Georges Niang scored 25 points, Evan Mobley added 20 points and 11 rebounds and the host Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 117-114 on Friday.
Mobley’s 3-pointer with 28.2 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter gave the Cavaliers (45-29) a 115-113 advantage.
Max Strus scored 15 points and Darius Garland had 14 points and 12 assists. Jarrett Allen contributed 13 points and 11 rebounds, Sam Merrill had 13 points and
Donovan Mitchell returned from a six-game absence with a nasal fracture to score 12.
Mitchell hit two free throws with 12.8 seconds left for the final score of 117-114.
Kyle Lowry led the Sixers (39-35) with 23 points, Tobias Harris added 21 and Tyrese Maxey had 16 points and 11 assists. Mo Bamba scored 14, Paul Reed had 12 and Buddy Hield 10 for the Sixers, who have dropped three straight.
Maxey’s twisting layup had given the Sixers a 113-112 lead with 39.6 seconds left.
The Sixers played without Joel Embiid, De’Anthony Melton and Robert Covington. Embiid is now traveling with the team and appears to be close to returning from knee surgery on Feb. 6.
Niang stayed hot from 3-point territory and his fifth trey gave the Cavaliers a 98-94 lead with 8:40 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Cleveland scored the next four points and led by eight, 102-94, following a 3-pointer by Marcus Morris Sr.
Lowry responded with a 3-pointer to get the Sixers back within five, 102-97, with 6:53 left.
The Sixers then crept within 104-103 with 4:34 remaining after a thunderous dunk by Bamba.
Mobley made consecutive shots and Cleveland held a 108-103 advantage with 3:45 to go.
Niang dropped in a 3-pointer from the wing with 8:16 left in the second quarter for a 41-33 lead.
Harris hit his third trey with 5:27 remaining and the Sixers trailed 50-45.
Allen converted a three-point play with 50.8 seconds left for a 57-55 advantage.
The Cavaliers led by that same score at halftime thanks in large part to 13 points from Niang.
Harris paced the Sixers with 14.
The Sixers went back ahead 74-73 when the Sixers ripped off an 8-0 run with 5:29 to go in the third.
The Sixers led 87-85 at the end of the third.
–Field Level Media