Donovan Mitchell scored 29 points and handed out nine assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers dominated the Los Angeles Clippers 124–89 on Wednesday night, just hours after the teams completed a blockbuster trade involving All-Stars.
Earlier in the day, Cleveland sent guard Darius Garland to Los Angeles in exchange for James Harden, though neither player suited up for his new team. The Cavaliers didn’t miss a beat, rolling to their seventh win in eight games with a wire-to-wire performance.
Jaylon Tyson added 17 points for Cleveland, while Jarrett Allen finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Dennis Schroder scored 11 points in his Cavaliers debut, and Keon Ellis contributed six in his first game with the team after both were acquired from Sacramento in a three-team deal on Sunday.
Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 25 points, and John Collins added 19, but Los Angeles dropped consecutive games for the first time since a five-game skid in December. Rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds, and Derrick Jones Jr. scored seven points in his return after missing a month with a knee injury. The Clippers also were without starting center Ivica Zubac, who missed the game for the birth of his child.
Cleveland shot 51.0% from the field and went 16 of 41 from beyond the arc. The Clippers struggled mightily from deep, hitting just 6 of 28 3-point attempts, and were undone by 24 turnovers that the Cavaliers converted into 47 points.
The Cavaliers blitzed Los Angeles early, racing out to a 20-point lead late in the first quarter. The Clippers briefly pulled within 46–38 midway through the second, but Cleveland closed the half on a surge to take a commanding 62–42 lead into intermission.
There was no comeback after halftime, as the Cavaliers led by at least 20 throughout much of the third quarter and stretched the margin to as many as 35 in the fourth.
Up next:
Cavaliers visit Sacramento on Saturday.
Clippers visit Sacramento on Friday.
