March 8, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives toward the basket against Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) in the second half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Cleveland ended the Cavaliers’ seven-game home winning streak with a walk-off win over the Boston Celtics on Sunday.
Cleveland won’t have time to lick their wounds as they take on the undermanned Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night.
All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points and James Harden scored 19 points and 10 assists against Boston, but the Cavaliers barely showed competitiveness as they trailed by 26 points in the third quarter.
The rout began in the first half as Cleveland missed 20 of 22 3-pointers and dug a 21-point hole with a 28.9% field goal percentage. Mitchell and perimeter specialists Sam Merrill and Jaylon Tyson combined to miss all nine of their 3-point attempts before the break.
“It’s really make or break against a team like that,” said Mitchell, who topped 30 points for the 30th time in 56 games. “And we missed a lot of open 3s. That was one of the worst shots we’ve had all season.”
As always, Mitchell was the Cavaliers’ best player. He returned from a four-game absence due to a right groin strain, burying 9 of 18 field goal attempts (3 of 9 from beyond the arc) and 9 of 11 from the foul line.
Mitchell is averaging 28.6 points and 5.8 assists this season.
“There was a little rust there, but the money kept us in the game,” Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said. “Boston made better decisions than we did. We love the 3, but sometimes we’re a little overzealous with them.”
The Cavaliers remain comfortably fourth in the Eastern Conference, but will likely be without center Jarrett Allen for a second straight game due to a right knee injury.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia suffered another blow Saturday in a 125-116 loss at the Atlanta Hawks, with standout point guard Tyrese Maxey spraining his right finger. He collided with teammate Adem Bona on an inbounds play with 16.2 seconds left.
Officially, the 76ers have placed Maxey on the list to sit out the next two games while he undergoes further medical evaluations. He made a move to hide his right hand and tuck it under his jersey as he left the court, sparking speculation of a more serious problem.
“We’ll judge based on what happens,” Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse said. “Obviously, considering everything we have going on with the other guys, that’s huge.”
Oft-injured center Joel Embiid will also be inactive due to a right oblique strain, and guard VJ Edgecombe is questionable for Monday with a lumbar injury. Guard Paul George remains suspended from the league for violating the drug policy.
The 76ers flew to Cleveland and had a day of rest after their loss to the Hawks. Center Andre Drummond opted to sit courtside for the G League game between the Cleveland Charge and Capital City Go-Go, but most players remained at the team hotel.
Maxey had 31 points, Quentin Grimes added 26 and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 24. Against Atlanta, Philadelphia was knocked out of the top six of the playoffs. The team now sits in eighth place, behind the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat.
“The rankings remain the same,” Nurse said. “Everyone below us is hot, but we still have a lot of games (19) left to play.”
–Field level media
