Evan Mobley and James Harden click in Cavaliers’ final tuneup as Atkinson plans pairing

Evan Mobley gave the Cleveland Cavaliers something to feel good about in their final tuneup before the regular season, teaming with James Harden to help the Gold team beat the Wine team 96-82 in Saturday’s annual scrimmage at Public Auditorium, according to Jackson Flickinger.

The pair’s pick-and-roll work repeatedly created openings near the basket, with Mobley also attacking off the dribble and connecting from three-point range.

“Evan was elite,” coach Kenny Atkinson said. “I love what I’m seeing from Evan and James.”

Atkinson treated the event as a fourth exhibition game, using NBA officials for a 36-minute scrimmage, though no official individual statistics were kept. Peyton Watson also benefited from playing alongside the pair, hitting catch-and-shoot opportunities when the defense concentrated on their two-man action.

Atkinson has indicated he intends to pair Harden and Mobley in his rotation, making their progress together one of the more useful developments from the scrimmage.