Cavaliers Beat 76ers 119-95, Hold LeBron James to Eight Points/ NEWSLOOKS/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points as Cleveland defeated Philadelphia 119-95 in an NBA Cup group-stage game Friday night. LeBron James scored just eight points in his return to Cleveland, while Joel Embiid missed all nine of his field-goal attempts. The Cavaliers controlled the boards and handed the 76ers their second loss in 10 games.
Quick Look
- Final score: Cleveland defeated Philadelphia 119-95.
- Mitchell leads: He finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.
- Mobley contributes: Evan Mobley added 22 points.
- James struggles: He shot 3 of 12 and missed all four 3-point attempts.
- Philadelphia scorers: Jaylen Brown scored 20, VJ Edgecombe had 19 and Tyrese Maxey added 17.
- Embiid contained: He scored six points, all from the free-throw line.
- Rebounding advantage: Cleveland finished with 14 more rebounds despite Jarrett Allen’s absence.
- Next games: Cleveland hosts New York on Saturday; Philadelphia visits Chicago on Sunday.
Deep Look
Cleveland Controls LeBron’s Return
CLEVELAND — Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points and Evan Mobley added 22 as the Cavaliers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 119-95 Friday night, limiting LeBron James to eight points in his return to Northeast Ohio.
The NBA Cup group-stage victory helped Cleveland rebound from two losses to Oklahoma City.
Philadelphia fell to 8-2 after struggling offensively throughout the night.
James Finishes With Rare Single-Digit Total
James, who signed with Philadelphia during the offseason rather than returning for a third stint with Cleveland, made three of 12 shots and went 0 for 4 from beyond the arc.
The Akron native played 31 minutes before leaving with 3:54 remaining. Some Cavaliers fans booed when he touched the ball during the first half.
It was only the 10th single-digit scoring performance of his 24-year regular-season career.
His NBA-record streak of 1,297 consecutive regular-season games with at least 10 points ended Dec. 4 last season, when he was playing for the Los Angeles Lakers in a victory at Toronto.
Mitchell and Mobley Lead Balanced Cavaliers Attack
Mitchell added seven rebounds and eight assists in 33 minutes, while James Harden contributed 17 points.
Cleveland led for most of the game and built a 46-30 advantage three minutes into the second quarter on a Mobley alley-oop dunk.
The Cavaliers extended their lead to as many as 25 points during the fourth quarter.
Philadelphia Shoots Poorly as Embiid Goes Without a Field Goal
Jaylen Brown led the 76ers with 20 points, followed by VJ Edgecombe with 19 and Tyrese Maxey with 17.
Embiid missed all nine shots from the field, finishing with six points after making every free throw.
Philadelphia shot 36.5% overall and made just 10 of 40 attempts from 3-point range.
Cleveland Wins Rebounding Battle Without Allen
The Cavaliers finished with a 14-rebound advantage despite missing center Jarrett Allen, who was sidelined with a bruised right knee.
Mario Hezonja provided 13 points and 10 rebounds off the bench.
Peyton Watson collected nine rebounds after missing the previous two games with right hamstring tightness.
Up Next
The Cavaliers host the New York Knicks on Saturday. The 76ers continue their road trip against the Chicago Bulls on Sunday.
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