Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen had double-doubles and the Cleveland Cavaliers caught fire from beyond the arc to cool off the host New Orleans Pelicans with a 116-95 victory on Wednesday night.
Garland finished with 27 points and 11 assists and Allen finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Georges Niang scored 16 points, Sam Merrill had 15 and Donovan Mitchell, returning from a seven-game absence due to a knee injury, added 14, as did Damian Jones.
Garland made six 3-pointers, Merrill made five and Niang and Mitchell made four apiece as the Cavaliers finished 20 of 45 from deep (44.4 percent). The Pelicans shot a season-worst 18.2 percent from long range (4 of 22).
Zion Williamson scored 33 points, Brandon Ingram had 20 and Trey Murphy III added 11 to lead New Orleans, which saw its four-game winning streak end.
Garland and Niang made back-to-back 3-pointers to start the third-quarter scoring and give the Cavaliers a 59-45 lead. The lead grew to 15 before the Pelicans made a push.
Williamson scored five points and Ingram had four during a 9-0 run that pulled New Orleans within five at 67-62. The Pelicans got within five a second time before Jones answered with consecutive baskets and Merrill later made consecutive 3-pointers to finish a 12-0 run that helped Cleveland hold an 87-68 lead after three quarters.
The Cavaliers outscored New Orleans 34-23 in the third, when eight Cleveland players scored. The visitors led by as many as 27 points in the fourth quarter.
The lead changed hands 11 times and the score was tied six times before Garland’s 3-pointer helped the Cavaliers open a 30-22 lead by the end of the first quarter.
The Pelicans scored the first four points of the second quarter before Merrill made two 3-pointers and Garland and Niang each made one during a 14-0 run that gave Cleveland its biggest lead of the first half, 44-26.
Ingram scored seven points, Murphy had five and Williamson concluded the first-half scoring with consecutive layups that reduced the lead to 53-45 at halftime.
–Field Level Media