tyson and De’Andre Hunter as the first two off the pine, the Cavs didn’t just maintain their offensive rhythm - they built on it.
Both wings brought shot creation and spacing, able to attack closeouts or pull up in rhythm. For the first time in a while, the offense didn’t sag when the starters sat.
And that mattered, because New Orleans had a pretty strong bench weapon of their own.
Defending Zion: A Team Effort
Zion Williamson came off the bench for the Pelicans and, as usual, he was a force. He went into halftime a perfect 6-for-6 from the field with 14 points.
But Cleveland didn’t back down. They treated him like a collective problem - not one man’s assignment.
Hunter absorbed the initial blow, meeting Zion early and often. Tyson helped from the weak side.
Allen, Wade, and Thomas Bryant rotated over at the rim, arms up, bodies ready. The goal wasn’t to shut Zion down - that’s rarely realistic.
The goal was to make him think, to make him work, to complicate his reads.
It worked. Zion had three first-half turnovers and finished the half with a minus-10 plus-minus despite his perfect shooting.
Every time he spun, someone was there. Every drive came with a second body.
That kind of execution only works when your team trusts each other - and trusts the game plan.
Punch for Punch, Cleveland Never Flinched
The Pelicans made a push late in the second quarter, trimming an 18-point deficit to just three. But Cleveland didn’t blink. They responded with poise, took a nine-point lead into halftime, and never looked back.
New Orleans came in with a clear identity: physicality, paint pressure, and downhill attacks. They don’t shoot many threes - and they don’t make many either.
The Cavs knew what was coming. And while transition defense has been a soft spot this season, Cleveland had more resistance this time.
Yves Missi battled Jarrett Allen on the boards. Zion lowered his shoulder into Hunter.
Tyson fought through screens and chased ball-handlers. It got physical.
It got chippy. But Cleveland didn’t shy away.
Allen, typically one of the league’s most mild-mannered bigs, made it clear he wasn’t going to be pushed around. He fought for all nine of his rebounds.
He sent a message. And the Pelicans got it loud and clear.
Numbers That Tell the Story
By the time the third quarter ended, the Cavs had poured in 41 points and held the Pelicans to 31. The lead ballooned, and New Orleans never got close again.
Cleveland outscored New Orleans 70-54 in the paint. They dominated second-chance points 27-15.
They knocked down 20 threes. The Cavs didn’t just win - they controlled every phase of the game.
Mitchell led the way with 27 points, but it was a quiet, efficient night. He didn’t need to play hero ball.
He sat most of the fourth quarter. That’s the kind of night every coach dreams of.
Eight Cavaliers finished in double figures. Merrill dropped 22 points and drilled six triples.
Tyson added 18 points and six boards. Bryant chipped in with 15 and seven.
It was a team win in every sense.
The Takeaway
Monday night, it was Garland and Mitchell carrying the load. Tuesday night, the Cavs showed they don’t always have to. When this team shares the ball, trusts the system, and plays with this level of balance, the ceiling rises - and the burden shrinks.
Next up: a marquee Christmas Day matchup at Madison Square Garden against the Knicks. It’ll be Cleveland’s first Christmas game since 2018.
Tipoff is set for noon Eastern. If Tuesday night was any indication, they’re heading to New York with momentum - and a roster that’s learning how to win as one.