Mitchell, Mobley Power Cavs to an Ugly Win in Washington

The Cavaliers didn’t bring their “A” game, but they still got the “W” in the nation’s capital.

Cleveland opened a three-game roadtrip with a 114-106 win over the Wizards, who gave the Cavs everything they could handle for three quarters before the Cavs finally pulled away.

It was 27-27 after one quarter, and 57-57 at halftime.

“Give them credit,” Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of the Wizards. “They competed their tails off, played the game the right way, defended us extremely well, moved the ball offensively, so give them credit. But it was great to see our guys just figure out a way and come up with one.”

Donovan Mitchell did what he does, leading the Cavaliers with 40 points and eight rebounds. Evan Mobley chipped in 22 points on a hyper-efficient 9-of-10 from the field, and snagged eight rebounds. Showcasing a new dimension to his game since returning from knee surgery, Mobley was 2-of-2 from 3-point range.

With the win, the Cavs extended their NBA-best winning streak to seven games. They’re 20-4 since Dec. 16, and currently hold the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference standings. The Celtics beat Atlanta to maintain a five-game lead over Cleveland in the conference standings, while the fading 76ers fell to Golden State, looking lost without Joel Embiid. Milwaukee and New York were idle.

Fun fact: Kyle Kuzma, who had 28 points, would look dapper in a Cavs uniform.