Jarrett Allen scored 29 points and took 15 returns and Darius Garland produced five important points in the final 1:16 when the host Cleveland Cavaliers defeated San Antonio Spurs 124-116 on Thursday.
Cavaliers (59-14) under the guidance of five points at half time and with three after three quarters. San Antonio went up 104-102 at Stephon Castle’s 3-pointer with 6:25 to play before Cleveland responded, rolled away the subsequent nine points and never beat again.
The spurs (31-41) came within 117-114 when Harrison Barnes made a layup with 1:41 left. It was when Garland took responsibility, met a 3-pointer and then a finger = rolling to give Cleveland the pillow it needed to end the victory.
Donovan Mitchell added 25 points, 14 assists and eight returns for Cleveland, which has won three straight matches. Max Strus got 18 points, De’andre Hunter had 14, Sam Merrill hit for 13 and Garland finished with 10 points even though I shot 4-for-15 from the floor.
Castle led San Antonio with 22 points, 11 returns and eight assists. Devin Vassell also had 22 points, Keldon Johnson picked up 17 points and 10 returns, Julian Champagnie hit for 16 points and Jeremy Sochan made 13 for Spurs, who has lost two games in a row.
Cleveland had a 30-24 advantage after 12 minutes of play and built at its speed during the first minutes of the second quarter, with Mitchell’s 3-pointer who pressed the margin to 46-30. San Antonio swung back and closed within 50-47 on Jeremy Sochan’s running with 50.3 seconds to play at half. Cleveland led 54-49 at the break even though they committed 10 sales.
Mitchell led all scorers with 15 points before half -time, the lone player on both teams in double numbers.
San Antonio grew in front of 81-79 when Vassell preserved a couple of free throw by 1:47 to play during the third quarter. Cavaliers received the best of the last minutes of the period, since five points of Merrill and a can of Mitchell, the latter with 16 seconds left, gave them a lead of 86-83 to the fourth period.
-Field level media
