CLEVELAND — Evan Mobley shone brightly with 23 points and 16 rebounds, while Donovan Mitchell contributed 22 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers overcame the Brooklyn Nets with a 105-100 victory on Saturday night. This win marked a historic achievement, making the Cavaliers the 12th team in NBA history to commence a season with an 11-0 record.
Darius Garland stepped up significantly, scoring eight of his 20 points in the crucial fourth quarter after the Cavaliers found themselves down 82-68 with just 35 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Garland’s clutch performance included two free throws that gave Cleveland a lead they would not relinquish at 97-96.
The Cavaliers’ impressive start is reminiscent of the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, who hold the longest winning streak to begin a season with 24 victories, a record set before their defeat at the hands of the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.
For the Nets, Cam Johnson led the scoring with 23 points, while teammates Dennis Schroder and Cam Thomas each contributed 22 points. Although Brooklyn found themselves down by 15 points in the second quarter, they displayed a defensive prowess that restricted Cleveland to a mere 13 points in the third quarter. Johnson and Thomas were instrumental during this period, scoring 19 points collectively.
Cleveland’s game marked the first instance they didn’t reach 110 points this season, thus breaking their NBA-record of consecutive games scoring at least 110 points to start a season at ten. Wilt Chamberlain and the 1960-61 Philadelphia Warriors held the previous record with nine such games.
There were notable takeaways from the match. For the Nets, who had just come off a close 108-104 overtime loss to Boston, they struggled to contend with Cleveland’s leading offense in the fourth quarter, managing to hit only 14 of 18 attempts.
For the Cavaliers, head coach Kenny Atkinson expressed that facing Brooklyn was particularly significant for him, as it was his first meeting with the team since being let go by them in 2020. Mobley was evidently galvanized by this motivation, finishing the game with an impressive shooting percentage of 10 out of 11.
A critical moment during the game occurred when Johnson hit a three-pointer with 4:23 left, giving Brooklyn a 96-89 advantage. However, the Cavaliers quickly countered with a surge, scoring ten consecutive points. Garland played a pivotal role in this run, notching four straight points before assisting Mobley for a dunk that turned the game around.
Another noteworthy statistic for the Cavaliers is that they are just two wins away from matching their franchise record for the longest winning streak, which they have achieved three times, all featuring their legendary player, LeBron James. The last time this occurred was from November 11 to December 6, 2017.
Looking ahead, the Nets will conclude their three-game road trip on Monday in New Orleans, while the Cavaliers head to Chicago also on Monday.