CLEVELAND — Clad in City Edition uniforms, the Cavaliers placed a five-game winning streak under the franchise's collective Christmas tree by defeating the Utah Jazz 124-113 on Monday night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. This victory boosts the NBA-leading Cavs' record to 26-4, and remarkably, they improved to 6-0 against the Western Conference this season.
The game unfolded with Cleveland’s star point guard Darius Garland leading the charge with 23 points and eight assists. Not far behind were Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, who each contributed 22 points. Mitchell also had seven assists, and Mobley notched ten rebounds, showcasing his all-around skills. On the opposing side, Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson led all scorers with 27 points off the bench, and forward Lauri Markkanen added another 26 points for Utah.
Georges Niang, who played for the Jazz before joining the Cavaliers, delivered key plays during the game's final moments. With less than a minute remaining, he scored on a wide-open layup after receiving an assist from Garland, pushing the Cavs' lead to 120-113. Niang followed this up with a steal and assisted on Caris LeVert’s fast-break dunk, extending the lead to 122-113.
Throughout the game, Cleveland exhibited grit, especially in the fourth quarter. The teams entered the final period with the Cavs leading 99-88, but the Jazz, refusing to go quietly, narrowed the gap, even challenging Cleveland's advantage with 16 points over the first half of the last quarter. Yet, as pressure mounted, Garland’s cunning fake led to another key basket, restoring the Cavs’ lead at 113-108.
Despite Cleveland’s struggles on the boards—where the Jazz out-rebounded them 44-32—Cleveland's offensive prowess prevailed. The Cavaliers went 21-of-47 shooting (44.7%) from the field, including 9 of 24 from beyond the arc, leading to their decisive win. The Cavs have consistently shown their talent this season, having now won nine games by at least 19 points, putting their opponents on notice.
Fans were treated to the game beginning with initial delays due to issues with one of the hoops, but this was eventually resolved with the replacement of the rim. The initial tip-off was delayed by 35 minutes, originally scheduled for 7:10 p.m. but pushed back to 7:45 p.m.
Before the game, Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson had expressed the need for improvement on offensive rebounds, which was evident as the Jazz took early control of the boards. Despite this, the Cavaliers’ backcourt and frontcourt talents enabled them to maintain scoring momentum throughout the match.
From the opening quarter, which ended with a buzzer-beater from Mitchell giving the Cavs a slight 29-27 lead, the teams exchanged runs, with both trying to exploit defensive mismatches. The first half ended with Cleveland taking a narrow 60-56 advantage.
What’s even more riveting is the fact this was the first meeting since the Cavaliers acquired Mitchell from the Jazz, adding extra tension to the matchup. With Cleveland now positioned for the upcoming series of road games against the Western Conference—with their next challenge against the Denver Nuggets—fans are eagerly anticipating how the Cavs will continue their success.
Looking back at their recent performance history against the Jazz, the Cavaliers emerged victorious for the third time since the trade, improving their all-time series against Utah to 52-62. Cleveland continues to showcase not only their playoff aspirations but also their determination to solidify their reputation as one of this season's top teams.
Fans can catch the next game against the Nuggets on December 27, as the Cleveland Cavaliers march forward with spirit and aim to extend their successful streak.
