Winners and Losers: Cavs at Nuggets – Jarrett Allen completes stellar road trip

The Cleveland Cavaliers have completed their West Coast road trip with one more win over the Denver Nuggets. Let’s see who won and lost the night.

WINNER – Jarret Allen versus the Joker

Jarrett Allen is having an awesome 2026. It seems he’s fully recovered from the hand injuries that limited him earlier in the season and has recently taken flight as the Cavs find their wings.

And yet, we’re all familiar with one of the more common criticisms that Allen faces. He can play big against inferior opponents, but he folds when the lights are brightest.

Not tonight.

Allen accepted the challenge of going toe-to-toe with Nikola Jokic tonight in a starting lineup that featured him as the only Cavalier over the height of 6’6”. Not having Evan Mobley to aid him in this battle could have been a deal breaker. But Allen held his own, and arguably, outmatched Jokic when push came to shove.

Listen, no one is going to stop Jokic from getting his numbers. He put up a triple-double with 22 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists despite a phenomenal effort from Allen. But Jokic also turned it over 6 times and shot just 6-12 from the field. Believe it or not, that’s an underwhelming game from Joker.

Look at it this way. Allen matched Jokic with 22 points of his own and brought down 13 rebounds for his fourth straight double-double. He held his ground defensively and burned Jokic in the pick-and-roll offensively.

So, next time you see someone twee that Allen never has big games in important matchups, remind them of this one.

WINNER – James Harden’s Inauguration

What a way to start your Cavalier career, huh?

Harden hasn’t lit up an opponent for 40 points or anything yet. But he has put together two quality performances where he plays hero in the closing minutes. He combined with Donovan Mitchell to score 32 points in the fourth quarter of their comeback victory against the Kings on Saturday. And tonight, Harden buried the game-tying jumper before Mitchell won it at the free-throw line a possession later.

This has been as seamless an inauguration as you can ask for. Details can always be polished. But Harden’s made an immediate impact and delivered on back-to-back wins for his squad. In addition to his clutch scoring, Harden chipped in 10 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 blocks tonight.

Every Cavs fan should be feeling a surge of excitement that this guy is on our side now.

LOSER – Too Many Guards

If there’s one thing to nitpick from this game, it’s some of Kenny Aktinson’s lineups.

Now, let’s be fair. The Cavs are thin at the wing and have been for years. De’Andre Hunter is gone, and Dean Wade is injured. Without Evan Mobley to at least play the four, you quickly run out of options taller than 6’5” on this roster.

That doesn’t mean I have to be happy with some of the results.

Lineups featuring Craig Porter Jr, Dennis Schroder, and Keon Ellis aren’t a recipe for success. Adding Harden or Mitchell to that mix doesn’t make it much better. The Cavs have too many cooks in the kitchen, and their lack of size was a huge issue in this game.

Even in the starting lineup, Tyson and Merrill are being asked to fight above their weight class.

I can’t pretend that Larry Nance Jr. has given us a great sample size this season. But, I would be surprised if he doesn’t get some opportunities soon if the Cavs continue to have no playable wings other than Nae’Qwan Tomlin.

WINNER – The Road Trip

The Cavs started this road trip with a bummer. They lost Evan Mobley to another calf strain just days before it began — and then they officially started the trip by getting run off the floor by the Phoenix Suns. With a couple of difficult opponents ahead, it felt like this was the type of stretch you simply hope to survive.

Instead, this team dominated.

They beat the Trail Blazers behind a career night from Allen. Then they decimated the Clippers a day after making a seismic trade for Harden. Cleveland won a thriller in Sacramento in Harden’s first game, and then finally, took down a bona fide contender in the Nuggets.

This 4-1 stretch is the defining moment of the season so far. This team has turned a corner, posting the league’s best win percentage since December 29th and finding another gear with Harden now on the roster. Things can change quickly in the NBA, so this is the appropriate time to stop and reflect on the success the Cavs just had.