The Cleveland Cavaliers came from behind in a nail-biting second-half turnaround to defeat the Brooklyn Nets 105-100 on Saturday and maintain their unbeaten 11-0 start to the NBA season. Anchored by a dominant defensive effort from Evan Mobley and an offensive surge by Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland trailed by as many as 14 points in the third quarter and pulled off an unlikely win.
Mobley was brilliant on both ends of the floor, leading Cleveland with 23 points while being extremely important on the defensive side. The 23-year-old forward had 13 defensive rebounds and four steals to go along with an important block that encapsulated how intense he was in the paint. Cleveland outscored Brooklyn 35-18 in the final quarter, but it wasn’t until two late free throws from Darius Garland that gave the Cavs a slim 97-96 lead with just over two minutes to play. Mobley’s emphatic block on Cameron Johnson’s layup attempt in the final seconds sent roars throughout the crowd as it capped an impressive performance for him.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson saluted the character of his team, conceding they had been poor in the first half but were inspired by the prospect of maintaining their undefeated run. “We weren’t great, but it’s a sign of a really good team that they can pull something like that out when you’re not playing your best,” Atkinson said. “Tonight, you’re thinking, ‘I don’t want it to end this way.’ The guys battled and tried to keep this thing going.”
Cameron Johnson paced their scoring with 23 points, Cam Thomas and Dennis Schroder following with 22 apiece. But they could not do much against an intense Cleveland defense in the final stretch.
In other NBA action, the Utah Jazz narrowly defeated the San Antonio Spurs 111-110 with 23 points from Collin Sexton. Despite a 24-point, 16-rebound performance from Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama, the 20-year-old rookie was whistled for a pivotal offensive foul in the final seconds. Elsewhere, the Chicago Bulls overpowered the Atlanta Hawks 125-113, as eight players scored in double figures against the Hawks, including 19 off the bench from Ayo Dosunmo.
Back-to-back layers of unrelenting Cleveland defense, timely scoring by the team, and an electrifying crowd kept them undefeated, most likely as a sign of their potential on the rise in the league.
