Cleveland Cavaliers – Brooklyn Nets · NBA

Win probability changed during the game. · 23 March 2023

CLE116–114BKN

Is it worth watching?

The ESPN data for this game contradicts the official result, so it cannot be rated

It measures how much the win probability moved during the game —without looking at who won or at the score— and compares it with the 10,950 NBA games with a curve since 2017. “Highly recommended” is the most intense 20%, “recommended” runs from 50% to 80%, and “skippable” is the rest. Source: ESPN.

↑ BKN winsCLE wins ↓

The last point of this curve falls on BKN's side, but CLE won 116-114. It is an ESPN error at the close of the game: the curve is shown as it is and no conclusion is drawn from it.

Home team's win probability across the game (source: ESPN). The band rises when BKN leads and falls when CLE does.

This is how the game was decided.

Donovan Mitchell decided it, the Cleveland Cavaliers player with the most points (31, with 6 rebounds and 1 assists; 0 with him on the floor); the winner's best plus-minus was Evan Mobley's (+16). The criterion: the winner's points in the box score; plus-minus says who was on the floor when the game opened up.

The game-winner in Brooklyn Nets 114-116 Cleveland Cavaliers (March 23, 2023) was hit by Isaac Okoro: a three-pointer with 1.1 s left in the fourth quarter, putting the Cleveland Cavaliers up 116-114. They never trailed again.

The biggest run of Brooklyn Nets 114-116 Cleveland Cavaliers (March 23, 2023) was a 10-0 run by the Brooklyn Nets in the second quarter (from 3:07 to 1:09), from 49-57 to 59-57. The Cleveland Cavaliers' best was a 8-0 run in the second quarter (from 7:42 to 6:26), from 41-40 to 49-40.

▸See where these figures come from

Play: Isaac Okoro makes three point jumper (Caris LeVert assists).

I count as the game-winner the basket that puts the winning team ahead for good. Source: the official NBA play-by-play (since 2002-03) and each team's official box scores.

A run here is consecutive points by one team without the opponent scoring. Source: the official NBA play-by-play (since 2002-03) and each team's official box scores.

Source: the game's official box score and play-by-play.

Isaac Okoro decided this game: his points put his team ahead with 1.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter, and the opponent never led again.

It is the only game he has decided this way in the NBA since the 2002-03 season.

His profile shows the games Okoro decided

▸See where these figures come from

A game is decided by the last basket that puts a team ahead in the final ten seconds of the fourth quarter or of an overtime, if that team wins.

23 March 2023 · The source is the ESPN play-by-play, play espn:401469249:647; the date is the one on the NBA box score.

Who stood out on defense during the season

These figures cover the whole 2022-23 regular season, not this game.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Donovan Mitchell recovered 1.0 loose balls per game over his 68 games.
He ranks 1 of 382 in the league.
Evan Mobley contested 11.3 shots per game over his 79 games.
He ranks 4 of 382 in the league.
Jarrett Allen contested 11.1 shots per game over his 68 games.
He ranks 6 of 382 in the league.

Brooklyn Nets

Nic Claxton contested 12.1 shots per game over his 76 games.
He ranks 2 of 382 in the league.
Cameron Johnson deflected 2.5 passes per game over his 42 games.
He ranks 28 of 382 in the league.
Dorian Finney-Smith recovered 0.7 loose balls per game over his 66 games.
He ranks 42 of 382 in the league.

Hustle figures come from the hustle stats the NBA publishes (NBA.com) and rim defense comes from its tracking; both cover the regular season. For each player in this game we show the figure that ranks him highest in the league, and for each team, the three best ranked. Ranks count players with at least 30 games and, at the rim, at least 4 defended shots per game.

The Brooklyn Nets have won 18 of their 48 games against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

18-30record of the Brooklyn Nets · NBA 2012-13 – 2025-26, regular season and playoffs

0-3in 2025-26

See the full head-to-head in the Analyst

See where it comes from

Official NBA box scores, regular season and playoffs, 2012-13 – 2025-26. It counts every game between the two teams that the house holds, this one included.

SportiveWorld knows much more about this game

Game context

Attendance

17.732

100% of capacity

Barclays Center · Brooklyn

Scoring

230

combined points

0.6 above the season average (229.4)

⚖️ The last two minutes

Official NBA L2M report: every call in the endgame, reviewed by the league.

13 calls reviewed2 errors admitted by the NBA

Violation: Lane · 00:11.6

Donovan Mitchell → Nets

Mitchell (CLE) crosses the plane of the free throw line before it makes contact with the rim.

Foul: Shooting · 01:52.4

Nicolas Claxton → Caris LeVert

Claxton (BKN) makes clean contact with the ball and any contact with LeVert's (CLE) hand on the ball is incidental during his driving shot attempt.