The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Denver Nuggets 126-114 on Thursday night, showcasing a balanced offensive attack with four players scoring at least 20 points.
Donovan Mitchell led the charge with 28 points, followed by Darius Garland with 24, Caris LeVert with 21 off the bench, and Evan Mobley with 20.
Cleveland extended its home dominance, improving to 13-1 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and bolstering its record to 20-3 overall.
The Cavaliers made a season-high 22 three-pointers, outscoring Denver 66-18 from beyond the arc, and set a franchise milestone by hitting 10+ threes for the 28th consecutive game.
Denver’s Nikola Jokic notched his 139th career triple-double, surpassing Magic Johnson for third-most in NBA history. The reigning MVP tallied 27 points, 20 rebounds, and 11 assists but could not lift his team past Cleveland.
Michael Porter Jr. contributed 24 points for the Nuggets, while Jamal Murray added 19. However, Denver’s defense struggled to contain Cleveland’s sharp perimeter shooting, as the Cavs sank nine threes in the first quarter alone.
Late in the game, the Nuggets trimmed Cleveland’s lead to single digits, but back-to-back three-pointers by Mitchell and LeVert sealed the victory.
The Cavaliers also relied on Jarrett Allen’s inside presence, as the center grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds and dished out six assists.
Cleveland demonstrated offensive versatility, with both its starting lineup and bench making significant contributions. Georges Niang and Sam Merrill combined for 13 points off the bench, adding to the Cavaliers’ long-range firepower.
