Cavaliers 126-99 76ers (December 21, 2024) Game Recap

CLEVELAND – Darius Garland scored 26 points and Evan Mobley had 22 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists to give the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers a 126-99 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night.

Donovan Mitchell had 19 points and Georges Niang added 13 points for Cleveland, a league-best 25-4 record.

The Cavaliers matched their season-high 22 3-pointers – Garland made 6 of 7 – and improved to an NBA-best 16-1 at home.

Tyrese Maxey scored 13 of his 27 points in the third quarter and Paul George had 11 points for Philadelphia. Kelly Oubre Jr. had nine points, but the 76ers were outscored by 34 points in his 27 minutes.

Philadelphia center Joel Embiid, suffering from a sinus fracture and knee soreness, did not play the second game of a back-to-back set. The former MVP scored 34 points in a win over Charlotte on Friday.

Takeaways

76ers: Coach Nick Nurse felt comfortable with his rotation until rookie shooting guard Jared McCain underwent knee surgery on Tuesday. “If you lose McCain, all of those plans go to waste,” Nurse said.

Cavaliers: After a scoreless first quarter, Mobley scored 12 points in the second quarter and 10 points in the third quarter by imposing his will. The fourth-year pro is averaging a career-high 18.4 points and 9.0 rebounds.

Key moment

Mobley raced down the lane and hit KJ Martin and Andre Drummond with a thunderous slam that sent the crowd and the Cavaliers bench into a frenzy as part of a 9-0 run to open the second half.

Key statistics

The Cavaliers made 22 3-pointers on 43 attempts, marking the first time in franchise history that they made 19 or more in three consecutive games. Cleveland leads the NBA with a 3-point percentage of .405.

Next

The 76ers host San Antonio on Monday. The Cavaliers host Utah on Monday.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA