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Cavaliers Outpace Nets, Continuing Unprecedented Winning Streak

Evan Mobley dominated the court with 23 points and 16 rebounds, while Donovan Mitchell contributed 22 points, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a thrilling 105-100 victory against the Brooklyn Nets this Saturday night. This win marks the Cavaliers as only the twelfth team in NBA’s rich history to kick off a season with an unblemished 11-0 record.

Darius Garland showed up big in the final quarter, scoring eight of his total 20 points, helping Cleveland recover from a 82-68 deficit with just 35 seconds left in the third quarter. His two successful free throws cemented the Cavaliers’ lead at 97-96, creating a memorable moment in the game.

Cavaliers Rewrite History, Nets Falter

The Cavaliers’ impressive start challenges the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors’ record-breaking winning streak of 24 consecutive games. Coincidentally, the Warriors fell to the Cavaliers in that year’s NBA Finals.

Brooklyn’s Cam Johnson put up 23 points, with Dennis Schroder and Cam Thomas each adding 22. Despite a 15-point deficit in the second quarter, the Nets managed to restrict Cleveland to a season-low 13 points in the third, thanks to Johnson and Thomas’s combined efforts. However, they couldn’t replicate this defensive prowess in the fourth quarter, allowing the Cavaliers to outpace them.

Key Takeaways and Upcoming Games

The Nets, still reeling from a 108-104 overtime defeat to Boston the previous night, struggled to contain the Cavaliers’ top-tier offense in the last quarter. Cleveland capitalized on this weakness, sinking 14 out of 18 shots in the final phase.

Cleveland’s new coach Kenny Atkinson confessed that the game held personal significance for him, as it was his first face-off with Brooklyn since his departure in 2020. His team, especially Mobley, who made 10 of his 11 field goal attempts, took this message to heart.

The turning point came when Johnson extended Brooklyn’s lead to 96-89 with a successful 3-pointer, only for the Cavaliers to respond with a 10-point rally. Garland played a pivotal role, scoring four consecutive points and assisting Mobley for a dunk that turned the tide.

The Cavaliers are now just two wins away from equaling their franchise record of 13 consecutive victories, a feat achieved thrice, all with LeBron James, with the last occurrence between November 11 and December 6, 2017.

Next in line, the Nets will conclude their three-game road trip in New Orleans on Monday, while the Cavaliers are set to face off against Chicago.