Mitchell, Allen lead Cavaliers to efficient 135-116 win over Wizards
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives between Washington Wizards forwards Corey Kispert, left, and Kyle Kuzma, right, for a basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/John McDonnell]
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, Jarrett Allen added 23 while going 10 for 10 from the floor and the Cleveland Cavaliers eased to a 135-116 victory over the Washington Wizards on Saturday night.
Darius Garland also had 23 points, and Evan Mobley scored 13 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as Cleveland remained perfect three games into their new season.
The Cavaliers shot 54% (47 of 87) from the floor to complete their ninth consecutive victory over Washington. A night earlier, they defeated Detroit for a 10th straight time.
Bilal Coulibaly scored a career-high 23 points for Washington, which has lost its first two games by a combined 39 points at home after posting a franchise-worst 15-67 record last season.
Takeaways
Cavaliers: This was a professional performance on the second night of a back-to-back set for Cleveland. But the schedule gets much tougher with six games against teams that reached last season’s playoffs.
Wizards: Last season’s leading scorer Kyle Kuzma is struggling so far. He made only 3 of 16 shots in 24 minutes (and missed all four of his attempts from beyond the arc) after going 6 for 16 in Washington’s season-opening defeat against Boston.
Key moment
After Kuzma’s dunk to open the second half, Mitchell sank a 3-pointer, a mid-range jumper and assisted Garland’s 3-pointer during Cleveland’s 12-0 run to build a 16-point advantage. Washington would not get within single digits again.
Key stat
Believe it or not, Allen’s perfect shooting performance marks only his second-most made field goals without a miss in his career. He went 11 for 11 on Oct. 21, 2021, against Memphis.
Up next
Both teams are on the road Monday, with the Cavaliers visiting the New York Knicks and the Wizards in Atlanta.
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