Cavaliers Beat Durant-less Nets, Unvaxxed Irving To Continue Part-time

Darius Garland scored 22 points and delivered 12 assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers stretched their winning streak to five games with a 114-107 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday

Los Angeles, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Jan, 2022 ) :Darius Garland scored 22 points and delivered 12 assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers stretched their winning streak to five games with a 114-107 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Monday.

The Cavaliers dominated on offense and defense down the stretch, holding the Nets to just two points during the final 3:43 of the fourth quarter.

Issac Okoro scored 15 points and Lauri Markkanen, Kevin love and Jarrett Allen each added 14 points for the Cavs, who avenged two losses to the Nets back in November.

"It's a signature win for us against a high-level team," Cavs coach JB Bickerstaff said. "To me, the most impressive thing is you hold a team like that to 19 points in the fourth quarter." The Cavaliers win comes on a day the NBA honored the memory of US civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. with special ceremonies and video tributes throughout the 14 games on Monday.

Rookie Evan Mobley tallied 12 points for Cleveland in front of a crowd of 18,100 at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse arena in Cleveland.

The Nets were playing their first full game without NBA leading scorer Kevin Durant, who is sidelined with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee.

"You can't replace Kev," said Irving. "It's impossible. We just faced that reality right now."Part-time Nets player Kyrie Irving led all scorers with 27 points but made just two baskets in the fourth quarter when it mattered the most. Irving, who is unvaccinated, is barred from playing all but the Nets' away games because of New York's Covid-19 health and safety rules.

Irving doubled down Monday on his anti-vaccine stand, giving a rambling explanation and bristling when quizzed by reporters after the game.