NEW YORK — Donovan Mitchell netted 26 points, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 110-97 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night.
Darius Garland contributed 18 points while Evan Mobley delivered a strong performance with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Jarrett Allen also made an impactful contribution with 16 points and an impressive 20 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who sit atop the Eastern Conference with an impressive record of 45-10.

Brooklyn’s top scorer for the night was Cam Johnson, who scored 18 points. Keon Johnson added 16 points to the tally, while Trendon Watford came off the bench to chip in 13 points. Ziaire Williams and Jalen Wilson each contributed 10 points as well.

In terms of strategic preparation, Cleveland’s coach, Kenny Atkinson, expressed the importance of utilizing the last 28 games of the regular season to gear up for the playoffs. “You must have a sense of urgency,” Atkinson stated before the game.

On the Nets’ side, prior to the matchup, it was announced that Brooklyn had requested waivers on veteran forward Bojan Bogdanovic. They also made roster changes, signing Killian Hayes to a 10-day contract and finalizing what is described as a multi-year contract with Tyrese Martin. Bogdanovic was acquired from the Knicks on July 6 in a deal that sent Mikal Bridges to New York. However, he did not appear in any games this season for the Nets due to a left foot injury.

A pivotal moment in the game occurred when Cleveland executed an 11-point scoring run within just 1:41 during the late stages of the third quarter, flipping a 69-63 deficit into a 74-69 advantage. From that point forward, the Cavaliers maintained their lead and never looked back.

An impressive statistic emerged from the win, as the Cavaliers remain undefeated at 40-0 when leading after the third quarter this season.

Looking ahead, the Cavaliers are set to host the Knicks on Friday night, while the Nets will make their way to Philadelphia for a Saturday afternoon game against the 76ers.