The Cavs entered this season believing they had finally solved a problem that had haunted them for years. The small forward spot — long a rotating cast of maybes and stopgaps — was supposed to be settled the moment they acquired De’Andre Hunter.

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers put together one of their most complete performances of the season as they defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 146-134 to split the two-game set.

The Cleveland Cavaliers showed they don't have to rely solely on Donovan Mitchell, as Darius Garland shone in a 146-134 win vs. Minnesota.

The Cavaliers pulled away in the second half to rout Minnesota 146-134 Saturday at Rocket Arena, splitting the home-and-home series

Darius Garland’s touch inside the arc bent Minnesota’s defense, rewarded the bigs and reminded everyone what the Cavs look like when the game moves at his speed

Saturday afternoon offered a reminder of what the Cavaliers are supposed to look like when things line up. A 146-134 home win over the Timberwolves didn’t just split the two-game set.

The third quarter was almost a replay of the first, as Minnesota outscored the Cavs 12-2 in the first few minutes. By the midway point of the third, the Timberwolves had a 14-point advantage — their biggest of the night to that point. About five minutes later, it increased to a game-high 20. Minnesota was up 17 going to the fourth.

As one of the members of the core group, Evan Mobley loves playing alongside Merrill. Considering Mobley has plenty of responsibilities as the star power forward, having a teammate who complements his skill set is a great feeling to have. More: Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson gets honest about the smaller starting lineup

Donovan Mitchell scored 28 points and dished out eight assists and Jarrett Allen had 16 points and 11 rebounds as the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled away for a 146-134 victory over the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday afternoon.

A calculated gamble has turned into a real-time stress test, as the Cavs feel the absence of Ty Jerome while waiting on the version of Lonzo Ball they envisioned.