TITLE: Mitchell and Harden Fuel Cavaliers’ Late Rally to Edge Nuggets 119-117
SLUG: mitchell-harden-cavaliers-nuggets-win-119-117
CONTENT:
The Cleveland Cavaliers erased a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets 119-117 on Monday night in Denver.
Guard Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 32 points and added 10 assists, sinking two free throws at the final horn to secure the victory. Fellow newcomer James Harden contributed 22 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and four blocks, highlighted by a step-back three-pointer with 32 seconds remaining that put Cleveland in front for good.
Jarrett Allen supplied 22 points and 13 boards, converting back-to-back uncontested layups during the late surge. Rookie Jaylon Tyson finished with 16 points, while Sam Merrill chipped in nine off the bench.
Jokic Records Triple-Double in Loss
Denver center Nikola Jokic tallied 22 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists but committed six turnovers under consistent help defense from Harden. The setback dropped the Nuggets to 0-2 against Cleveland this season.
Road Trip Ends on High Note
The Cavaliers (33-21) closed their five-game Western swing at 4-1 and have now won eight of their last nine outings. The Nuggets fell to 0-2 on their current homestand.
What’s Next
Cleveland returns home to face the Washington Wizards on Wednesday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the club’s final game before an eight-day layoff surrounding the All-Star break.
Source: Hoops Wire
