Donovan Mitchell, Jazz send Cavs to 8th straight loss
Utah Jazz’s Donovan Mitchell (45) drives past Cleveland Cavaliers’ Jordan Clarkson (8) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 4, 2019, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
CLEVELAND — Donovan Mitchell scored 18 points and the Utah Jazz dominated the second half, sending the Cleveland Cavaliers to their eighth straight loss with a 117-91 victory on Friday night.
Cleveland (8-31) has the worst record in the NBA, with four of the losses in the streak coming by 20 or more points.
The Jazz trailed by one at halftime, but outscored the Cavaliers 69-42 in the second half and built a 34-point late in the game. Utah placed eight players in double figures.
Jae Crowder, acquired from Cleveland last season, scored 16 points. Ricky Rubio, who was listed at questionable with a sore left foot, added 15 while Rudy Gobert had 12 points and seven rebounds.
Alec Burks scored 17 points and rookie Collin Sexton had 13 for the Cavaliers.
Cleveland led 64-61 midway through the third quarter, but Mitchell’s 3-pointer tied the game and began a 20-7 run to end the period.
Kyle Korver, acquired from Cleveland in November, was fouled shooting a 3-pointer and made all three shots. Crowder hit a 3-pointer and Utah led 81-71 going to the fourth quarter.
Utah’s blitz continued in the fourth on an assortment of 3-pointers and layups that sent fans heading to the exits early.
The Cavaliers opened the second quarter with a 14-2 run, sparked by 3-pointers from Rodney Hood, Alec Burks and Channing Frye, and led 45-36. Mitchell scored nine points in the final four minutes, including a 30-foot jumper and Utah trailed 49-48 at halftime.
The Cavaliers have struggled all season. Tyronn Lue was fired as coach after four games and Cleveland began the season 0-6. All-Star forward Kevin Love had left foot surgery on Nov. 2, playing in only four games. Love has been cleared to begin some basketball activities, but no timetable has been given for his return.
The win was Utah’s first in Cleveland since a 109-100 victory on March 5, 2012.
TIP-INS
Jazz: Mitchell didn’t score until late in the second quarter on a drive to the basket. … Utah, making the second stop on its four-game road trip, won’t return home until Jan. 9 against Orlando.
Cavaliers: Sexton, taken with the No. 8 pick in the draft, turned 20 years old Friday. … G Patrick McCaw was given a turnover when his pass sailed close to teammate Jalen Jones, who was walking to the scorers table to check into the game.
TRADE PARTNERS
The teams made two deals in 2018. Korver, who played on two NBA Finals in Cleveland, was dealt to Utah for Burks. The deal followed a trade in February that saw Hood join the Cavaliers for Crowder.
Korver, who played parts of three seasons with Cleveland, got a big ovation when his picture was shown on the scoreboard during a timeout. Hood had 12 points Friday night.
ANOTHER INJURY
Matthew Dellavedova missed the game with a sprained left foot. The backup guard, acquired from Milwaukee on Dec. 7, has provided a spark off the bench for the struggling team. Dellavedova is averaging 9.3 points and shooting 49 percent in 11 games.
UP NEXT
Jazz: Visit Detroit on Saturday.
Cavaliers: Host New Orleans on Saturday.
