What happened
Mario Hezonja made his first NBA appearance in six years for Cleveland and immediately backed down Donovan Mitchell for a late third-quarter basket in Thursday’s game.
Hezonja said he was brought in to relieve pressure from Mitchell and other core players, while Kenny Atkinson called the performance one of Thursday’s positives.
His early usage suggests Cleveland may deploy him as a matchup-based reserve, but the exact nightly role still depends on how the staff manages his minutes.
Automated brief based on the linked report. Lineup context is analysis; official starting-five labels come separately from our game data provider.
Original reporting: Mario Hezonja waiving off Donovan Mitchell shows why the Cavs signed him: ‘I’m here to help you’ — Yahoo Sports ↗