The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors 118-111 on Thursday night at Chase Center, overcoming a late push to secure their seventh win in nine games.
Donovan Mitchell led the Cavs with 25 points and six rebounds, while Max Strus hit a critical 3-pointer with 54 seconds remaining, finishing with 24 points.
James Harden added 19 points and five assists as Cleveland navigated a stretch of five games in eight nights.
The Warriors were led by Gui Santos and Brandin Podziemski, each scoring 25 points, but the team remained without Stephen Curry, who has missed 27 straight games with a right knee injury. Curry scrimmaged 5-on-5 for the third consecutive day, and Golden State could decide as early as Friday if he is ready to return Sunday against Houston.
The game featured multiple technicals in the fourth quarter after a hard foul by Dennis Schroder on LJ Cryer, which was ruled a Flagrant 1, followed by a technical on Draymond Green and two more on Schroder and Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson.
Kristaps Porzingis contributed 16 points and seven rebounds, while Gary Payton II matched a career-high with 12 boards as Golden State saw several players return from injuries, including Gui Santos and De’Anthony Melton.
Cleveland led for much of the game, with strong performances from Jarrett Allen (16 points, 13 rebounds) and Evan Mobley (12 points, 10 rebounds), helping the team shoot 51% overall and 44% from three.
The Warriors struggled from deep, hitting just 12 of 44 three-point attempts, and turned the ball over 12 times, allowing Cleveland to maintain its edge despite Golden State’s late surge.
Cleveland improves to 48-29, securing the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, while Golden State falls to 36-41, holding the 10th spot in the West with playoff positioning uncertain.
The Cavaliers host Indiana on Sunday, and the Warriors return home to face Houston that same day.
