Cavaliers Beat 76ers 119-95 in NBA Cup as Mitchell Scores 23
Cleveland avenged its opening night collapse at Rocket Arena, led for most of the night, and handed Philadelphia its second loss of the season.
Key points
- The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Philadelphia 76ers 119-95 on Friday night at Rocket Arena, winning their first NBA Cup game of the season and handing Philadelphia its second loss of the year.
- Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 23 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.
- Cleveland opened fast and led 33-22 after the first quarter.
The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Philadelphia 76ers 119-95 on Friday night at Rocket Arena, winning their first NBA Cup game of the season and handing Philadelphia its second loss of the year.
Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 23 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. Evan Mobley added 22 points, six rebounds and four assists on 8-of-13 shooting. James Harden scored 17 points with six rebounds, Mario Hezonja recorded 15 points and 10 rebounds off the bench, and Peyton Watson added 13 points and nine rebounds in his return from injury.
Cleveland opened fast and led 33-22 after the first quarter. Philadelphia cut into the lead in the second, outscoring the Cavaliers 32-29, but Cleveland answered after halftime. The Cavaliers won the third quarter 29-20 and the fourth 28-21, and the margin never came back into single digits in the final period.
A different game from opening night
The result reversed the teams' first meeting. On October 22, in the season opener, Cleveland built a 29-point lead in Philadelphia and lost it, falling 114-106. The 76ers tried to rally again on Friday, pulling within 66-63 in the third quarter, but this time Cleveland held its ground and pushed the lead back out.
A hard night for Philadelphia's stars
Jaylen Brown led Philadelphia with 20 points, five rebounds and five assists. VJ Edgecombe scored 19 points with four steals, and Tyrese Maxey added 17 points and four assists. The rest of the starting group struggled. LeBron James, playing in Cleveland as a visitor with the 76ers, scored a season-low eight points on 3-of-12 shooting, with seven rebounds, three assists and six turnovers. ESPN's Dave McMenamin noted that the game ended James's streak of 396 straight regular season games in double figures in Cleveland. Joel Embiid scored six points and missed all nine of his shots from the field.
Cleveland played without starting center Jarrett Allen, who was ruled out with a knee injury before tip-off, according to the team's starting lineup report.
Key numbers
- Final score: Cleveland 119, Philadelphia 95
- Quarter scores: 33-22, 29-32, 29-20, 28-21
- Donovan Mitchell: 23 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists
- Evan Mobley: 22 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists
- Jaylen Brown: 20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists
- LeBron James: 8 points on 3-of-12 shooting, 6 turnovers
- Joel Embiid: 6 points, 0-of-9 from the field
- Records: Cleveland 5-4, Philadelphia 8-2
What happens next
Philadelphia fell to 1-1 in East Group B of the NBA Cup, with a point differential of minus 19. The 76ers finish their three-game road trip on Sunday afternoon against the Chicago Bulls, and their next Cup game is scheduled for November 25 against the Miami Heat. Cleveland, 5-4 after a slow start, opened its Cup schedule with a win over the team with the best record in the Eastern Conference, and did it without its starting center.