CLEVELAND (AP) — Evan Mobley had 23 points and 16 rebounds, and Donovan Mitchell scored 22 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied to a 105-100 victory over the Nets Saturday night, becoming the 12th team in NBA history to start a season 11-0.
Garland of Darius scored eight of his 20 points in the fourth quarter for Cleveland, which trailed 82-68 with 35 seconds left in the third. Garland put the Cavaliers ahead for good at 97-96 with two free throws.
The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors hold the league record after winning their first 24 games. They lost to the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.
Cam Johnson scored 23 points and Dennis Schröder And Cam Thomas had 22 each for the Nets. Brooklyn trailed by 15 points in the second quarter, but held Cleveland to a season-low 13 points in the third, with Johnson and Thomas combining for 19 points.
The Cavaliers failed to score 110 points for the first time, ending their NBA-record streak of 10 straight wins to open a season. Hall of Fame Center Wilt Chamberlain and the 1960-61 Philadelphia Warriors held the mark with nine.
Takeaways
Nets: After a 108-104 overtime loss at Boston the night before, Brooklyn couldn’t stop the league-leading Cavaliers’ offense in the fourth quarter. Cleveland made 14 of 18 shots in the final period.
Cavaliers: new coach Kenny Atkinson admitted “there was a little extra” at stake for him against Brooklyn for the first time since being fired by the Nets in 2020. Mobley took the message to heart, making 10 of 11 field goal attempts.
Key moment
After Johnson made a three-pointer with 4:23 left to extend Brooklyn’s lead to 96-89, the Cavaliers responded with 10 straight points. Garland scored four straight, then fed Mobley for a dunk to complete the game-changing run.
Key statistic
The Cavaliers are two wins away from the longest streak in franchise history. Cleveland has won 13 straight three times, all with a franchise icon LeBron James on the list, last from November 11 to December 6, 2017.
To be continued
The Nets finish a three-game trip Monday in New Orleans. The Cavaliers visit Chicago on Monday.
