Cavaliers Dominate 76ers 119-95 as Donovan Mitchell Leads Cleveland Past LeBron James in Return to Ohio

Cleveland Holds LeBron James to Eight Points in NBA Cup Victory

Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points, Evan Mobley added 22, and the Cleveland Cavaliers delivered a dominant 119-95 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in an NBA Cup group play matchup Friday night, spoiling LeBron James’ return to Northeast Ohio.

James, who elected to sign with Philadelphia during the offseason rather than return to Cleveland for a third stint with the Cavaliers, struggled throughout the night. The Akron, Ohio, native finished with just eight points on 3-of-12 shooting from the field, including 0-for-4 from beyond the 3 point line, in 31 minutes. Cavaliers fans greeted James with a smattering of boos whenever he touched the ball during the first half. He eventually left the game with 3:54 remaining as Cleveland cruised to a convincing victory.

It marked only the 10th time in James’ 24 year NBA career that he has finished a regular-season game with fewer than 10 points. His NBA record streak of 1,297 consecutive regular-season games with at least 10 points ended on Dec. 4 of last season during the Los Angeles Lakers’ victory over Toronto. Mitchell finished with seven rebounds and eight assists in 33 minutes, helping Cleveland bounce back from consecutive losses to Oklahoma City. Mobley provided another strong performance, giving the Cavaliers a balanced offensive attack.

Philadelphia Struggles Offensively

Philadelphia had one of its worst offensive performances of the season, shooting just 36.5% from the field and going 10-for-40 from 3 point range. Jaylen Brown led the 76ers with 20 points, while VJ Edgecombe contributed 19 and Tyrese Maxey finished with 17. James Harden added 17 points, but Philadelphia couldn’t generate enough offense to keep pace with Cleveland.

Joel Embiid endured a particularly difficult night, missing all nine of his field goal attempts. He finished with six points, converting all six of his free throws. The loss was only the second of the season for Philadelphia, which entered the matchup with an impressive 8-1 record through its first nine games.

Cavaliers Control the Game From the Start

Cleveland controlled much of the contest and established an early advantage that Philadelphia never seriously threatened. The Cavaliers extended their lead to 46-30 just three minutes into the second quarter when Mobley finished an alley oop dunk, giving Cleveland a 16-point cushion.

Cleveland continued to build on its advantage throughout the second half, eventually stretching the margin to 25 points in the fourth quarter before securing the 24-point victory. The Cavaliers also dominated the battle on the boards, outrebounding Philadelphia by 14 despite playing without starting center Jarrett Allen, who missed the game with a bruised right knee.

Mario Hezonja provided a valuable contribution off the bench with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Peyton Watson, returning after missing the previous two games because of right hamstring tightness, grabbed nine rebounds. The victory gave Cleveland a much needed response following its two losses to Oklahoma City and provided an important boost in NBA Cup group play.

Up Coming NBA Games for 76ers and Cavaliers

The Philadelphia 76ers will look to bounce back Sunday when they travel to Chicago to face the Bulls. The Cavaliers will return home Saturday to host the New York Knicks as they continue their NBA Cup group-play schedule.