Donovan Mitchell glanced hopefully up at the overhead videoboard, realizing his sensational slam dunk deserved a second look. He wasn’t going to get it in Brooklyn.
Mitchell also had five 3-pointers and scored 31 points, as the Cleveland Cavaliers opened a big lead in the third quarter and held on for a 115-109 victory over Nets on Tuesday night. The win sealed the Philadelphia 76ers’ playoff spot.
‘I was trying to see it but I forgot we’re on the road,’ Mitchell said, ‘so they’re definitely not going to show it.’Â No problem. It’s all over the internet.
Caris LeVert added 18 points for the Cavaliers in the opener of a two-game series. Cleveland led by only six after a competitive first half, but quickly blew it open in the third en route to its seventh win in nine games.
The Cavs opened a 24-point lead and Mitchell’s slam over Yuta Watanabe came with the Nets desperately hoping to get back into it early in the fourth.
Cavaliers Donovan Mitchell drives to the basket against Nets Seth Curry and Cameron Johnson
Cleveland’s win over the Nets on Tuesday night sealed the Philadelphia 76ers’ playoff spot
Mitchell eventually saw a replay when he got back to the locker room, but the 2018 All-Star Slam Dunk champion wasn’t certain if he agreed with his teammates who felt it was his best ever.
‘It’s up there,’ Mitchell said. ‘I don’t know if it’s my best one, but it’s definitely up there.’
Darius Garland and Evan Mobley each added 17 points, and Jarrett Allen returned from a four-game absence with a right eye injury with 12 points and 14 rebounds.
Day’Ron Sharpe had 20 points and 11 rebounds off the bench for the Nets, who lost their fourth straight game. Spencer Dinwiddie had 19 points and 11 assists, and Mikal Bridges scored 18 points.
The teams play again Thursday night to complete what could be a postseason preview. The Cavaliers are solidly in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, nearing their first playoff berth since 2018 in LeBron James’ final season in Cleveland, and their first without him on the roster since 1998.
The Nets came in just two games behind the New York Knicks for fifth, but now are only a half-game ahead of Miami for seventh, which would mean having to get through the play-in round.
Mitchell and Garland converted consecutive three-point plays to give Cleveland eight straight points to start the second half and a 69-55 lead. Mitchell later opened and closed an 11-0 burst with 3-pointers, pushing the lead to 84-60 midway through the third.
‘Again, it’s along those lines of putting four quarters together, it always seems like there’s one quarter that really punches us in the gut a little bit,’ Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said. ‘So we’ve got to be able to sustain throughout all those runs.’
Mitchell drives to the basket against Brooklyn Nets Dorian Finney-Smith and Cameron Johnson
Watanabe’s turnover early in the fourth sent the Cavs on a fast break, and Mitchell punctuated the sequence by pulling the ball back high over his right shoulder and slamming it down over Watanabe, who had rushed back to defend.
‘It’s a play, but for us we´re looking for something a little bit bigger,’ Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said.
The Nets got it down to five in the final minute but had too far to climb against a team that came in allowing the fewest points per game in the NBA.
CELTICS 132, KINGS 109Â
Jayson Tatum scored 36 points as the Boston Celtics ended a long road trip on a high note by beating the Sacramento Kings 132-109 on Tuesday night.
Boston bounced back from blowing a 19-point lead in Utah on Saturday night by knocking off one of the top teams in the Western Conference. It won four of six on the trip.
Jaylen Brown added 27 points and Derrick White scored 20 to help the Celtics open up a one-game lead over Philadelphia in the Atlantic Division.
Domantas Sabonis had 16 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists for the Kings, who lost consecutive games for the first time since Feb. 3-5. De’Aaron Fox scored 18 points.
Sacramento fell 1 1/2 games behind Memphis in the race for second place in the Western Conference. The Kings are trying to clinch their first playoff berth since 2006 – the longest postseason drought in NBA history.
Celtics Jayson Tatum drives to the basket past Kings De’Aaron Fox and Domantas SabonisÂ
THUNDER 101, CLIPPERS 100
The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Los Angeles Clippers in a closely fought contest that ended with only one point separating the Western Conference foes.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continued his strong performances this season as he scored 31 points, while also securing seven rebounds and four assist.
Kawhi Leonard led the way for the Clippers with 21 points as four of the teams five starters scored in double figures.
Paul George appeared to suffer a right leg injury late in the fourth quarter after seemingly banging knees with Luguentz Dort, before landing awkwardly – and he was helped to the locker room.
Clippers forward Paul George lies on the ground after appearing to injure his knee against OKC
HAWKS 129, PISTONS 107
Bogdan Bogdanovic sank three 3-pointers in a 16-0 run early in the second half that allowed Atlanta to extend its lead to double digits for the first time.
Trae Young had 30 points and 12 assists for the Hawks (36-36), who are eighth in the Eastern Conference standings.
The Hawks completed their first four-game season series sweep of the Pistons since the 1993-94 season.
Marvin Bagley III scored a season-high 31 points in Detroit’s fourth straight loss. The NBA-worst Pistons (16-57) have lost 15 of 16.
Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic shoots as Detroit Pistons forward Marvin Bagley III
PELICANS 119, SPURS 84
Brandon Ingram scored 32 points, leading New Orleans to the runaway win.
Jonas Valanciunas had 19 points and 15 rebounds for the Pelicans, who led by as many as 36 points before closing out their second straight victory. Trey Murphy III scored 17, and CJ McCollum added 15 points.
Ingram scored 16 in the third quarter, when New Orleans widened a 25-point halftime lead to 31.
Sandro Mamukelashvili scored 20 points for the Spurs. Tre Jones and former Pelican Devonte´ Graham each had 15.
Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) drives past San Antonio Spurs guard Romeo LangfordÂ
MAGIC 122, WIZARDS 112
Rookie Pablo Banchero had 18 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, sending the Magic to the victory.
Orlando won for the first time in eight games against Washington. Gary Harris scored 22 points for the Magic, and Franz Wagner had 20 points. Reserve guard Cole Anthony finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Kristaps Porzingis scored 30 points for the Wizards, who lost for the sixth time in seven games. Bradley Beal had 16 points and seven assists before fouling out with 2:55 remaining.
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