Evan Mobley

Allen may not have been dominant in Wednesday's victory, but his performance could be considered excellent. The Cavaliers center has surpassed the 20-point mark in three of his last four outings, shooting an incredible 85.4 percent from the field. Over the past week, Allen has been ranked just outside the top 25 in nine-cat per-game value. Sidekick Evan Mobley was solid on Wednesday, finishing with 13 points, four rebounds, four assists, one steal, one block and one three-pointer. Allen's production carried the night, moving the Cavaliers one game closer to locking down home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.

NBA Defensive Player of the Year 2025 betting on Evan Mobley

Mobley returned from a one-game absence and turned in a 9/6/4 line on 3-of-10 shooting against the Pistons. He bounced back in a big way on Sunday, hitting 8-of-16 shots, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, and delivering some quality peripheral contributions. He and the Cavs get a brief respite before returning to the court for Wednesday's primetime showdown with the Knicks.

While Cleveland's "core four" is available and will start Friday's game, Max Strus is not. Isaac Okoro, who is most valuable as a defender, will replace him in the lineup. Okoro offers limited production on the offensive end of the floor, especially with Garland and Mitchell available. Mobley's return pushes Dean Wade to the bench.

Mobley sat out against San Antonio on Thursday but will be back in the lineup to face Detroit. His return should push Dean Wade back to the bench after and unproductive start. De'Andre Hunter may also lose out on a few minutes.