Nets blow fourth quarter lead and lose 105-100 to undefeated Cavaliers

CLEVELAND (AP) – Evan Mobley had 23 points and 16 rebounds and Donovan Mitchell scored 22 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers cruised to a 105-100 win over the Nets on Saturday night, becoming the 12th team in NBA history to start a season 11-0.

Darius Garland scored eight of his 20 points in the fourth quarter for Cleveland, which trailed 82-68 with 35 seconds left in the third quarter. Garland gave the Cavaliers the lead for good at 97-96 with two free throws.

The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors hold the league record after winning their first 24 games. They lost to the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

Cam Johnson scored 23 points and Dennis Schröder And Cam Thomas had 22 apiece for the Nets. Brooklyn trailed by 15 points in the second quarter but held Cleveland to a season-low 13 points in the third quarter, with Johnson and Thomas combining for 19 points.

The Cavaliers failed to score 110 points for the first time, ending their NBA record streak of 10 consecutive wins to open the season. Hall of Fame Center Wilt Chamberlain and the 1960-61 Philadelphia Warriors had tied the mark with nine.

Takeaways

Nets: After a 108-104 overtime loss the night before in Boston, Brooklyn couldn’t stop the Cavaliers’ league-leading offense in the fourth quarter. Cleveland made 14 of 18 shots in the final period.

Cavaliers: New coach Kenny Atkinson admitted there was “a little bit more” at stake when he faced Brooklyn for the first time since being released by the Nets in 2020. Mobley took the message to heart, making 10 of 11 field goal attempts.

Key moment

After Johnson drained a three-pointer with 4:23 left to extend Brooklyn’s lead to 96-89, the Cavaliers responded with 10 straight points. Garland scored four straight goals and then gave Mobley a dunk to complete the game-changing run.

Key statistics

The Cavaliers are just two wins away from tying the longest winning streak in franchise history. Cleveland has won 13 three times in a row, all with the franchise icon LeBron James on the roster, most recently from November 11th to December 6th, 2017.

Next

The Nets complete a three-game trip Monday in New Orleans. The Cavaliers visit Chicago on Monday.