Mitchell’s 37 Points Drive Cavaliers to 120-105 Win Over Clippers
mitchell-37-points-drive-cavaliers-to-120-105-win-over-clippers
Donovan Mitchell poured in 37 points to help the Cleveland Cavaliers defeat the Los Angeles Clippers 120-105 on Sunday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The All-Star guard shot 14-for-22 from the field and added eight rebounds and six assists. Cleveland outscored Los Angeles by 26 while Mitchell was on the court.
Floor general returns
Darius Garland, playing his second game since returning from a fractured jaw, finished with eight points and a team-high eight assists. Head coach Kenny Atkinson said Garland’s presence steadied an offense that had missed its primary playmaker for four weeks.
Balanced support
Evan Mobley contributed 18 points on 9-of-12 shooting and pulled down 10 boards. De’Andre Hunter scored 17, and rookie second-round pick Tyrese Proctor supplied 11 points in 17 minutes off the bench. Dean Wade, Jaylon Tyson, NaeQwan Tomlin and Larry Nance Jr. also logged meaningful minutes as Cleveland dealt with a lengthy injury list.
Jarrett Allen (finger), Sam Merrill (hand), Craig Porter Jr. (hamstring), Lonzo Ball (knee management) and Max Strus (foot) were unavailable, forcing Atkinson to deploy 10 players.
Defensive effort contains Clippers
Kawhi Leonard led Los Angeles with 20 points in his first game back after missing three contests, but James Harden was limited to 19 after scoring 55 the previous night in Charlotte. Harden, who hit 10 threes against the Hornets, missed all eight of his attempts from long range in Cleveland.
The Clippers fell to 5-12, while the Cavaliers improved to 12-6.
Quick turnaround
Cleveland boarded a flight to Toronto immediately after the game to complete a back-to-back on Monday. Atkinson said the club will remain short-handed, though Mitchell and Mobley are expected to play. Following the matchup with the Raptors, the Cavaliers will have three days off before visiting Atlanta on Friday.
Source: Hoops Wire
