PHILADELPHIA — In a thrilling matchup on Wednesday night, Donovan Mitchell showcased his scoring prowess, netting 11 of his 23 total points in the final three crucial minutes, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 114-106 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. This win marked a significant achievement for the Cavaliers, as they became the sixth team in NBA history to kick off a season with a 13-0 record.

Mitchell’s performance was complemented by his strong all-around game, as he also recorded 13 rebounds and provided nine assists. This remarkable feat makes Cleveland the first team to achieve 13 consecutive wins to start a season since the Golden State Warriors accomplished the same in the 2015-16 season. That Warriors team holds the record for the longest winning streak to begin a season, with an impressive 24 victories.

Darius Garland also contributed significantly, scoring 25 points, while Evan Mobley added 14 points along with seven rebounds. For the 76ers, despite missing key players Paul George and Joel Embiid due to left knee injury management, Jared McCain stepped up with a career-high 34 points. Kelly Oubre Jr. and Caleb Martin also had notable performances, contributing 20 and 18 points, respectively.

In terms of takeaways, the Cavaliers demonstrated their resilience on a night where they did not perform at their peak, successfully fending off a determined young squad from Philadelphia that likely had their best all-around game of the season. For the 76ers, the most encouraging news came before the game when both George and Embiid were cleared to return for Friday’s matchup in Orlando, with head coach Nick Nurse confirming that George’s minutes restriction would be removed.

One of the pivotal moments in the game came when Mitchell sank three 3-pointers with under three minutes remaining, boosting Cleveland’s lead to seven points and dampening the momentum of the 76ers’ final push. A noteworthy statistic from the game is that the Cavaliers have achieved a winning streak of 13 games for only the fourth time in franchise history, with the previous three occurrences happening during the tenures of LeBron James in 2009, 2010, and 2017.

Looking ahead, the Cavaliers will be hosting the Chicago Bulls on Friday night, while the 76ers are set to face the Orlando Magic on the same day.