Darius Garland scored 26 points and Evan Mobley had 22 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, sending the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers to a 126-99 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night.
Donovan Mitchell had 19 points and Georges Niang added 13 points for Cleveland, which is 25-4 for the best record in the league.
The Cavaliers matched their season high with 22 3-pointers – Garland made six of seven – and improved to an NBA-best 16-1 at home.
Tyrese Maxey scored 13 of his 27 points in the third quarter and Paul George had 11 points for Philadelphia. Kelly Oubre Jr. had nine points, but the 76ers were outscored by 34 points in his 27 minutes.
Philadelphia center Joel Embidthat one sinus fracture and knee paindid not play the second game of a back-to-back set. The former MVP scored 34 points in a win over Charlotte on Friday.
76ers: Coach Nick Nurse was comfortable with his rotation until rookie shooting guard Jared McCain suffered knee surgery Tuesday. “If you lose McCain, all those plans disappear into thin air,” Nurse said.
Cavaliers: After a scoreless first quarter, Mobley erupted for 12 points in the second and 10 in the third by putting his will into the paint. The fourth-year pro is averaging 18.4 points and 9.0 rebounds in his career.
Mobley drove down the lane for a thunderous slam over KJ Martin and Andre Drummond – causing the Cavaliers crowd and bench to erupt – as part of a 9-0 run to open the second half.
The Cavaliers made 22 three-pointers in 43 attempts, marking the first time in franchise history that they made 19 or more in three straight games. Cleveland leads the NBA with a .405 3-point percentage.
The 76ers host San Antonio on Monday. The Cavaliers host Utah on Monday.
