Donovan Mitchell scored 34 points and Evan Mobley collected 22 points and 15 rebounds, lifting the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers to a wire-to-wire 126-106 victory over the Miami Heat on Wednesday.
Mitchell made 14 of 23 shots from the floor — and 5 of 11 from 3-point range — as Cleveland overcame the absence of Darius Garland (rest) to avenge a 122-113 setback in Miami on Dec. 8.
Ty Jerome scored 20 points and Georges Niang added 15 off the bench for the Cavaliers, who shot 54 percent from the floor and held a decisive 68-38 edge in points in the paint.
Jarrett Allen recorded 12 points and 10 rebounds, helping Cleveland enjoy a 47-35 edge on the glass.
Miami’s Terry Rozier scored 22 points off the bench, and Tyler Herro sank four 3-pointers to highlight his 22-point performance.
Bam Adebayo contributed 21 points and nine rebounds for the Heat, who have lost six of their last nine games.
Jerome’s 3-pointer gave Cleveland a 94-76 lead with 59.1 seconds left in the third before Herro finished the quarter with a flourish. He made a basket on the interior and sank a pair of 3-pointers to cap Miami’s 43-point quarter.
Adebayo added a pair of free throws to start the fourth quarter and cut the Cavaliers’ lead to 94-86. Mobley and Craig Porter Jr. each made a basket, however, and Mitchell sank a 3-pointer to give Cleveland a comfortable cushion.
Miami trimmed a 19-point lead to 10 points midway into the third quarter before Cleveland responded with an 11-2 run. Niang, Max Strus and Jerome each sank a 3-pointer during that sequence.
Mitchell’s driving layup gave Cleveland a 31-17 lead with 52 seconds remaining in the first quarter, before Miami answered by scoring the next nine points bridging the second.
Undaunted, the Cavaliers pushed their five-point lead to 59-41 after closing the first half on a 19-7 run. Niang sank a pair of 3-pointers and Porter added another during that surge.
–Field Level Media
