Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points and Evan Mobley added 22 as Cleveland defeated Philadelphia 119-95 in an NBA Cup group-stage game on Friday.
The Cavaliers held LeBron James to eight points in his return to Northeast Ohio, limiting the former Cleveland star to 3-of-12 shooting in 31 minutes. James missed all four of his three-point attempts and received scattered boos from the home crowd during the first half.
It was only the 10th time in James’ 24-year career that he finished a regular-season game with single-digit points. His NBA-record streak of 1,297 consecutive regular-season games with at least 10 points had ended on December 4 last season.
James chose Philadelphia in the offseason rather than returning to Cleveland for a third stint. He left Friday’s game with 3:54 remaining.
Mitchell added seven rebounds and eight assists, while James Harden scored 17 points against his former team. Cleveland led throughout much of the contest and built its advantage to 25 points in the fourth quarter.
Mobley’s alley-oop dunk helped the Cavaliers open a 46-30 lead three minutes into the second quarter. Cleveland carried a 62-54 advantage into halftime before outscoring Philadelphia 29-20 in the third period.
The 76ers struggled offensively, shooting 36.5% from the field and making just 10 of 40 three-point attempts. Joel Embiid went 0-for-9 from the floor but converted all six of his free throws.
Jaylen Brown led Philadelphia with 20 points, while VJ Edgecombe added 19. Tyrese Maxey finished with 17 points, but the visitors could not recover from Cleveland’s third-quarter surge.
The Cavaliers also controlled the boards, finishing with a 56-42 rebounding advantage despite Jarrett Allen missing the game with a bruised right knee. Peyton Watson grabbed nine rebounds, while Mario Hezonja contributed 15 points and 10 boards off the bench.
Watson returned after missing Cleveland’s previous two games with right hamstring tightness. Thomas Bryant also provided a boost off the bench with 13 points and six rebounds.
The result improved Cleveland to 5-4, while Philadelphia dropped to 8-2 after suffering only its second defeat of the season. The Cavaliers responded to consecutive losses against Oklahoma City with a convincing home performance.
Philadelphia visits the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, November 8, while Cleveland hosts the New York Knicks on Saturday, November 7.
