Cavs Bring Back Classic Uniforms, Beat Sixers 132-121

*** The Cavaliers were the healthiest they’ve been all season heading into Wednesday’s matchup with the Sixers, and it showed – going wire-to-wire and cruising to the 132-121 win to take their second straight at Rocket Arena. 

Darius Garland made his season debut after offseason surgery and Jarrett Allen and Sam Merrill returned to the lineup after missing recent action, but it was Donovan Mitchell (again) who powered the Wine & Gold – leading all scorers with a season-high 46 points, going 15-for-21 from the floor, including 6-of-11 from long-range and 10-for-10 from the stripe, adding a team-high-tying eight assists in the win. 

For the second straight outing, the Cavaliers jumped all over their opponent – running out to a 17-4 lead over a Philadelphia team that fell in Chicago the previous night while going off for 41 points in the first quarter. After a rough second quarter that saw the Sixers cut their lead to just three points at intermission, the Cavs erupted again in the third period and took a 20-point lead into the fourth. 

Garland, who injured his great toe in Cleveland’s First Round series against Miami last spring and underwent surgery over the summer, spent much of Wednesday night shaking off the rust – chipping in with eight points on 3-of-11 shooting, adding four assists in 26 minutes of work. 

“(Garland) just sets us up nicely,” praised Coach Kenny Atkinson following the win. “Those first seven minutes – that was Cavs basketball. And a lot of it was started by him, his speed, his ability to get advantages. He knows what sets we want. I know it wasn’t perfect, but the big reason our offense took an up-tick tonight is him getting us into our comfort zone.”

Allen, who fractured his finger last week in Boston, looked as if he hadn’t missed a beat – doubling-up with 24 points on 11-of-17 shooting, grabbing a team-high 10 rebounds and leading both teams with three steals and three blocks. His frontcourt mate, Evan Mobley, was almost as sharp – finishing with 23 points, going 9-of-17 from the field to go with five, three assists and a pair of blocked shots. 

Sam Merrill, bouncing back from a hip injury, also jumped right back into the flow – pitching in with 14 points to lead Cleveland’s reserves, going 4-for-5 from long-range in 27 minutes of work off the bench. Through his first five games, the former Utah State standout is shooting 55 percent from beyond the arc (22-of-40), has scored in double-figures in all five outings and is averaging a career-best 16.6ppg. 

Jaylon Tyson rounded out the Cavaliers in double-figures – finishing with 10 points, five boards and a pair of steals. The sophomore from Cal has notched double-digit scoring in each of his last four games. 

Tyrese Maxey and Quentin Grimes each led Philly with 27 points, with Grimes making his mark in 32 minutes of action off the bench. The Sixers’ second unit – which combined to score 64 points in Wednesday’s loss – also produced the game’s high-rebounder, former Cavalier Andre Drummond, who finished with 13 points and 13 boards. 

*** Donovan Mitchell continued his historic early-season run on Wednesday, which marked his 20^thgame of at least 40 points as a member of the Cavaliers (29^th time in his career overall). His .714 FG percentage in the win over Philly marks the 3^rd-highest percentage in a 40-point game in franchise history. Over his last four games – including a 15-point clunker against Boston – the six-time All-Star is averaging 33.3 points per. 

*** Jarrett Allen notched his first double-double of the season on Wednesday, and posted his 61^st 20-point, 10-rebound effort as a member of the Cavaliers – with Cleveland going 48-13 in those contests. Allen also passed the legendary Jim Chones for 9^th-place on the team’s all-time offensive rebounding list – now with 1,041. Next on the list is Phil Hubbard (1,051). 

Allen, who suited up for all 82 games last season, talked postgame about giving it a go. “It’s one of those things: I go to work. I feel like it’s my job to be there for my teammates. My finger hurt pretty bad, but it didn’t hurt bad enough to where I felt I couldn’t contribute. It honestly feels a little weird to take games off and not be out there. So, I gave what I had, and honestly, if my finger hurt bad enough to where I couldn’t contribute, I’d have sat out. But I had enough in me to go out there and play.”

*** After smushing the Sixers to wrap up a three-game homestand on Wednesday night, the Wine & Gold hit the road for three of their next four. On Friday, they travel to D.C. for a matchup with the Wizards before returning home the following night for a Saturday showdown against the red-hot Bulls at Rocket Arena. Next week, the Cavs travel to South Beach for a pair – taking on the Heat on Monday and Wednesday night before returning home for a five-game homestand.