The Cleveland Cavaliers held off a furious fourth-quarter rally to beat the Brooklyn Nets 125-121 on Saturday at Rocket Arena. Donovan Mitchell scored 22 points and Evan Mobley added 20 points and 10 rebounds as Cleveland improved to 1-1. Michael Porter Jr. led all scorers with 28 points for Brooklyn, which fell to 0-2.
Cleveland built its cushion early, carrying a 35-30 edge through the first quarter and pushing the margin to 68-54 at halftime before Brooklyn answered with a 41-point fourth quarter that pulled the Nets within striking distance. Julius Randle finished with 23 points and Egor Demin added 22 points and six assists in the loss.
Key Moments And How Cleveland Won
Cleveland controlled the game from the opening tip, outscoring Brooklyn 35-30 in the first quarter and 33-24 in the second to take a 68-54 lead into the break. Jarrett Allen and Mobley combined to dominate inside, with Cleveland outscoring Brooklyn 46-30 in points in the paint for the game.
The Nets chipped away in the third quarter and then exploded for 41 points in the fourth, the largest quarter total by either team. Brooklyn’s fourth-quarter surge made the final closer than the game appeared through three quarters, but Cleveland held on despite allowing a 41-point fourth. The Cavaliers forced 23 Brooklyn turnovers but gave up 23 of their own.
Top Performers
Mitchell shot 7 of 15 from the field and made all six of his free throws to finish with 22 points, five rebounds and four assists. Mobley posted 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting with 10 rebounds and three blocks. Allen added 21 points and eight rebounds on an efficient 7-of-8 shooting night, while James Harden handed out seven assists to go with 12 points.
Porter Jr. led Brooklyn with 28 points, nine rebounds, four steals and a plus-five rating on 10-of-18 shooting. Randle scored 23 points on 7-of-13 shooting, and Demin contributed 22 points and six assists off a 5-of-10 night from the floor that included five 3-pointers.
What It Means
Cleveland moved to 1-1 and sits one game back of Detroit in the Central Standings, which the Pistons lead at 2-0. Brooklyn dropped to 0-2 and is tied with New York at the bottom of the Atlantic Standings. The Cavaliers now lead the season series over the Nets 1-0.
Cleveland finished the game shooting 51% from the field compared to Brooklyn’s 40%, a gap that largely offset the Nets’ advantage on the offensive glass, where Brooklyn grabbed 18 offensive rebounds to Cleveland’s nine. The Cavaliers also outscored Brooklyn 29-23 at the free-throw line and committed 23 turnovers of their own, which allowed Brooklyn back into the game in the fourth quarter.
What’s Next
Brooklyn searches for its first victory after an 0-2 start. Cleveland looks to keep building in the Central Division race.
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