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Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers Praised by NBA Twitter for Hot Shooting vs. 76ers
December 1, 2022
The hoop must have looked like a swimming pool for the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.
It felt like the Cavs couldn't miss during a 113-85 shellacking of the Philadelphia 76ers, and in the second quarter, they almost didn't, missing just one shot from the floor in the entire frame.
Cavs Notes @CavsNotesThe <a href="https://twitter.com/cavs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cavs</a> .730 FG% in the first half is their highest FG% in an opening half since Jan. 8, 2005 vs. NYK (.744 FG%).<br><br>Cleveland's 44 PTS in the 2nd Q is their highest in any period this season (prev. 40 in 4th Q on Nov. 13 vs. MIN). <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetEmKnow?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetEmKnow</a>
In total, the Cavs shot 60.8 percent from the field (45-of-74) and 51.7 percent from three (15-of-29) in an easy win over the beat-up 76ers. Caris LeVert led the way with 22 points, Darius Garland chipped in 21 points and nine assists and Donovan Mitchell added 18 points and six dimes.
Cleveland Cavaliers @cavsHAVIN' FUN WITH IT.<br><br>📺 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CavsSixers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CavsSixers</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/BallySportsCLE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BallySportsCLE</a> <a href="https://t.co/FK5fHXJMLP">pic.twitter.com/FK5fHXJMLP</a>
Joel Embiid led the Sixers with 19 points (6-of-16 from the field) and six rebounds.
Suffice to say, NBA Twitter was impressed with what they saw from the Cavs on Wednesday:
Danny Cunningham @RealDCunningham<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cavs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cavs</a> win 113-85. Probably their most complete performance of the season on both ends of the floor. Just throttled Philly. Evan Mobley was awesome and the Cavs shot lights out. <br><br>They're 14-8, third place in the Eastern Conference.
Rich Hofmann @rich_hofmannSixers get blown out in Cleveland, 113-85. They went over a month without a horrible performance, but that is what this was. Cavs were on fire (and the Sixers were not), but Cleveland carved up the Sixers defense. Cavs shot 61 percent from the field.<br><br>The Sixers are 12-10.
The Sixers will likely lament not playing stiffer defense, but it's a make-or-miss league, and the Cavs (14-8) were in a making sort of mood.
The Sixers (12-10) were also without their starting backcourt of James Harden and Tyrese Maxey yet again, making their odds of keeping up in a shootout unlikely.
While Philly has played well without that pair of late, going 4-2 since Maxey suffered a small fracture in his left foot, a talented Cavs team at home was too much to overcome.
The win kept the Cavaliers in third place in the Eastern Conference, trailing the Boston Celtics (18-4) by four games and the Milwaukee Bucks (14-5) by 1.5 games. The Sixers, meanwhile, are in sixth place in the East.
The question coming into the season was whether the addition of Mitchell would be enough to push a talented and young Cavaliers roster over the top and into championship contention. On nights like Wednesday, this group's upside was on full display, and the Sixers were left to feel that wrath.