Cavaliers fend off depleted 76ers to improve 13-0, extend 6th-best start in NBA history

Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers are now 13-0. (Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)

A depleted 76ers lineup gave it a valiant shot.

But the Cleveland Cavaliers prevailed again on Wednesday, rallying from a 54-48 halftime deficit to hold off Philadelphia for a 114-106 win. With the win, the Cavaliers improved to 13-0 to maintain the sixth-best start to a season in NBA history.

The Cavaliers are now one win away from tying the fourth-best start in league history. The 2002-03 Dallas Mavericks and 1957-58 Boston Celtics both got off to 14-0 starts. The 1993-94 Houston Rockets and 1948-49 Washington Capitols are tied for the second-best start in league history at 15-0.

The Cavaliers have a long way to go to reach the all-time record. The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors led by Stephen Curry started 24-0 en route to a 73-9 campaign for the most single-season wins in NBA history.

That historic season didn’t produce a championship. LeBron James’ Cavaliers upset the Warriors in the NBA Finals that season for the franchise’s only championship. For now, these Cavaliers can continue to enjoy their own bit of history amid a scorching start that few saw coming.

Darius Garland sparked Cleveland with a 13-point third quarter to rally the Cavs from a sluggish first half. He finished with 25 points, six assists and five rebounds.

Mitchell overcame a poor shooting start finish one assist short of triple-double. He hit three 3-pointers in the game’s final three minutes to extend Cleveland’s lead and fend off a late 76ers rally. He finished with 23 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists.

Both have been integral to Cleveland’s unbeaten streak center Evan Mobley, who’s in the midst of the best of his four NBA seasons since joining the Cavaliers with the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

The 76ers played with a makeshift starting lineup as All-Stars Joel Embiid, Paul George and and Tyrese Maxey all sat in street clothes. Backup center Andre Drummond was a late scratch with an illness.

Embiid and George both sat with what the team designated as “injury management on the second night of a back-to-back. Both played in Tuesday’s loss to the…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-11-14 02:41:00

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