Donovan Mitchell delivered his best performance of the season, scoring 46 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers past the Philadelphia 76ers 132–121 on Wednesday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The Cavaliers improved to 5–3 after back-to-back wins, while Philadelphia dropped to 5–3 following its second loss in as many nights.
Mitchell was nearly unstoppable, shooting 15-for-21 from the field and 6-for-11 from three-point range. He also made all 10 of his free throws, continuing his efficient scoring streak after putting up 37 points and eight triples in Sunday’s victory over Atlanta.
Jarrett Allen added 24 points and 10 rebounds for Cleveland, and Evan Mobley finished with 23 points. The Cavaliers’ frontcourt combined for 47 points and 15 rebounds while controlling the paint on both ends.
Darius Garland made his season debut after missing the first seven games due to offseason toe surgery. The All-Star guard played 26 minutes, contributing eight points and four assists in his return.
Cleveland came out firing, jumping to a 17-point lead early in the first quarter. Philadelphia rallied to tie the game at 72 midway through the third quarter on a Kelly Oubre Jr. three-pointer, but the Cavaliers immediately responded with a 13–0 run. Allen scored six points during that stretch and Mobley added five as Cleveland regained full control.
From there, the Cavaliers outscored the Sixers 35–15 over the remainder of the third period to take a 107–87 lead entering the fourth. Mitchell’s driving jumper pushed the margin to 26 early in the final quarter, giving Cleveland its largest advantage of the night.
Philadelphia closed the gap to single digits in the closing minutes, but Cleveland’s lead proved too large to overcome.
Tyrese Maxey and Quentin Grimes each scored 27 points for the 76ers, while Oubre added 19. Joel Embiid did not play, as Philadelphia continues to rest him on the second night of back-to-backs because of ongoing left knee management.
The Cavaliers shot 53.3 percent from the floor and 40.9 percent from beyond the arc, converting 18 three-pointers and all but one of their 17 free throws. Philadelphia finished at 48.9 percent overall but committed 18 turnovers that led to 24 Cleveland points.
Cleveland will travel to Washington to face the Wizards on Friday, while Philadelphia returns home to meet Toronto on Saturday.
