Donovan Mitchell scores 31 points, Cavaliers beat Warriors to end 16-game series skid
By BRIAN DULIK
Associated Press
CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell had 31 points and seven assists and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat Golden State 115-104 on Sunday night, ending a 16-game losing streak against the Warriors.
Darius Garland added 24 points and seven assists, Evan Mobley had 13 points and 16 rebounds and Max Strus scored 15 points for Cleveland, which had lost its first three home games.
The Cavaliers beat Golden State for the first time since Dec. 25, 2016, spanning 12 regular-season and four playoff losses.
“It’s a hell of a feeling,” Mitchell said. “I know this is a rivalry, so I know how much this one meant to the fans. We’re trying to ultimately get to the level they’ve been at for a long time, and we put together a full game tonight.”
Stephen Curry scored 28 points and made seven of 11 3-pointers, and Draymond Green had 18 points and eight assists for the Warriors. Golden State never got closer than five points in the second half and lost for the first time on the road.
The Warriors were 4-0 in away games — matching the second-best start in franchise history — and had won five in a row overall. Klay Thompson and Jonathan Kuminga each scored 15 points.
“We didn’t play with the force we needed to win this game,” Thompson said while folding the box score into a paper airplane. “We definitely need to rebound the ball better. You can’t give this team that many second-chance points.”
Golden State and Cleveland squared off in four straight NBA Finals from 2015-18. The Cavaliers’ lone championship occurred in 2016, when they rallied from a 3-1 series deficit and won Game 7 on the road.
The teams will complete the two-game season series Saturday night in San Francisco.
“I enjoy coming back here,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who also played for Cleveland. “Of course, you think about the four straight trips to the Finals. It was a very historic time for us, for them and for the NBA.”
UP NEXT
Warriors: At Detroit on Monday night.
Cavaliers: At Oklahoma City on Wednesday night.
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