Donovan Mitchell scored 17 of his 27 points in the second quarter and Evan Mobley finished with 21 points, fueling the host Cleveland Cavaliers to a 142-105 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday.
Mitchell made 10 of 15 shots from the floor — including 5 of 7 from 3-point range — before sitting out the fourth quarter.
Mobley sank 9-of-11 attempts from the floor and collected eight rebounds and three steals for Cleveland, which cruised to its sixth straight win and 10th in the last 11 games.
The Cavaliers shot a robust 60.9 percent from the floor and dominated the interior with a 66-38 advantage in points in the paint.
Cleveland’s Ty Jerome scored 19 points and De’Andre Hunter drained four 3-pointers to highlight his 16-point performance off the bench. Jarrett Allen had 10 points before exiting in the third quarter with an injured right hand.
New York’s Jalen Brunson scored 16 of his 26 points in the first quarter, Karl-Anthony Towns added 23 points and Mikal Bridges finished with 14.
OG Anunoby had five points in his return from a six-game absence due to a right foot sprain for the Knicks, who saw their three-game winning streak come to a halt.
Cleveland exploited the interior en route to a 41-29 lead at the end of the first quarter. Mobley made all four of his shots from the floor to score 10 points for the Cavaliers.
Cleveland extended its lead to 55-36 following a 14-5 run in the second quarter. New York tried to keep pace, but Mitchell followed a dunk by Mobley with back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Cavaliers a 77-50 advantage at halftime.
Sam Merrill’s 3-pointer extended Cleveland’s lead to 106-73 with 2:52 remaining in the third quarter. The Cavaliers scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter and put it on cruise control from there.
Cleveland’s Dean Wade scored two points in his return from an 11-game absence due to a bone bruise in his right knee.
–Field Level Media
