Bold start, big momentum: the Cavs come out firing after the break and wipe out the Brooklyn Nets 112-84.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — No rust here. The surging Cavs picked up right where they left off more than a week ago, hammering the Lottery-bound Nets at Rocket Arena.
“This is a professional performance,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. “We handled our business, especially going into a back-to-back. We’ve got some catching up to do here and we got a sprint here at the end. This is a good start, good first game out of the box.”
There’s usually a touch of uncertainty after the All-Star break. Does momentum fade? Do players feel sluggish, rusty, unfocused, rhythmless? On Thursday night, the answer was a definitive no. The 48-minute showing was a complete dissection of Brooklyn.
The Cavs celebrated the returns of Evan Mobley and Dean Wade while rolling with their 27th starting lineup of the season — a group Atkinson hopes becomes a constant. The win stretched Cleveland’s streak to a season-high six games and marked their first victory since acquiring James Harden on Feb. 4, a move that supercharged the offense, boosted confidence, and lifted the team’s collective spirit.
“They know we’ve got something good going on,” Atkinson remarked. “We brought in players who will help us. Now we’ve got to prove it. I’m not going to say we’re a juggernaut after four games, but early returns show great spirit, confidence, and aggression.”
From the opening tip, Cleveland looked in control. They started with a 4-0 run and forced Nets coach Jordi Fernández to call a timeout just 41 seconds in. Brooklyn never recovered. The Cavs sprinted to an 8-0 lead before the Nets registered a basket, and by the end of the first quarter Cleveland led by 18, showcasing sharp ball movement, finishing, and outside shooting (61.9% from the floor and 57.1% from three).
The onslaught continued into the second quarter with 36 points, pushing the lead to 22 at halftime — the Cavs’ second-largest advantage at the break this season. The margin swelled as high as 43 in the third, prompting Atkinson to limit minutes for some non-regulars.
Seven Cavaliers reached double figures, led by All-Star Donovan Mitchell with 17 on 7-of-12 shooting. Harden contributed 16 points, nine assists, and five rebounds in 28 minutes. Early in the game, Harden and Mitchell connected on a fast-break alley-oop that electrified the crowd and fueled the team’s championship aspirations in Cleveland. Wade called the play unforgettable, describing the moment as awe-inspiring and surreal as he trailed the break.
Jarrett Allen notched his fifth double-double in six games (15 points, 10 rebounds). Mobley, back from a calf strain and limited by a minutes restriction, added 10 points and nine boards in 19 productive minutes. “Definitely a little rust,” Atkinson said about Mobley, noting his second stint looked more fluid as he found his rhythm. Other double-digit scorers included Dennis Schroder (12), Jaylen Wade (11), and Wade (11) as the night’s fifth starter.
Brooklyn was led by Michael Porter Jr. with 14 points, while Ochai Agbaji contributed 13. The midseason hiatus gave the Cavs time to regroup after a chaotic first half of the season. Mitchell spent All-Star weekend in Los Angeles, Mobley returned home for Sunshine, Merrill attended to newborn duties, and Allen spent the week in Texas with family.
Reassembled, the Cavs looked focused, fresh, and ready for a second-half climb, echoing the exact form they showed before the break. Harden framed the win as the start of something bigger: “This is a different break. We’re preparing for something. The guys listened, put in the work, and the comeback was seamless. We’ve got a long way to go, but we’re heading in the right direction.”
Up next: the Cavs head to Charlotte for the second game of back-to-back action on Friday night, tip-off at 7 p.m. against the Hornets.
