The Cleveland Cavaliers will seek their first three-game winning streak since starting the season 15-0 when they host the Denver Nuggets on Thursday.
Cleveland, which boasts the league’s best record at 19-3, secured a 118-87 blowout victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday in NBA Cup group play. Seven Cavaliers scored in double figures, including Evan Mobley, who posted 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Donovan Mitchell contributed 19 points, seven assists, and five rebounds, while Georges Niang and Sam Merrill each added 14 points off the bench.
The win was not without its challenges for the Cavaliers. Darius Garland, who averages 20.3 points and leads the team with 6.7 assists per game, left the game after a collision with Washington’s Jonas Valanciunas. Mitchell also briefly left the game due to a stinger to his right shoulder. Mitchell’s 24.3 points per game lead the Cavaliers, and his 4.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.6 steals per game have been crucial to Cleveland’s strong start.
Fortunately, neither Garland nor Mitchell was listed on the Wednesday injury report.
The Cavaliers aim to continue their winning ways against Denver, which features one of the most versatile players in the league, three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.
Jokic led the Nuggets to a 119-115 NBA Cup win over the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday with 38 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and five steals. The reigning MVP is averaging 30.2 points, 13 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per game this season.
If he maintains this production throughout the season, Jokic would become only the third player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season. The others were Oscar Robertson (1961-62) and Jokic’s teammate, veteran Russell Westbrook, who has achieved the feat four times.
Westbrook, in his first season with the Nuggets, has taken on a different role, averaging 11.7 points, six assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game. However, Jokic noted that Westbrook and Christian Braun provided crucial defensive presence and hustle during Tuesday’s victory.
Westbrook and Braun (15.6 points per game) are among six Denver players averaging double-figure scoring, joined by Jokic, Michael Porter Jr. (18.7), Jamal Murray (17.7), and Aaron Gordon (14.8).
Denver is averaging 118.1 points per game, fifth most in the NBA, and 30.4 assists, which ranks second in the league.
The Cavaliers are averaging a league-high 121.8 points per game and lead the NBA in both 2-point field-goal percentage (.590) and 3-point field-goal percentage (.402).
