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Cavaliers

113

Game StatusFinal

Nuggets

108

Donovan Mitchell scores 33 points, Cavaliers outlast short-handed Nuggets 113-108

Regular Season Series

CLE leads series 1-0

Game Analysis

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Game Stats

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Nuggets

Cavaliers

40-94FG43-86

43Field Goal %50

17-473PT16-39

36Three Point %41

11-13FT11-19

5Offensive Rebounds14

27Defensive Rebounds41

26Assists32

8Steals6

3Blocks8

8Turnovers16

1Technical Fouls1

12Points Conceded Off Turnovers18

13Fast Break Points13

15Fouls18

11Largest Lead9

Game Recap

By AP•Jan 3, 2026 • 3:15 AM

Denver Nuggets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers: Game Highlights

CLEVELAND -- — Donovan Mitchell scored 33 points and Darius Garland had 18 points and eight assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the short-handed Denver Nuggets 113-108 on Friday night.

De’Andre Hunter added 16 points and Jarrett Allen had eight points and 12 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who trailed 105-101 with 4:43 remaining before scoring 10 consecutive points. Garland’s 3-pointer put them ahead for good with 2:13 left.

Jamal Murray scored 28 of his 34 points in the first half for the Nuggets, who played their second game without superstar center Nikola Jokic. The three-time MVP hyperextended his left knee at Miami on Dec. 29 and will miss at least a month.

Peyton Watson had 21 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 15, but missed eight of their nine shots in the fourth quarter as Denver was outscored 24-11. Murray also had six rebounds and seven assists, finishing 12 for 28 from the field.

Three additional Nuggets starters were inactive in forwards Aaron Gordon (right hamstring strain) and Cam Johnson (right knee soreness), and guard Christian Braun (left ankle sprain). Backup center Jonas Valanciunas (right calf strain) also is out for a month.

The Cavaliers took advantage of their absences, dominating the rebounding battle 55-32. Reigning Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley had eight points, 11 rebounds and three blocks, but missed all five of his free throws.

Mitchell, Garland, Mobley and Allen were all in the starting lineup for just the seventh time this season, winning for the fifth time. The Cavaliers have played an NBA-high 21 home games and are 13-8 at Rocket Arena.

Lonzo Ball saw his first action in three games for Cleveland, scoring six points in 15 minutes. Ball was taken out of the rotation in favor of Craig Porter Jr., who had 10 points, six rebounds and five assists.

Up next

Nuggets: Visit Brooklyn on Sunday.

Cavaliers: Host Detroit on Sunday.

------

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Play By Play

Recent plays and game events

TIME	PLAY
12:00	DaRon Holmes II vs. Jarrett Allen (Evan Mobley gains possession)	0	0
11:39	Darius Garland misses 26-foot three point jumper	0	0
11:39	Nuggets defensive team rebound	0	0
11:24	Spencer Jones makes 23-foot three point jumper (DaRon Holmes II assists)	0	3
11:04	DaRon Holmes II shooting foul	0	3
11:04	Jarrett Allen makes free throw 1 of 2	1	3
11:04	Jarrett Allen makes free throw 2 of 2	2	3
10:48	Evan Mobley blocks Spencer Jones 's 5-foot floating jump shot	2	3
10:44	Jarrett Allen defensive rebound	2	3
10:39	DaRon Holmes II shooting foul	2	3
10:39	Evan Mobley misses free throw 1 of 2	2	3
10:39	Cavaliers offensive team rebound	2	3
10:39	Zeke Nnaji enters the game for DaRon Holmes II	2	3
10:39	Evan Mobley misses free throw 2 of 2	2	3
10:36	Evan Mobley offensive rebound	2	3
10:22	shot clock turnover	2	3
10:12	Jamal Murray makes 26-foot three pointer (Peyton Watson assists)	2	6
9:59	Jarrett Allen misses 6-foot hook shot	2	6
9:59	Cavaliers offensive team rebound	2	6
9:52	Jaylon Tyson makes 25-foot three point jumper (Jarrett Allen assists)	5	6
9:36	Peyton Watson misses 30-foot three point jumper	5	6
9:33	Jaylon Tyson defensive rebound	5	6
9:30	Darius Garland out of bounds bad pass turnover	5	6
9:16	Jamal Murray misses 10-foot fade away jump shot	5	6
9:13	Evan Mobley defensive rebound	5	6
9:06	Jarrett Allen 3 second turnover	5	6
8:56	Peyton Watson misses 28-foot three point jumper	5	6
8:52	Jaylon Tyson defensive rebound	5	6
8:45	Jarrett Allen makes driving dunk (Darius Garland assists)	7	6
8:29	Jamal Murray makes 8-foot two point shot	7	8
8:22	Zeke Nnaji personal foul	7	8
8:11	Darius Garland misses 25-foot three point jumper	7	8
8:09	Evan Mobley offensive rebound	7	8
8:07	Evan Mobley makes two point shot	9	8
7:44	Peyton Watson misses 10-foot pullup jump shot	9	8
7:42	Jarrett Allen defensive rebound	9	8
7:36	Evan Mobley makes dunk (Donovan Mitchell assists)	11	8
7:26	Jamal Murray misses 27-foot three point pullup jump shot	11	8
7:21	Jaylon Tyson defensive rebound	11	8
7:08	Evan Mobley misses driving floating jump shot	11	8
7:06	Zeke Nnaji defensive rebound	11	8
7:03	Jalen Pickett bad pass turnover (Jarrett Allen steals)	11	8
6:58	Donovan Mitchell steps out of bounds turnover	11	8
6:58	Cavaliers Full timeout	11	8
6:58	De'Andre Hunter enters the game for Evan Mobley	11	8
6:58	Craig Porter Jr. enters the game for Donovan Mitchell	11	8
6:58	Tim Hardaway Jr. enters the game for Jalen Pickett	11	8
6:43	Jaylon Tyson personal foul	11	8
6:35	Jamal Murray misses 23-foot pullup jump shot	11	8
6:32	Jarrett Allen defensive rebound	11	8
6:21	Craig Porter Jr. makes 1-foot two point shot (De'Andre Hunter assists)	13	8
6:07	Tim Hardaway Jr. misses 27-foot three point pullup jump shot	13	8
6:03	De'Andre Hunter defensive rebound	13	8
5:55	De'Andre Hunter misses 11-foot pullup jump shot	13	8
5:52	Peyton Watson defensive rebound	13	8
5:39	Jamal Murray makes 7-foot two point shot	13	10
5:31	Darius Garland makes two point shot (Craig Porter Jr. assists)	15	10
5:17	Zeke Nnaji misses 26-foot three point jumper	15	10
5:14	Jarrett Allen defensive rebound	15	10
5:06	Jaylon Tyson misses 24-foot three point jumper	15	10
5:01	Jamal Murray defensive rebound	15	10
4:52	Jamal Murray makes 4-foot driving floating jump shot	15	12
4:52	Craig Porter Jr. shooting foul	15	12
4:52	Bruce Brown enters the game for Peyton Watson	15	12
4:52	Jamal Murray misses free throw 1 of 1	15	12
4:49	Craig Porter Jr. defensive rebound	15	12
4:43	Jarrett Allen bad pass turnover (Bruce Brown steals)	15	12
4:37	Jamal Murray makes 23-foot running jump shot (Bruce Brown assists)	15	15
4:20	Jaylon Tyson misses driving floating jump shot	15	15
4:16	Jaylon Tyson offensive rebound	15	15
4:15	Jaylon Tyson makes tip shot	17	15
4:07	Craig Porter Jr. blocks Jamal Murray 's 13-foot two point shot	17	15
4:07	Cavaliers defensive team rebound	17	15
4:07	Evan Mobley enters the game for Darius Garland	17	15
4:07	Nae'Qwan Tomlin enters the game for Jaylon Tyson	17	15
4:07	Donovan Mitchell enters the game for Jarrett Allen	17	15
3:50	Donovan Mitchell makes 25-foot three point jumper (Evan Mobley assists)	20	15
3:36	Jamal Murray makes alley oop layup (Bruce Brown assists)	20	17
3:19	Donovan Mitchell misses 26-foot three point pullup jump shot	20	17
3:15	Zeke Nnaji defensive rebound	20	17
3:02	Jamal Murray misses 22-foot step back jumpshot	20	17
2:58	Evan Mobley defensive rebound	20	17
2:51	Nae'Qwan Tomlin misses 23-foot three point jumper	20	17
2:47	Spencer Jones defensive rebound	20	17
2:34	Bruce Brown misses 23-foot three point jumper	20	17
2:32	Nuggets offensive team rebound	20	17
2:32	Nuggets Full timeout	20	17
2:32	Julian Strawther enters the game for Spencer Jones	20	17
2:29	Donovan Mitchell shooting foul	20	17
2:29	Zeke Nnaji makes free throw 1 of 2	20	18
2:29	Zeke Nnaji makes free throw 2 of 2	20	19
2:09	Nae'Qwan Tomlin makes dunk (Donovan Mitchell assists)	22	19
1:59	De'Andre Hunter personal foul	22	19
1:47	Tim Hardaway Jr. misses 26-foot three point step back jumpshot	22	19
1:43	Nae'Qwan Tomlin defensive rebound	22	19
1:39	Evan Mobley makes running dunk (De'Andre Hunter assists)	24	19
1:39	Julian Strawther shooting foul	24	19
1:39	Evan Mobley misses free throw 1 of 1	24	19
1:36	Tim Hardaway Jr. defensive rebound	24	19
1:25	Tim Hardaway Jr. misses 25-foot three point jumper	24	19
1:22	Nae'Qwan Tomlin defensive rebound	24	19
1:04	Julian Strawther personal foul	24	19
1:04	De'Andre Hunter makes free throw 1 of 2	25	19
1:04	De'Andre Hunter makes free throw 2 of 2	26	19
47.6	Zeke Nnaji makes 23-foot three point jumper (Jamal Murray assists)	26	22
32.0	Donovan Mitchell misses 26-foot three point step back jumpshot	26	22
30.2	Nae'Qwan Tomlin offensive rebound	26	22
30.2	Nae'Qwan Tomlin misses tip in dunk	26	22
30.2	Nuggets defensive team rebound	26	22
9.4	Jamal Murray makes 15-foot step back jumpshot	26	24
0.8	Nae'Qwan Tomlin makes reverse layup (Donovan Mitchell assists)	28	24
0.0	End of the 1st Quarter	28	24

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Game Information

Time, Location & Referees

Venue

Rocket Arena

Cleveland, OH

Date & Time

12:30 AM, January 3, 2026

Coverage

Prime Video, FanDuel SN OH, Altitude Sports, NBA League Pass

Attendance

19,432

Referees

Tyler Ford, J.B. DeRosa, Matt Kallio

2025-26 Northwest Standings

TEAM	W	L	PCT	STRK
Oklahoma City	40	13	.755	L2
Denver	34	19	.642	W1
Minnesota	32	21	.604	L1
Portland	25	28	.472	W2
Utah	16	37	.302	L2

2025-26 Central Standings

TEAM	W	L	PCT	STRK
Detroit	38	13	.745	W1
Cleveland	32	21	.604	W3
Chicago	24	29	.453	L4
Milwaukee	21	29	.420	W3
Indiana	13	39	.250	L3

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Donovan Mitchell scores 33 points, Cavaliers outlast short-handed Nuggets 113-108

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