Evan Mobley scored a career-high 30 points to lead the host Cleveland Cavaliers to a 120-111 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.
Mobley has solidified himself at the center spot after All-Star Jarrett Allen has been sidelined with a fractured finger. Mobley added six rebounds and two blocks.
Darius Garland overcame a slow start to finish with 24 points and a game-high 13 assists. Teammate Isaac Okoro added 20 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Clippers forward Amir Coffey’s free throw with 30.8 seconds left in regulation tied the score at 106 and sent the game into overtime. The Cavs outscored the Clippers 14-5 in overtime.
Center Ivica Zubac paced the Clippers with 24 points and a game-high 14 rebounds before he fouled out in overtime. Coffey added 19 points and Terance Mann had 18 points and 10 rebounds.
The Cavs are in the midst of playing eight of their next nine games at home, including five in a row.
Cleveland welcomed back swingman Caris LeVert to the lineup against the Clippers. LeVert, who missed the previous nine games with a sprained right foot, finished with 11 points and seven rebounds.
Zubac’s two free throws with 6:15 left in the third quarter extended the Clippers’ biggest lead, 75-67. However, the Cavs used a 15-2 run, capped by Okoro’s two free throws with 2:04 left in the third quarter, to assume an 82-77 lead.
Cleveland outscored the Clippers 31-24 in the third quarter to open up seven-point lead entering the final quarter, 87-81. Mobley had 23 points after three quarters and Okoro added 16. Coffey had 16 points for the Clippers after three quarters.
The Clippers used a 22-8 run in the second quarter to take a 57-56 lead at halftime. Both Coffey and Brandon Boston Jr. had 11 points for the Clippers in the first half.
Mobley had 12 points and four rebounds in the first half for the Cavs, who came into the game 3-7 in their previous 10 games.
Besides Allen, forward Dean Wade (knee), and guards Rajon Rondo (ankle) and Collin Sexton (knee) were sidelined for the Cavs.
Things were even worse for the Clippers, as forward Paul George (elbow) was sidelined, along with forward Robert Covington (personal reasons) and guards Norman Powell (foot), Jason Preston (foot) and Jay Scrubb (foot). Both forward Marcus Morris Sr. and guard Reggie Jackson were held out to rest, while Kawhi Leonard (knee) has yet to play this season.
–Field Level Media