NEW ORLEANS — The Cleveland Cavaliers achieved a historic milestone by defeating the New Orleans Pelicans 131-122 on Wednesday night, marking their first-ever 9-0 start in the franchise’s 55-year history in the NBA. Donovan Mitchell played a pivotal role in the victory, contributing 29 points.
Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen were also significant contributors to the win, each scoring 16 points, with Allen pulling down 14 rebounds. This victory surpassed the previous best start of 8-0 achieved by the Cavaliers in the 1976-77 season, which concluded with a 43-39 record under coach Bill Fitch.
On the other side of the court, Zion Williamson made his return after missing two games and scored 29 points. Although he exited briefly after ten minutes of play, he returned in the second half and added 23 points to his tally. Jose Alvarado impressively connected on all seven of his three-point attempts, finishing the game with 27 points. Brandon Ingram also had a solid performance, contributing 20 points. However, the Pelicans suffered their third consecutive defeat and have now lost six of their last seven games.
### Key Highlights
The Cavaliers demonstrated resilience, overcoming an early 12-point deficit during the game. They excelled in their shooting, finishing with an impressive overall field goal percentage of 54.2%, and even more remarkable was their 48.6% accuracy from beyond the arc.
On the flip side, the Pelicans, dealing with a series of injuries to key players, showcased determination but fell short due to a lack of scoring depth needed to compete with the league’s hottest team throughout the entire game.
### Defining Moment
A crucial moment in the game occurred when Alvarado hit consecutive three-pointers to narrow the gap to 112-106. In response, Mitchell executed a clever hesitation move in the lane before sinking a floater, pushing the score to 114-106 and quelling the momentum of the Pelicans with 5:20 remaining. The Cavaliers maintained control from that point forward.
### Important Statistics
Cleveland’s bench played a significant role, contributing a total of 50 points, with LeVert and Ty Jerome leading the bench scoring with 11 points each.
### What’s Next?
Looking ahead, the Cavaliers are set to host the Golden State Warriors on Friday, who hold the record for the best start in NBA history with a 24-0 run in the 2015-16 season. Meanwhile, the Pelicans will travel to Orlando on Friday night in search of a much-needed victory.
