Darius Garland scores 24 points for NBA-leading Cavaliers in 115-105 victory over Wizards

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) is defended by Washington... — Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) is defended by Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington (8) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, in Cleveland. Credit: AP/Sue Ogrocki

By The Associated PressUpdated December 13, 2024 11:13 pm

CLEVELAND — Darius Garland scored 24 points and Jarrett Allen had 21 points and 11 rebounds as the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Washington 115-105 on Friday night, sending the Wizards to their 18th loss in 19 games.

Donovan Mitchell scored 20 points and Garland added eight assists for Cleveland, which is 22-4 and holds a 1 1/2-game lead over Boston for the top record in the league. The Cavaliers, who lead the NBA in field-goal percentage, shot a season-low 39.6%.

Caris LeVert had 14 points and six assists and Isaac Okoro scored 13 points. Cleveland went 15 of 51 on 3-pointers.

Bilal Coulibaly tied his career high with 27 points and Jordan Poole scored 17 for the Wizards. Justin Champagnie had 16 points and eight rebounds as Washington fell to a league-worst 3-20.

Takeaways

Wizards: Alex Sarr, the No. 2 overall draft pick, returned after missing two games with a sore lower back and made his first five shots, including a 3-pointer. The 7-footer from France finished with 14 points and seven rebounds in 27 minutes.

Cavaliers: Power forward Evan Mobley, who is averaging 18.3 points and 9.1 rebounds, sprained his left ankle in the previous game at Miami and did not play. Coach Kenny Atkinson said he isn’t concerned the injury will be “a long-term thing.”

Key moment

LeVert scored four points and absorbed a flagrant foul from Poole during a 7-0 Cavaliers run that bridged the third and fourth quarters, finally giving them breathing room with an 89-80 lead.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) goes to the basket... — Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) goes to the basket between Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) and guard Jordan Poole (13) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 13, 2024, in Cleveland. Credit: AP/Sue Ogrocki

Key stats

Cleveland improved to 14-1 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse this season, the second-best home mark in the NBA behind unbeaten Orlando. The Cavaliers also beat Washington for the 11th straight time, their longest streak in the 55-year series.