The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Washington Wizards 138-113. This is Cleveland’s fifth straight victory. They turned their season around and are heading into the All-Star break in style.
Sam Merrill stole the show in this one. He scored 26 points in the first half while shooting 7 of 7 from deep and 9 of 9 from the floor. He is tied for the most consecutive three-pointers in the first half of a game since at least 2002-03.
Merrill finished with a career-high 32 points and 9 three-pointers. He gave a master class in moving without the ball and scoring with efficiency. There aren’t many things more entertaining than watching a sniper like Merrill catch fire.
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Donovan Mitchell was pretty good too. He scored 30 points for the 28th time this season and the 99th time as a member of the Cavaliers. This was the best season of Mitchell’s career as he kept this team afloat and pushed them to their best in the title race. It’s no surprise that Mitchell will represent the Cavs as an All-Star this weekend.
Other Cavaliers who deserve credit include Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who recorded a handful of impressive steals and threw down a windmill slam. And James Harden, whose behind-the-back pass is one of the nastiest things I’ve seen all season.
Jarrett Allen had 21 points and 9 rebounds, just shy of his fifth straight double-double. Allen has been on a tear recently, and he didn’t even miss a shot tonight (8-8 from the floor).
This wasn’t just a dominant game against a lottery team like the Wizards. It was another strong performance in a series of big games that helped return the Cavaliers to the upper echelon of the NBA. They are quickly climbing the rankings and will have a full week off to get back into shape after the All-Star Break.
