The Cleveland Cavaliers picked up an ugly win in New Orleans. These are the hardest games to grade, as the first three quarters put a heavy tarnish on an incredible comeback in the fourth.

Please bear with me.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

27 points, 3 assists, 7 rebounds, 1 turnover

Defense matters. With that in mind, both Mitchell and Harden are going to be severely docked for their performances tonight. Sure, they put on their capes and saved the day in the fourth quarter. But lackluster defense and iffy offensive process through the first three quarters are what caused the trouble, in the first place.

Mitchell scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, including the game-sealing and-one finish. If I were grading his fourth quarter alone, this would be a healthy A.

If he didn’t have that fourth quarter…? This would have been an F.

Grade: C

20 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers

Harden rolled into halftime scoreless. A tough combination when paired with his poor defense. He eventually broke the dam with his playmaking and found a rhythym when it mattered most. But again, the first three quarters aren’t easy to ignore.

I will say, the box score looks flawless. I’m hoping that anyone who watched this game with me can understand why the grade is so low. Attendance matters, and Harden was extremely tardy.

Similar to Mitchell, Harden would get an A for his fourth quarter and probably an F for the previous three. I think a C is a fair enough middle ground.

Grade: C

18 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks

Again, I’d love to give Mobley more credit than what he’s receiving here. He had 16 points at halftime and looked to be on the verge of another big scoring game. Then he largely disappeared in the second half — both because the Cavs offense became stagnant and his own lack of aggression.

Still, Mobley was more of a steady presence throughout the night. His defense was a major reason for the tide changing in the fourth quarter.

Grade: C+

5 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists

This is a work in progress. Strus is still getting into the swing of things after missing seven months of basketball. He secured some key rebounds tonight and once again helped the Cavs close a game. That’s worth something. But he was just as much part of the problem on defense, and he didn’t have his shot falling tonight, either.

Grade: D+

7 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

Ellis gave the Cavs some defensive juice in the fourth quarter. This wasn’t his best game, but he was active enough to make a difference.

Grade: B-

15 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists

Merrill’s efforts on both ends of the floor stopped this game from getting out of reach. A double-double from Money Merrill (first of his career) is the type of stuff that gets you a soaring grade.

Grade: A

1 point, 1 assist, 1 rebound

Schroder only played 14 minutes, going 0-3 and quickly being taken out of the game.

Grade: F

7 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals

Zion Williamson was pulverizing Dean Wade throughout the second half. But outside of that, Wade was actually one of the more positive Cavaliers.

Grade: C+

11 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist

Bryant’s minutes didn’t go as well as the box score would suggest. He was effective early, but Cleveland’s offense eventually cratered when he was on the floor, and New Orleans’ athleticism made him look out of his depth. He was a minus-6 in 15 minutes.

Grade: D+