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Cleveland Cavs score vs 76ers | NBA-best Cavaliers secure another win in back to back
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- Cleveland Cavs score vs 76ers | NBA-best Cavaliers secure another win in back to back
CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers secured their fourth consecutive win Saturday night, defeating the Philadelphia 76ers 126-99 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse .
For the NBA-leading Cavs , the greatest obstacle to victory, at least on paper, was playing on the second night of a back to back after beating the Milwaukee Bucks 124-101 on Friday. The Cavs , however, improved to 5-1 this season on zero days of rest. The 76ers also played on the second night of a back to back and are now 0-3 in such games.
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Here ' s how our updates unfolded throughout Cavs (25-4) versus Sixers (9-17) .
Cleveland Cavs defeat Philadelphia 76ers 126-99 with Darius Garland , Evan Mobley each eclipsing 20 points
Guard Darius Garland led the Cavs with 26 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field, including 6 of 7 on 3-pointers. Forward Evan Mobley added 22 points on 10-of-14 shooting from the floor (1 of 2 on 3s) and added 13 rebounds and seven assists. Guard Donovan Mitchell had 19 points, all in the first half, on 7-of-16 shooting from the field.
Three Cavs players came off the bench and reached double figures in scoring: Forward Georges Niang (13 points), guard Caris LeVert (12 points) and guard Ty Jerome (11 points).
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Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey scored a game-high 27 points on 8-of-22 shooting from the field (5 of 10 on 3s). Forward Paul George (11 points) and guard Ricky Council IV (11 points) were the only other Philly player to score in double figures.
Cavs news: Cleveland Cavaliers star Evan Mobley draws comparison to Hall of Famer with dunk over two 76ers
Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell shoots a first-half 3-pointer as Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond sits on the court and watches, Dec 21, 2024, in Cleveland.
Cavs lead 76ers 107-82 with 8:11 remaining in the fourth quarter
The Cavs were not the least bit interested in allowing the 76ers to mount a serious comeback threat in the fourth quarter.
LeVert made a 3-pointer to extend the Cavs' lead to 107-82 with 8:12 left to play, and the Sixers called timeout while behind by 25 points.
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Cavs lead 76ers 99-76 at the end of the third quarter
The 76ers had 76 points at the end of the third quarter. The Cavs had 99.
Garland scored 13 of the 26 points he had through three quarters in the third quarter. And Mobley had 22 points entering the fourth quarter, including 10 in the third. Mobley also had 12 rebounds and five assists, plus a highlight dunk (see more below).
Maxey led all scorers with 27 points heading into the fourth quarter. As previously mentioned, he finished with the same total.
Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome celebrates after hitting a first-half 3-pointer against the Philadelphia 76ers, Dec 21, 2024, in Cleveland.
Cavs restore 20-point lead with Darius Garland and Ty Jerome 3-pointers
Shortly after the Cavs had a 20-point lead sliced to eight, they went ahead 95-75 with Garland and Jerome combining to make three 3-pointers in a span of roughly two minutes. Jerome's 3 with 2:28 left in the third quarter gave the Cavs a 20-point cushion again.
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76ers rally vs. Cavs to cut deficit to eight points roughly midway through the third quarter
The 76ers used a 13-4 run to rally and trailed 81-73 with 5:24 left in the third quarter. They were behind by 20 points with 8:59 remaining.
Cavs rule out guard Sam Merrill for the rest of the game with a left quad contusion
Guard Sam Merrill played eight minutes off the bench in the first half. But in the third quarter, the Cavs ruled him out for the rest of the game with a left quadriceps contusion.
Merrill went 0-of-2 shooting from the field and did not score. He had one rebound.
Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George and Cavaliers defenders Ty Jerome (left) and Dean Wade go for a first-half loose ball, Dec 21, 2024, in Cleveland.
Cleveland Cavs begin third quarter on a 9-0 run and extend lead to 20 points vs. Sixers
The Cavs were all business to start the third quarter and proved it with a 9-0 run to open the second half.
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The Cavs extended their lead to 75-55 when Garland nailed a 3-pointer with 8:59 remaining in the third quarter.
Earlier in the third quarter, Mobley drove for a left-handed poster dunk over forward KJ Martin and center Andre Drummond .
Cleveland Cavaliers lead Philadelphia 76ers 66-55 at halftime
The Cavs led the 76ers 66-55 at halftime. Garland and Council traded 3-pointers with 18 seconds left and time expired in the second quarter. Council's buzzer-beater prevented Philly from trailing by 14 points at halftime.
Still, the Cavs dominated the second quarter, outscoring the 76ers 36-25 after the first quarter ended in a 30-30 tie.
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The Cavs went 24-of-44 shooting (54.5%) from the field (12 of 20 on 3 pointers) in the first half. The Sixers went 20-of-40 shooting from the floor (8 of 16 on 3s).
Mitchell led the Cavs with 19 points in the first half, followed by Garland with 13 points and Mobley with 12 points and six rebounds.
Maxey had a team-high 14 points for Philly through one half.
Cavaliers forward Georges Niang reacts to the Philadelphia 76ers bench during the first half, Dec 21, 2024, in Cleveland.
Cavaliers lead Sixers 55-46 with 4:04 left in the second quarter
The Cavs built a 55-46 advantage when forward Dean Wade made a 3-pointer on an assist from center Jarrett Allen and influenced a Sixers timeout with 4:04 remaining in the second quarter. Allen finished with six points and six rebounds.
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It was Wade's first shot of the game, and he continues to make a significant difference for the Cavs, especially on the defensive end of the floor. Wade had six points.
Speaking of defense, LeVert recorded a steal and fast-break layup to lift Cleveland to a 52-44 lead with 5:11 left in the second quarter.
Cavs lead 76ers 43-41 with 6:59 left in the second quarter
The Cavs continued to trade blows in the second quarter. Mitchell landed a notable one when he drained a 3-pointer immediately after Drummond fell while trying to guard Mitchell on the perimeter. The long-range make gave the Cavs a 43-41 advantage with 8:11 remaining in the second quarter. Mitchell's scoring total increased to 19 points.
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The Cavs led by the same score when they called timeout with 6:59 remaining before halftime.
Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George shoots over Cavaliers forward Dean Wade in the first quarter, Dec 21, 2024, in Cleveland.
Cavs and 76ers tied 30-30 at the end of the first quarter
The Cavs and 76ers were tied 30-30 at the end of the first quarter.
The 76ers were in command for the vast majority of the first quarter and had led by as many as 11 points, but the Cavs rallied.
Cleveland took a 28-27 lead when Mitchell produced a three-point play with 1:29 left. Mitchell drew a foul from forward Caleb Martin while driving to the basket for a dunk. Martin looked as if he thought Mitchell would kick the ball out to a teammate on the perimeter.
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Mitchell had a game-high 13 points through a quarter, but Maxey was on his heels with 12 points.
Cavs trail 76ers 20-14 with 4:31 left in the first quarter
The Cavs started with an ice-cold shooting performance and were sloppy with the ball. They were behind 20-14 when the 76ers called timeout with 4:31 left in the opening quarter.
The Cavs were 1-of-6 shooting from the floor until Mitchell made a 3-pointer with 8:11 remaining in the first quarter.
But the Sixers maintained control in the first quarter when forward Kelly Oubre Jr. 's three-point play gave them a 20-12 cushion with 5:07 left in the opening quarter. Merrill committed the foul on the play.
Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey drives to the basket between Cavaliers forwards Evan Mobley (left) and Dean Wade in the first quarter, Dec 21, 2024, in Cleveland.
76ers guard Tyrese Maxey outscores Cavs 8-2 to begin the game
The Cavs called timeout with 9:28 left in the first quarter while facing an 8-2 deficit.
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Maxey scored Philly's first eight point by making two 3-pointers and a driving layup, the last of which prompted a Cleveland timeout.
Here is some pregame information :
What is the injury report for Cleveland Cavs vs. Philadelphia 76ers?
The Cavs have ruled out small forward Max Strus due to injury management. Strus made his 2024-25 regular-season debut Friday and scored nine points in 19 minutes off the bench against the Bucks. He missed the first 27 games this season with a sprained right ankle, so the Cavs are being cautious with him amid a back to back.
Cavs vs. Bucks recap: Cleveland Cavaliers dominate Milwaukee in Max Strus' season debut
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The Cavs will also be without small forward Isaac Okoro (sprained AC joint in right shoulder).
The Sixers have ruled out former league MVP Joel Embiid (rest) and guard Jared McCain (left knee meniscus surgery). They listed forward Paul George (left knee impingement) as questionable to play but later announced he'll start.
Dec 20, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) celebrates after a play during the second half against the Milwaukee Bucks at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
How can I watch, listen, stream Cavs vs. 76ers game?
Saturday's game can be watched locally on the FanDuel Sports Network . It can be heard on the radio via WMMS (100.7-FM) and WTAM (1100-AM).
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This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs score vs 76ers live game updates, analysis, highlights
