Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) goes to the basket past Washington Wizards forward Tristan Vukcevic, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Feb. 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 33 points, Evan Mobley added 27 and the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled away late for a 134-124 victory over the Washington Wizards on Friday night.

Darius Garland added 23 points and Jarrett Allen had 12 points and 12 rebounds to help the Eastern Conference leaders win for the sixth time in their last seven games.

Jordan Poole scored a career-high 45 points for the NBA-worst Wizards, who were trying to extend a season-best winning streak to four games.

Richaun Holmes had 12 points and 12 rebounds for Washington, which lost its 12th straight to the Cavaliers.

Takeaways

Cavaliers: Despite Washington’s record, this was a gutty win for Cleveland after dealing regulars Caris LeVert and Georges Niang to Atlanta to acquire guard De’Andre Hunter. The move left the Cavs short-handed for a game, compounded by the absence of reserve guard Sam Merrill for personal reasons.

Wizards: This was still a strong effort despite the end of a three-game winning streak, and a potential sign of improvement. Washington hasn’t won four in a row since January 2023.

Key moment

After 17 ties and 19 lead changes in the first three quarters, Mitchell scored Cleveland’s first five points of the fourth on a three-point play and then a driving finger roll to stretch the lead to six and force Washington to take a timeout. The Wizards did not get within a single possession afterward.

Key stat

Poole’s 16 field goals and 32 shots were both team highs for Washington this season. They came in the second game since the Wizards agreed to trade second-leading scorer Kyle Kuzma to Milwaukee in a deal that returned Khris Middleton and AJ Johnson.

Up Next

The Wizards host Atlanta on Saturday night, while the Cavaliers return home Monday night to face Minnesota.