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*** After trailing by 10 at the break, the Cavaliers – led by Max Strus and Tristan Thompson – turned up the intensity after intermission as the Wine & Gold outscored the Raptors, 32-20, in the third period and held them off in the closing moments to take the 105-102 thriller on Sunday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Strus scored all 20 of his points in the third quarter and Darius Garland led all scorers with 24 points as Cleveland got back in the win column after dropping two straight.   

*** Sunday marked the second time in his career that Max Strus – playing in the 400th&nbsp;game of his NBA career – has scored 20 points in a quarter, doing so previously in December 2021 against Orlando. In the third on Sunday night, Strus went 8-for-10 from the floor overall, canning all four three-pointers he attempted, adding four boards and a block in the period. On the night overall, Strus notched his third double-double of the season – finishing with 11 rebounds to go with five assists.

*** Darius Garland topped the 20-point mark for the fourth time in his last six outings – leading both squads with 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting, including 3-of-6 from long-range, handing out a game-high eight assists to go with a pair of rebounds. “I tried to bring as much energy as I could,” said Garland. “We were down by 10 at half, and I tried to bring some energy, have everybody touch the ball and get a good shot. That was my whole focus in the second half.”

*** After drilling three triples on Sunday, Garland now has 571 three-pointers for his career – just eight short of catching Booby Gibson for sole possession of the 7th&nbsp;spot on the Cavaliers all-time list.&nbsp;

*** Jarrett Allen had another strong showing on Sunday – finishing with 18 points on 9-of-10 shooting, adding four boards and a pair of blocks. With his fourth bucket of Sunday’s contest midway through the second quarter, Allen – the Cavaliers all-time leader in field goal percentage at .648 – notched the 2,000th NBA field goal of his NBA career. 

*** Evan Mobley had his consecutive run of double-doubles snapped at six in Saturday’s loss to the Lakers, but the 3rd-year big man got right back on track Sunday – finishing with 12 points and a game-high 14 rebounds to go with a pair of blocked shots.&nbsp;

*** Tristan Thompson played less than eight minutes on Sunday night, but his impact was huge, snagging four big offensive rebounds and scoring on a pair of putbacks to completely change the momentum of the game. “There’s a reason why he’s made it this long in this league,” praised Coach Bickerstaff after the win. “The dude impacts winning in a way that most people can’t. It’s just the nasty, gritty, tough thing that nobody else is willing to do. And it just makes a difference in winning. And his teammates need that from him. So, I couldn’t be more proud of him and we’re so fortunate to have him here with us.”

*** The Cavaliers wrap their five-game home stand this week – welcoming Trae Young and the Hawks to town for the final game of In-Season Tournament group play on Tuesday night before closing out the season series against the Blazers on Thursday. 

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Cavs Get Past Raptors with Second Half Surge

After running off four straight wins, the Wine & Gold will try to avoid their third straight loss when they welcome the Raptors to town for the second half of a back-to-back on Sunday night. 

The Cavaliers scored 70 points in the first half of Saturday’s meeting against the Lakers. The problem was that L.A. scored 71, and Cleveland’s defense didn’t hold up down the stretch in the second half, with Anthony Davis leading all scorers as the Lakers finished with 70 points in the paint to hang on for the win. Donovan Mitchell led the Cavs in scoring in his return and Jarrett Allen doubled-up and led all rebounders in the loss.&nbsp;

The Raptors come to town looking for their first three-game win streak of the season and have won three of their last four overall. Toronto is coming off a 13-point victory over the Bulls on Friday night, shooting 53 percent from the floor on the night, the fourth straight game they’ve shot better than 50 percent. OG Anunoby led the way with 26 points.&nbsp;

The Cavs blew out the Raptors in their most recent meeting last February, snapping a four-game skid in the series. Cleveland closes out the five-game homestand with an In-Season Tournament group play game against the Hawks on Tuesday followed by a visit from the Blazers on Thursday night.&nbsp;

Evan Mobley and Scottie Barnes went No. 3 and No. 4 overall respectively in the 2021 Draft and Barnes edged Mobley for Rookie of the Year honors later that season. And both are still on the trajectory for stardom.&nbsp;

Barnes has been excellent in Year 3 – averaging career highs across the board. He’s played in all 16 of the Raptors games this year, notching double-figure scoring in all 16 with seven double-doubles in the mix – inclidng two straight heading into tonight’s contest.&nbsp;

Barnes has scored in double-figures in all seven career meetings against the Cavaliers, averaging 15.3ppg over that span.&nbsp;

Mobley has suited up for all 16 games for Cleveland, and notched double-figure scoring in all but one. Mobley’s career-long string of double-doubles came to an end at six on Saturday night, but he still finished with 18 points, six boards and six assists.&nbsp;

In seven career games against Toronto, Mobley – like Barnes – has scored in double-figures every time, averaging 15.6ppg with a pair of double-doubles (same as Barnes).&nbsp;

Donovan Mitchell returned to the lineup on Saturday night after missing the previous four games with a hamstring injury. He logged 35 minutes in his return, so it’s unclear whether he’ll go again on Sunday night.&nbsp;

Against the Lakers, Mitchell led the Cavs with 22 points, but didn’t shoot the ball particularly well – going 4-for-18 from the floor, but 12-of-13 from the stripe to go with six assists, five boards and a steal.&nbsp;

In four games against the Raptors last season, Mitchell finished with 30-plus points in two of them and struggled on a combined 7-for-27 shooting in the other two.&nbsp;

OG Anunoby is coming off a season-high-tying 26-point performance in Toronto’s recent win over the Bulls and has topped the 20-point mark in four outings so far this year. The rugged swingman from Indiana has also reached the 20-point plateau in four of his last seven meetings against the Wine and Gold.&nbsp;

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KeyBank Keys to the Game: Cavs vs Raptors

*** Offensively, the Cavaliers were rock solid on Saturday night – netting 70 points before halftime, handing out 30 assists as a team and tallying 115 points on the night. The problems came again on the defensive end – as the Lakers shot 52 percent from the floor, piled up 70 points in the paint and saw every player who suited up except Taurean Prince notch double-figure scoring – pulling past the Cavaliers late for the 121-115 decision at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. In his return from a hamstring injury, Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland in scoring and Jarrett Allen led all rebounders, doubling-up for the second time in three outings.&nbsp;

*** Donovan Mitchell returned from a four-game absence to log 35 minutes on Saturday night – leading Cleveland with 22 points despite struggling from the floor on 4-of-18 shooting and doing most of his damage from the stripe, where he went 12-of-13, adding six assists, five boards and a steal. 

*** “It was good to be back out there, but overall, I’m unhappy with the loss – and my play,” said Mitchell. “I feel like I let the guys down, especially late. And I just have to be better. We didn’t really help ourselves, giving up 70 points in that first half. We did some things well offensively to start the game. But ultimately, I can’t shoot 4-of-18. And that’s on me.”

*** Isaac Okoro also returned from injury on Saturday night, logging 18 minutes on Saturday after missing the previous nine games with left knee soreness. The 4th-year man from Auburn came off to the bench to net five points on 2-of-3 shooting, adding a rebound and a block.&nbsp;

*** The Cavaliers posted their first 70-point first half of the season on Saturday – shooting 53 percent from the floor in the opening stanza. The problem there was that the Lakers posted a 71-point first half in which they shot 61 percent from the floor. 

*** Jarrett Allen looks to be fully back to speed, and in Cleveland’s impressive first half, Allen was its most impressive player – tallying a double-double before halftime for the 12th&nbsp;time in his career. Overall, Allen was the Cavaliers best overall performer on Saturday, finishing with 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting, leading both teams with 14 rebounds to go with three assists, three steals and a pair of blocked shots.&nbsp;

*** After the game, Allen lamented the Cavs effort on the defensive end. “I don’t think our defense was where it needed to be,” said the 7th-year man. “They had 70 (points in the paint) at halftime. And that’s not who we are as a team. And I think it snowballed into the second half.”

*** Craig Porter Jr., who got his first career start on Wednesday, saw his floor time reduced with the return of Donovan Mitchell and Isaac Okoro, logging just eight minutes through the first three quarters. But Darius Garland was forced to miss the second half after suffering a neck strain on a collision in the second quarter. The rookie responded by scoring the squad’s first seven points of the final period – finishing with 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field.&nbsp;

*** Georges Niang notched his fourth straight game of double-figure scoring off the bench – tallying 13 points on 5-of-13 shooting, including 3-of-9 from long-range in 23 minutes of work. Over that four-game stretch, the 8th-year man from Iowa State is averaging 12.0ppg, shooting 45 percent from the floor and 48 percent from beyond the arc. 

*** Anthony Davis was almost unstoppable on Saturday night – leading all scorers with 32 points to go with 13 boards, three assists, a pair of steals and three blocked shots. LeBron James was his efficient self – finishing with 22 points, six rebounds, six dimes, two steals and a pair of swats. In now 21 career meetings against his former squad, including Saturday night’s win, the King is 18-3. 

*** The Cavaliers wrap up the weekend back-to-back on Sunday night, welcoming the Raptors to Cleveland for the first time this season. On Tuesday night, the Wine & Gold wrap up In-Season Tournament group play when Trae Young and the Hawks come to town and on Thursday, the Cavs wrap up the five-game home stand when they host the Blazers.   

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Cavs Can't Hold Off Lakers, Fall to LA at Home

For those who marked their calendars when the season schedule came out in August, the night is finally here – the Cleveland return of LeBron James and his Lakers for a Saturday night showdown.&nbsp;

The Cavaliers are coming off their worst loss of the season, a 33-point home drubbing at the hands of the Heat on Thanksgiving Eve. One night after winning a dramatic overtime affair in Philly, the Wine & Gold looked tired from the tipoff, falling behind by double-figures in the first quarter as Kyle Lowry drilled his first five three-pointers to start the game. Rookie Craig Porter Jr. got his first career start and led the Cavs in scoring, but his 16 points paced just five players in double-figures. 

The Lakers have won six of their last eight coming into Saturday’s matchup, dropping their most recent decision on Wednesday night to the Mavericks. L.A. outscored Dallas, 30-13, in the fourth quarter and took a brief lead after trailing by 20, but couldn’t seal the deal down the stretch. LeBron led the Lakers with 26 points, but no other player had more than 20 in the loss.&nbsp;

The Wine & Gold won both games against L.A. last year, each by two touchdowns. The Cavs close out the month at home – welcoming the Raptors to town on Sunday, followed by visits from the Hawks (Tuesday) and Blazers (Thursday). 

LeBron James has had some very eventful returns to Cleveland as an opponent, dating back to his volcanic first visit with the Heat in 2010.&nbsp;

There’s much love for the King these days when he returns as a Laker, having led the Cavs to their first title back in 2016 before his second departure. Despite the love, LeBron won his first five games against Cleveland in the head-to-head meetings before the Cavs swept the season set last year. As a member of the Lakers, the future Hall of Famer has averaged 31.6 points on 59 percent shooting in seven games.&nbsp;

In his 21st&nbsp;season, Akron’s favorite son has barely missed a beat – averaging 25.7ppg, 8.1rpg and 6.7apg. His shooting percentages -- .578 from the floor, .414 from long-range – are career bests.&nbsp;

Max Strus will have his hands full with Numeral 23 on Saturday night, and he’ll be looking to bounce back from one of his roughest outings of the young season.&nbsp;

Overall, Strus is having an outstanding year – averaging a career-high 14.1ppg, netting double-digits in every game but three and topping the 20-point mark in three of those – including Tuesday’s big win in Philly, drilling five triples in the OT nailbiter.&nbsp;

Saturday’s meeting will feature two of the most versatile two-way big men in the league when Anthony Davis and Evan Mobley square off.&nbsp;

Davis has been healthy this season, and he leads the league in blocks per game coming into tonight’s contest (2.93). And he’s been outstanding offensively, with five 20-point outings and three games with 30-plus. In 14 appearances this year, he’s doubled-up in all but three.&nbsp;

Evan Mobley hasn’t been quite that good, but he has been the Cavaliers most consistent performer all year – suiting up for all 15 games and notching double-doubles in each of his last six outings. Over that stretch, the 3rd-year man from USC is averaging 17.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per, shooting 66 percent from the floor.&nbsp;

Mobley – 10th&nbsp;in the NBA with 24 total blocks this season – finished with 23 points in his career debut against the Lakers and grabbed 12 boards in Cleveland’s home win against L.A. last year.&nbsp;

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KeyBank Keys to the Game: Cavs vs Lakers

On Thanksgiving Eve, two hot teams square off at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, when the Cavaliers – who’ve won four straight – welcome the Miami Heat, who have won eight of their last nine. 

The Wine & Gold extended their win streak with an overtime thriller on Tuesday night in Philly, improving to 2-1 in group play for the In-Season Tournament. Darius Garland had another big night, both starting bigs were outstanding and Craig Porter Jr. had another impressive showing off the bench. Six Cavs scored in double-figures and Cleveland handed out 33 assists despite the absence of Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert. 

After having their seven-game win streak snapped on Saturday in Chicago, the Heat bounced back two nights later to blast the Bulls by 18 – their only double-digit victory during the recent nine-game run. Bam Adebayo notched his second straight double-double and three Miami reserves tallied double-figures in the win.&nbsp;

The Cavs have won three of the last five against Miami at home and tonight’s contest is the first of five straight at home to end the month of November – with LeBron and the Lakers on deck for Saturday night.&nbsp;

Jarrett Allen’s run of matchups against elite big men continues Wednesday night – taking on Bam Adebayo after coming away with wins against Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid, who’ve combined to take the last three league MVP awards.

Allen worked his way back gradually from an ankle injury that sidelined him to start the season, but he looks like his All-Star self now. In Tuesday’s win, he finished with 26 points to go with a team-high 13 rebounds for his first double-double of the season. Allen has doubled-up in two of the previous three games against Miami – and he swatted four shots in the game he didn’t.&nbsp;

Evan Mobley doubled-up in his fifth straight game on Tuesday – ninth time this season – netting 18 points and 12 boards, adding three assists and a huge rejection late in the fourth quarter.&nbsp;

With Tyler Herro on the shelf, Bam Adebayo is Miami’s leading scorer at 22.8ppg, having topped the 20-point plateau in 11 of the Heat’s first 13 games, with seven double-doubles and a triple-double in the mix.&nbsp;

In 18 career meetings against Cleveland, the two-time All-Star from Kentucky has averaged 16.4 points and 8.3 rebounds on 65 percent shooting.&nbsp;

No matter who’s been in and out of the lineup, the Cavaliers have gotten solid guard play all season long.&nbsp;

On Tuesday night – and over the weekend – it’s been Darius Garland and Craig Porter Jr., picking up the slack with Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert on the mend.&nbsp;

Garland’s 32 points led Cleveland on Tuesday night, going 10-for-25 from the floor and 10-for-11 from the line, handing out eight assists to go with five boards and three steals. Over his last three outings, Garland is averaging 28.7 points, shooting an even 50 percent from the floor and 40 percent from long-range.

In his last four head-to-head meetings against Miami, Garland is averaging 22.6ppg and 7.3apg.&nbsp;

Porter was outstanding again, netting 12 points of 5-of-9 shooting to go with a game-high nine assists in 27 minutes off the bench. Over the last three games, Porter’s averaging 15.0 points and 6.0 assists per, shooting 61 percent from the floor and a perfect 11-of-11 from the stripe.&nbsp;&nbsp;

For Miami, with Tyler Herro out, Duncan Robinson has stepped up big in his absence – topping the 20-point mark three times in his last five outings, including a 22-point performance in Monday’s win over Chicago. In five games as a starter, the former Michigan man is averaging an even 20.0 points on an even 50 percent shooting.

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KeyBank Keys to the Game: Cavs vs Heat

*** If the NBA was looking to ratchet up the drama of the regular season with an In-Season Tournament, the Cavaliers and Sixers did their part on Tuesday night – with the Wine and Gold grinding out a 122-119 thriller in overtime, notching a key victory in group play and their fourth straight win overall. Darius Garland went for a season-high 32 points, both starting big men had strong nights and Craig Porter Jr. was rock solid again off the bench.  

*** The Cavaliers were again without Donovan Mitchell, who missed his third straight with a right hamstring strain. Caris LeVert missed his second straight with left knee soreness. Ty Jerome (ankle) missed his 12th straight and Isaac Okoro (knee), his eighth.  

*** With the backcourt injuries, Darius Garland has picked up the scoring load, leading Cleveland in each of the three. On Tuesday night, he tallied his first 30-point game of the season, going 10-for-25 from the floor, including 2-of-6 from deep and 10-for-11 from the line, handing out eight assists to go with five boards and three steals. Over that three-game span, Garland is averaging 28.7 points, shooting an even 50 percent from the floor and 40 percent from long-range.

*** The win was the Cavaliers first overtime victory this season and 10th straight overall. The Wine and Gold have not dropped an OT affair since May 2021 against Phoenix. 

*** Jarrett Allen looked like his old self in Tuesday’s thriller – finishing with a season-high 26 points on 12-of-20 shooting, grabbing six of his team-high 13 rebounds off the offense glass and keeping Joel Embiid – who fouled out late in overtime – relatively in check.  

*** Evan Mobley registered his fifth straight double-double on Tuesday night, chipping in with 18 points and 12 boards, adding three assists and a big fourth-quarter block on Tobias Harris with 2:26 to play. 

*** The Pacers – who dropped the Cavs in both teams’ In-Season opener – clinched the top mark in East Group A play with a high-scoring victory over Atlanta on Tuesday night. Cleveland, which improved to 2-1, closes out group play next Tuesday night when they welcome Trae Young and the Hawks to town. 

*** Philly has always been a tough place for the Cavs to play – earning just their second win in the last eight trips to the Wells Fargo Center, also an overtime win in February 2021. 

*** Former Sixer Georges Niang doesn’t do much quietly, but he’s quietly put together a nice run off the bench of late. He finished with 12 points and seven rebounds in 25 minutes of work on Tuesday, has scored double-figures in three of his last five games – shooting 57 percent from the floor and 56 percent from beyond the arc over that stretch. 

*** Tristan Thompson’s blocked shot early in the second quarter gave him 451 for his career – passing Jim Chones to move into 5th place on the franchise’s all-time list. The 12th-year big man from Texas only needs 245 more to catch his old friend LeBron James for the No. 4 spot. 

*** After sticking it to the Sixers in OT on Tuesday, the Wine and Gold return home for the rest of the month – beginning with a visit from the Heat on Wednesday night followed by a stopover by LeBron James and the Lakers on Saturday after Thanksgiving. The Cavs close out November with visits from the Raptors (Sunday), Hawks (Tuesday) and Blazers (Thursday) at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. 

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Cavs Win in OT in Philly

The Cavaliers look to make it four straight wins and two straight in the In-Season Tournament when they travel to Philadelphia for a Tuesday night matchup with the Sixers. 

The Wine & Gold made relatively easy work of the World Champs on Sunday night, and despite playing without Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert, went on a third quarter surge and barely looked back, earning their second double-digit win in the last three outings. Darius Garland topped the 20-point plateau for the second consecutive contest while rookie Craig Porter Jr. came off the bench to notch a career-high 21 points.

After winning eight straight, then losing back-to-back contests, the Sixers are back on track – winning their most recent tournament matchup against Atlanta before blasting the Nets by 22 points on Sunday night. Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey each tallied double-doubles and the Sixers held Brooklyn’s starters to a combined 54 points. 

The Cavs have struggled against the Sixers of late – having dropped seven of the last eight against Philly, including each of the last two. Cleveland returns home for a Wednesday night meeting with the Heat before the Lakers roll in on the Saturday night after Thanksgiving.&nbsp;

Coming off his first MVP season, Joel Embiid has picked up right where he left off this year.&nbsp;

Through his first 13 outings, Embiid has topped the 30-point mark in eight of them, including five of his last six games. The No. 3 overall pick back in 2014 has doubled-up in nine games this year, with a 32-point, 12-rebound, nine-assist effort in the recent blowout win over Brooklyn.

Embiid has notched a double-double in five of his last seven games against Cleveland, with three 40-point outings in the mix. Over that stretch, the six-time All-Star has averaged 33.4 points and 13.5 boards per.&nbsp;

Jarrett Allen will have earned his Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday – having taken on Nikola Jokic, with Joel Embiid tonight and Bam Adebayo tomorrow. 

Allen was outstanding against the Joker in Sunday’s win – tallying a season-high 15 points to go with five boards and five assists, while holding Denver’s two-time MVP completely in check. In the previous two games – against Portland and Detroit – J.A. combined for eight blocked shots.&nbsp;

The Sixers have moved on from James Harden and haven’t looked back. The main reason for that is the rapid ascension of Tyrese Maxey.&nbsp;

Joel Embiid went off for 48 points a couple weeks ago, but that wasn’t Philly’s high-water mark this year. Maxey dropped 50 back on November 12 against Indiana, going 20-for-32 from the floor, including 7-of-11 from deep. The former Kentucky standout has also piled up four double-doubles and is the Sixers top assist man (7.1apg). 

In five career starts against Cleveland – all wins – Maxey’s been very good, averaging 21.6 points on 55 percent shooting from the floor, including 62 percent from beyond the arc.&nbsp;&nbsp;

He’ll be locking horns with a guard who’s just as hot in Darius Garland, and he played his best ball of the year over the weekend. 

After a sluggish start to the season in his return to the lineup in early November, Garland has found his groove over the last two games without Donovan Mitchell – averaging 27.0 points per, shooting 57 percent from the floor, including 44 percent from deep.&nbsp;

Garland’s been good against the Sixers over the course of his career – topping the 20-point mark in seven of his last nine meetings, including a March 2022 outing when he handed out a career-best 19 assists.&nbsp;

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KeyBank Keys to the Game: Cavs at Sixers

*** Playing without two of their top three scorers, the Wine and Gold made short work of the World Champs – running out to a double-digit lead early in the second half and never looking back for the 121-109 victory. Darius Garland led all scorers for the second straight game and rookie Craig Porter had another big showing off the bench. Defensively, the Cavaliers held two-time MVP Nikola Jokic completely in check as they won their third straight.

*** After topping the 20-point mark just once in his previous six outings, Darius Garland has now scored 20-plus in back-to-back games – finishing with 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting, leading Cleveland with six assists to go with a steal and a blocked shot. 

*** Jarrett Allen finished with a season-high in points as he continues to work his way back into shape – finishing with 15 points despite going scoreless in the first quarter. Allen also kept Nikola Jokic from being a major factor – holding him to 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. But maybe most impressive was the fact that he finished the contest a jaw-dropping +42 in just 29 minutes of work. 

*** “J.B. mentioned (the plus/minus number) after the game,” smiled Allen. “I was surprised, honestly. Tonight, they all talked to me about bringing energy and effort. My shots weren’t falling in the first quarter, and I didn’t want to let that get me down. So, I continued to play with more energy and more energy and in the third quarter we just took off with it.”

*** As good as the Cavaliers defense was on Sunday night – holding Denver’s starting backcourt to a combined 16 points, outrebounding the Nuggets by 14 and outscoring them, 56-46, in the paint – the offense was that much better (again) – topping the 50 percent shooting mark as a team in their third straight contest – including 55 percent on Sunday – the first time they’ve done so since mid-February last year.

*** Evan Mobley finished with 16 points and 10 boards – adding five assists and a pair of blocked shots in Sunday’s win to register his fourth straight double-double, the longest such streak of his three-year career. Over that stretch, the soft-spoken seven-footer is averaging 17.8 points and 11.0 boards per while shooting 67 percent from the floor.  

*** One week after knocking off the Ravens, the Browns topped their archrival Pittsburgh Steelers to improve to 7-3 on the season. To celebrate the big win, all-world defensive end – and Cavs minority partner – Myles Garrett was seated courtside near the Cleveland bench. Former Brown (and Steeler) Joe Haden was also in the house on Sunday.  

*** The Nuggets were without Jamal Murray, but the Cavaliers were really shorthanded on Sunday – playing again without Donovan Mitchell (hamstring), Isaac Okoro (knee), Ty Jerome (ankle) and Caris LeVert (knee).

*** With three guards out of the lineup, Sam Merrill got his longest run of the season – finishing with nine points on 3-of-10 shooting in 24 minutes off the bench. Impressive rookie Craig Porter Jr., coming off a career-high 12-point performance on Friday against Detroit was even better on Sunday – notching a new-career-best 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the floor and a perfect 7-of-7 from the stripe, adding four boards, four assists, a pair of steals and a blocked shot.  

*** Porter’s early success has been a surprise, even to himself: “If you looked at our team going into Training Camp, we’ve got every piece we could want,” said Porter. “And me, being on a two-way, I figured I’d be in the G-League and work my way into it, eventually get a chance and work my way into small minutes. Obviously, with injuries and stuff, you’ve got to be ready. That’s one of the things they told me early in the year after Training Camp: just be ready, you never know when your number’s going to be called. I took that to heart, and it’s been working for me.”

*** After smushing the Nuggets on Sunday night, the Wine and Gold hit the road for the final time this month, traveling to Philadelphia for a nationally-televised In-Season Tournament matchup with the Sixers on Tuesday night. The Cavaliers welcome the Heat to town on the night before Thanksgiving followed by a visit from LeBron James and the Lakers on Saturday night. 

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Cavs Defense & Guards Lead the Way, Bring Down Defending Champs

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