Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 115-109 victory over the Brooklyn Nets last night, getting closer to direct qualification for the NBA playoffs. The Cavaliers now have 46 wins and 28 losses, sitting fourth in the Eastern Conference, just two wins behind the third-placed Philadelphia 76ers, who have already secured their playoff spot. The Nets suffered their fourth consecutive loss, remaining in sixth place in the East with 39 wins, tied with the seventh-placed Miami Heat, but the Nets have lost 33 games compared to the Heat's 34. The top six teams qualify directly for the playoffs, while teams ranked from sixth to tenth enter the play-in tournament.
Since the departure of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant in February, the Nets have won seven games and lost eleven, complicating their situation in the East. The two teams exchanged leads four times until Evan Mobley scored two points, giving the Cavaliers a 35-34 lead three minutes into the second quarter. The Cavaliers then dominated the remainder of the first half but could not extend their lead beyond nine points. They ended the first half ahead 61-55, thanks to 13 points from Mobley.
The Cavaliers opened the second half with an impressive performance, taking a 84-60 lead after Mitchell scored 11 points in less than six minutes. After the Nets narrowed the gap to 94-78 before the start of the final quarter, the Cavaliers stretched their lead back to 22 points within five minutes of the fourth quarter. However, the Nets responded, led by Day'Ron Sharpe, cutting the deficit to 112-106 with 38.4 seconds left. Caris LeVert halted the Cavaliers' decline by making two free throws, but Sharpe answered back with a three-pointer in the final 16 seconds. A single free throw from Mitchell was enough to secure the victory for the Cavaliers. Mitchell led the Cavaliers in scoring with 31 points, while LeVert and Mobley each added 17 points.
