The Cleveland Cavaliers never trailed Thursday night, cruising past the Brooklyn Nets 112-84 to extend their winning streak to a season-best six games.
Donovan Mitchell led the way with 17 points, while James Harden added 16 points, nine assists and five rebounds in an efficient outing. Cleveland has now won five straight at home and 11 of its last 12 overall, marking the sixth time this season the Cavs have gone wire-to-wire without trailing.
Harden and Mitchell set the tone early. After a steal off a miscue by Brooklyn’s Noah Clowney, Harden pushed the ball in transition and lobbed an alley-oop to Mitchell, igniting a 14-3 start. Harden hit his first six shots — including three from beyond the arc — while Mitchell shot 7 of 12 from the field.
Cleveland built an 18-point cushion by the end of the first quarter, fueled in part by Jarrett Allen, who scored 10 of his 15 points in the opening period. The Cavaliers were blistering from the field in the first half, shooting a season-best 64.2% (27 of 42) to take a commanding 70-48 lead into the break.
The rout only intensified in the third quarter. Cleveland stretched its advantage to 43 points — its largest lead of the season — at 102-59 before head coach Kenny Atkinson emptied the bench for the final 12 minutes with a five-game-in-seven-days stretch underway.
Evan Mobley returned from a seven-game absence due to a left calf strain, contributing 10 points and nine rebounds, while Dean Wade added 10 points, including three 3-pointers, in his return from an ankle injury.
For Brooklyn, Michael Porter Jr. scored 14 points and Ochai Agbaji added 13. The Nets have now dropped to 5-20 since Dec. 29.
Up next:
The Nets continue their road trip Friday night in Oklahoma City, while the Cavaliers travel to Charlotte as their winning streak rolls on.
