Darius Garland scored 23 and was one of four Cleveland Cavaliers with at least 20 points in a 124-113 victory over the visiting Utah Jazz on Monday night.
Donovan Mitchell added 22 points, Evan Mobley scored 22 with 10 rebounds and three blocks, and Utah native Sam Merrill contributed season highs in scoring (20 points) and 3-pointers (six) in a rare start.
Cleveland used a 15-5 run in the final minutes to close out its fifth consecutive victory after Utah pulled within one point in the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers improved their league-best home record to 17-1.
Jordan Clarkson amassed 27 points, six rebounds and five assists, Lauri Markkanen added 26 points and seven rebounds, and Collin Sexton netted 24 points and five assists for Utah.
The Jazz had won a season-high two games in a row but struggled down the stretch after erasing most of the Cavaliers’ game-high 14-point second-half lead.
Clarkson, who played part of three seasons in Cleveland, scored seven points in a 10-3 fourth-quarter surge.
Soon after, Utah went on a 7-0 run and cut the Cavs’ lead to one after Markkanen sank a pair of free throws with 4:39 to go.
Mitchell and Garland responded with buckets for a five-point lead.
Clarkson hit two free throws to make it a three-point game with 2:51 left, but the Cavaliers dominated after that.
Mitchell hit a tough floater, made two free throws and grabbed a rebound in the final minutes. Former Utah forward Georges Niang hit a bucket, made a steal and assisted on a Caris LeVert dunk in the last minute to clinch the victory.
Merrill scored 17 points in the second half.
Utah kept it close in the first half and trailed only 60-56 at halftime. In the third quarter, Merrill started and ended a 10-1 run with 3-pointers, leading to Cleveland grabbing its largest lead of the game, 86-69.
Walker Kessler scored nine points, grabbed 16 rebounds and blocked three shots, but the Jazz center missed five consecutive free throws after being intentionally fouled on multiple occasions late in the fourth quarter.
The game was delayed as one of the basket stanchions needed to be replaced because the rim wasn’t level.
–Field Level Media