Donovan Mitchell had another 40-point game, his 18th as a Cavalier in only 108 games.
A significant advantage for Cleveland over DC in this game was free throws. The Cavs shot 16, making 22, while the Wizards only attempted nine, making six.
Evan Mobley also had another strong performance, shooting nine for ten, including two for two from deep, giving him 22 points on the night.
Donovan Mitchell put up an impressive 40 points, with 14 of them coming in the crucial fourth quarter, propelling the Cleveland Cavaliers to their 15th win in 16 games, as they defeated the Washington Wizards 114-106 on Wednesday night.
Evan Mobley contributed 22 points on an efficient 9-of-10 shooting, aiding the Cavaliers in extending their current NBA-best winning streak to seven games. This victory also pushed them a game ahead of Milwaukee and New York, securing second place in the Eastern Conference standings.
Both Mitchell and Mobley grabbed eight rebounds each, playing pivotal roles as Cleveland navigated through a tightly contested game marked by nine ties and 17 lead changes against the Wizards, who sit second-to-last in the Eastern Conference.
Despite losing the rebounding battle 47-46 to the Wizards, who rank as the league’s worst team on the glass, the Cavaliers managed to limit the hosts to a 45% shooting accuracy (42 of 94).
The game remained closely contested, with neither team holding a lead of more than seven points until Darius Garland’s basket interference-aided runner extended Cleveland’s lead to 108-99 with just 56 seconds left on the clock.
Washington’s efforts were led by Kyle Kuzma, who scored 28 points. However, the Wizards concluded a four-game homestand without a victory, despite Corey Kispert adding 23 points and Daniel Gafford contributing 14 points and 13 rebounds. The Wizards managed to stay in the game by converting 16 of their 40 attempts from beyond the arc.
After the first and second quarters ended evenly, Cleveland narrowly led 80-79 at the end of the third, thanks to Mitchell’s buzzer-beating mid-range runner.
In the fourth quarter, Mitchell took charge once again, scoring five crucial points during a decisive 9-0 run that secured the lead for the Cavaliers for good. His fifth and final 3-pointer, a pull-up shot over Kuzma as the shot clock expired, extended the lead to 104-97 with 2:19 left on the clock, marking Mitchell’s 18th 40-point game in 108 games with Cleveland.
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