Donovan Mitchell will have to play better against the toughest opposition in the NBA as he struggled yet again in a Cavs-Thunder showdown.

On Friday night, one day after the first batch of fan votes were unveiled with only Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell appearing in the top 10 at their positions, Mobley validated why he was already 10th among Eastern Conference frontcourt players.

Ultimately, Donovan Mitchell decided an organizational leap required sacrifice. He needed to take a step back so others could step forward. Evan Mobley specifically.

Mobley's comfort and ability from beyond the arc have risen. And so have the Cavs — to the top of the NBA standings.

The Cavs improved to 34-5 and hold the NBA's best record. Cavaliers guard Darius Garland added 24 points and seven assists. Forward Evan Mobley had 22 points and 13 rebounds and center Jarrett Allen had 16 points and nine rebounds.

The Cavaliers were able to beat the Thunder in spite of Donovan Mitchell scoring just 11 points on 3-of-16 shooting, and a big reason for that was the performance of Evan Mobley. Mobley finished ...

Double-double streak continues

January 15 - Donovan Mitchell scored 27 of his game ... Darius Garland added 24 points and seven assists, while Evan Mobley had 22 points and 13 rebounds for Cleveland, which avenged a 15-point ...

Evan Mobley has a big night to lead a balanced Cavs attack in another double-digit win. Find out how many straight double-figure wins the Cavs have.

Donovan Mitchell scored 27 of his game-high ... Darius Garland added 24 points and seven assists, while Evan Mobley had 22 points and 13 rebounds for Cleveland, which avenged Sunday's 15-point ...

Evan Mobley had 13 points in the period and has 21 points and 12 rebounds for the game. Donovan Mitchell has 33 points. Back to back 3-pointers by Georges Niang and Evan Mobley have this one ...