Cleveland’s Evan Mobley put on a first-half scoring clinic, netting 23 points before halftime and finishing with a season-high-tying 29 points to power the Cavaliers past the Dallas Mavericks 138-105 on Friday night in the opener of a two-game series.
Donovan Mitchell contributed 24 points and dished out eight assists, while James Harden added 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists as Cleveland maintained its grip on fourth place in the Eastern Conference. The victory improved the Cavaliers to 24-10 since December 29.
For Dallas, rookie sensation Cooper Flagg led the way with 25 points, and Naji Marshall chipped in 17 points and seven rebounds. However, the Mavericks continued their recent struggles, dropping their ninth game in the last 10 contests and falling to 3-19 since January 24. Ryan Nembhard recorded eight points and nine assists in the losing effort.
Cleveland dominated the paint, outscoring Dallas 72 points to exploit the absence of Mavericks center Daniel Gafford. The Cavaliers reached their biggest advantage in the fourth quarter when Thomas Bryant’s hook shot made it 129-94. Bryant finished with 11 points coming off the bench.
Dallas veteran Klay Thompson endured a rough shooting night, missing all five of his three-point attempts and snapping his impressive 49-game streak of making at least one shot from beyond the arc.
A bizarre officiating moment occurred in the third quarter when referees incorrectly allowed Dallas to inbound the ball toward the wrong basket following a timeout. Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson had to inform the officials of the error before it was corrected.
The Cavaliers seized control early, taking a 67-50 halftime lead behind scorching 60.9% field goal shooting. Mobley was nearly perfect in the first half, connecting on 10 of 12 field goal attempts, while Marshall managed 12 points for Dallas and Flagg struggled with just six points before the break.
Dallas got off to a quick start with Marshall scoring the team’s first eight points, but Mobley quickly took over. The Cleveland big man poured in 16 points during the opening seven minutes to give the Cavaliers a 20-14 edge, and they extended their lead to 38-21 after the first quarter.
Both teams dealt with key absences. Dallas was without P.J. Washington Jr. due to left ankle soreness and rested Gafford after the pair combined for 34 points in Thursday’s 120-112 victory over Memphis. Cleveland continued to miss center Jarrett Allen, who sat out his fourth straight game with right knee tendinitis, while swingman Sam Merrill was sidelined with left hamstring tightness.
The two teams will meet again Sunday when the series shifts to Cleveland.
