The Cavaliers are slowly finding their footing again.
Donovan Mitchell scored 27 points, Sam Merrill poured in 22, and the Cavs blew past the Pelicans, 141–118, on Tuesday night at Rocket Arena.
It marked Cleveland’s second win in two nights — and its first back-to-back victories since late November — as it heads into Christmas Day at Madison Square Garden with a little momentum.
This one was over early in the second half. Cleveland (17-14) used balance, pace and shooting to turn it into a 23-point win, the club’s second-largest margin of the season.
Nine of the 11 players used scored in double figures, something the Cavaliers have now done twice this season, and only twice in franchise history, according to Sportradar. The last time was Nov. 10, 1992, against Washington.
The Cavs have now scored at least 139 points in back-to-back games and for the eighth time this season. The bench did much of the damage, accounting for 57 points. Jaylon Tyson led the reserves with 18, while Thomas Bryant added a season-high 15.
Jarrett Allen chipped in 14 points, including his first three-pointer since January 2023. Merrill, back for a second night after missing 14 games with a sprained right hand, went 7-of-12 from the field and 6-of-10 from deep in just 26 minutes, his third 20-point game of the season.
Zion Williamson scored 26 off the bench for New Orleans, which saw its five-game winning streak snapped.
Not everything is fixed. But the Cavaliers, at least for now, are moving in the right direction. And hey, the timing ain’t bad.
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Congrats, Sam. I know you guys are Cavs fans, good to see them break the slump! I’m a Lakers guy so I’m dealing with my own team’s recent lack of inspired play. Realistically this is a gap year for us, but they shouldn’t be THIS bad on defense, getting stomped x2 by the Suns. No one is gift wrapping the perfect trade pieces for us … We have to figure this out.