How the Cleveland Cavaliers made up ground in NBA Cup against Washington Wizards

Turns out it takes more than magic to keep the Cleveland Cavaliers down for good.

Cleveland claimed its third win in a row with a 148-114 victory over the Washington Wizards, who fell to 1-8 and kept their recent slide going with a loss on their home court.

Seven Cavs broke into double-digits in what would be a much-needed Cup victory for an East Group A hopeful. Star guard Donovan Mitchell, one of the league's top scorers and a constant highlight reel for the Cavs, followed up a near-50 point performance with 24 points as Cleveland steamrolled the Wizards at Capital One Arena.

The trio of CJ McCollum, Alex Sarr and Corey Kispert scored a combined 61 points for Washington in an effort to keep pace with the surging Cavs.

Cleveland was back at full strength in its starting lineup after forward De'Andre Hunter earned the starting nod at the three. Guard Darius Garland, who made his season debut against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, didn't take long to get back into form before ending the night with 20 points and nine assists.

Center Jarrett Allen, who had a bounce back performance of his own against the Sixers, anchored the inside while ending with a 16-point and 14-rebound double-double. The Cavs had used six different starting lineups before tonight's matchup, including a lineup with guard Sam Merrill and Hunter that notched two early wins against the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons.

Feb. 7, 2025; Cleveland Cavaliers v. Washington Wizards. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images — Feb 7, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) dunks the ball during the fourth quarter against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

McCollum used plenty of magic from the three-point line to push the Wizards back up from an early six-point deficit. It countered Cleveland's early success on the interior, where Allen led the way with two buckets and two rebounds.

Washington's wizardry from long range came to a screeching halt following an early timeout, while the Cavs kept pushing forward with high-percentage looks and a heat check from Garland. Washington would end the night with a 36.6% clip from the three-point line, which nearly dampened the light on a rare bright spot for the flailing Wizards.

They entered the matchup just ahead of the Sacramento Kings with the 10th-ranked three-point shooting mark in the NBA, a far cry from the near-last rank they finished with last season.

Two magicians from long range would ultimately highlight a night defined by the three-point line. While guard Bub Carrington's magic would quickly fade after his first made shot, McCollum would play like a man possessed from beyond the arc as he took it upon himself to will the Wizards back from a deficit in the first half.

Merrill, who is posting career numbers from long range in a magical season of his own, used a couple of shooting spells to knock down four 3-pointers on five attempts. The Cavs caught fire from the arc and never looked back, finishing a red-hot night with 20 makes on 45 tries.

Cleveland moved to 1-1 in NBA Cup play with the win. The Cavs fell to the Toronto
Raptors in a 112-101 loss on Halloween night, a game that saw Hunter and forward Evan Mobley combine for more than half of Cleveland's points.

The Cavs will play in their next cup matchup on Nov. 21, when they face a division opponent, the Indiana Pacers, as they continue moving through their Group A schedule.

The Cavs will move on to face the Chicago Bulls at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday in Rocket Arena. The game will be broadcast on FanDuel Sports Network.