Cavs dominate and defeat 76ers

The Cleveland Cavaliers(14-8) returned home on Wednesday night to face the Philadelphia 76ers(12-10). Following one of the worst performances of the season, where they were beaten in Toronto by the Raptors, Cleveland played one of its better games this season as they dominated and defeated the 76ers 113-85.

The Cavs led by as many as 33 points in this game and were never really threatened after the second quarter by Philadelphia.

Here’s the Great, Not So Great, and the Bottom Line of the Cavs’ win over the 76ers.

Great:

Second Quarter: This was the best quarter of the season for the Cavs. They were an incredible 16 from 17 from the field(94%), including 5/5 from deep. Evan Mobley, who missed the only shot in the quarter for Cleveland, had 10 points, Donovan Mitchell had nine, and Caris LeVert added eight. Cleveland outscored the 76ers 44-27 and led 69-48 at halftime.

The 44 points in a quarter is a season-high.

Cleveland shot 73% from the field in the first half.

Everybody was Great:

• LeVert led the way with 22 points off the bench.

• Garland had 21 points and nine assists.

• Mitchell had 18 points, including five threes.

• Mobley added 16 points and eight rebounds.

• After struggling against Toronto, Isaac Okoro chipped in with 11 points off the pine.

Defensively, they limited the 76ers to 41% shooting and allowed a season-low 85 points.

Shooting: Cleveland shot 61% from the field, including 52% from deep. They were flat out on fire.

Not So Great:

Nothing to see here!!

Bottom Line:

Last season, the 76ers swept the season series from the Cavs(4-0), but Cleveland had a different energy Wednesday night. They really wanted to beat Philadelphia, and it showed.

If it wasn’t apparent, the Cavs are a totally different team at home, and they are 9-1 and look more confident at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

You can argue the 76ers were depleted as they were without James Harden and Tyrese Maxey, but Philly had won three straight and four out of five, so this was an excellent win for the Cavs.

What’s Next:

Cleveland returns Friday at home against the Magic.

Best of the Rest:

Joel Embiid led the 76ers with 19 points, six rebounds, six assists, and three steals; Shake Milton added 14 points.

Cedi Osman moved to eighth place on the Cavs’ all-time three-pointers made list(544) on Wednesday.

Junkyard Dog:

Mamadi Diakite, who got the start for an injured Jarrett Allen(back), earned the “Junkyard Dog” award for his performance against the 76ers. He finished the night with six points, four rebounds, and two assists.