Mitchell, Mobley help Cavaliers beat Spurs 114-113, close within a game of sealing East’s best mark
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SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points, Evan Mobley added 25 points and 10 rebounds and the Cleveland Cavaliers held on to beat the San Antonio Spurs 114-113 on Friday to move a game away from clinching the best record in the Eastern Conference.
Cleveland never trailed and led by 23 points in winning its third straight. The Cavaliers have won six of seven and are a win or a Boston loss from clinching the East’s best record for the sixth time in franchise history.
Despite the early dominance, Cleveland had to hold on to beat San Antonio.
Spurs forward Harrison Barnes’ 3-pointer with 29 seconds remaining cut Cleveland’s lead to 114-113.
The 3-pointer came between missed 3-pointers by Mitchell and Darius Garland in the final 43 seconds.
Barnes’ layup attempt failed to drop in as time expired to preserve Cleveland’s victory.
Devin Vassell had 24 points to lead San Antonio and Barnes added 23.
San Antonio has one home game remaining in a season that began with hope but devolved quickly after Gregg Popovich suffered a mild stroke on Nov. 2 followed by season-ending injuries to Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox.
Takeaways
Cavaliers: Max Strus was 1 for 5 on 3-pointers to finish with three points in 32 minutes. Strus has failed to score in double figures in six of his last seven games.
Spurs: Veteran point guard Chris Paul had nine points and eight assists in 30 minutes. Paul is vying to play every game for only the second time in his career. He played all 82 games for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2015.
Key moment
San Antonio outscored Cleveland 31-23 in the final quarter to turn a 23-point deficit into a one-possession game in the final seconds.
Key stat
Cleveland was 22 for 51 on 3-pointers, including 15 for 30 in the first half.
Up next
Cavaliers: host Sacramento on Sunday, and Spurs play at Portland to open a four-game trip.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA