Brandon Ingram collected 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists while RJ Barrett and Jamison Battle also had 20 points apiece as the visiting Toronto Raptors beat the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers 112-101 in the NBA Cup opener for both teams on Friday.
Toronto trailed 92-90 midway through the fourth quarter but responded with eight straight points. Battle sank a 3-pointer, Ingram added a three-point play and Ingram hit another bucket to give Toronto the lead for good in the East Group A matchup.
Reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley scored a season-high 29 points and grabbed eight rebounds while De’Andre Hunter scored 26 for Cleveland, which played without four injured starters, including All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell.
The Raptors had lost four straight since beginning the season with a road win over the Atlanta Hawks. Toronto’s Scottie Barnes posted 14 points, 10 rebounds and five assists on Friday, while Battle made 7 of 7 field goal attempts, including six 3-pointers, in 15 minutes off the bench.
Jaylon Tyson added 18 points for the Cavaliers, who used a 16-0 run that spanned halftime to grab a 54-48 lead. Lonzo Ball had eight points, five rebounds and five assists in his initial start for Cleveland.
Mitchell (left hamstring tightness), center Jarrett Allen (left fourth finger fracture), point guard Darius Garland (left big toe surgery) and small forward Sam Merrill (right hip bruise) are all listed as day-to-day.
Garland has been scrimmaging with the Cleveland Charge of the G League and could make his season debut as early as Sunday against the Hawks. Mitchell and Allen both missed a game for the first time this season after getting hurt Wednesday at Boston.
Barrett scored 11 points without missing a shot in the first quarter as Toronto shot 72.2% from the field and built a 30-22 advantage. Mobley and Tyson had eight apiece for the Cavaliers in the period.
The Raptors extended their lead to 13 in the second on a Gradey Dick dunk, but Cleveland pulled within 48-43 when Hunter buried a 3-pointer at the buzzer. Hunter scored 10 in the period and 16 in the half.
Only four Cavaliers scored in the first half.
Raptors center Jakob Poeltl (lower back tightness) sat out his second straight game.
–Field Level Media
