Donovan Mitchell’s 43 lead Cleveland Cavaliers over the LA Lakers

Cleveland Cavaliers bounce right back at home

Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers finally looked like their old selves back at home, securing a commanding 116-102 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. With another win, the Cavs improve to 11-1 in front of another sold-out crowd at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.

The three-time All-Star Mitchell scored 29 of his 43 huge points in the second half to help stave off the pesky Lakers team. He also had six boards, five assists, and four steals to shake off the ugly loss in New York just two days ago.

After three neck-and-neck quarters, Cleveland finally pulled away in the final period as Mitchell almost single-handedly towed the Cavaliers through the home stretch, erecting a 15-point lead with about three minutes and change remaining to effectively close the game out.

Jarrett Allen was also massive in his first game back in uniform since suffering a back injury, having a nearly flawless outing to tally 24 points and 11 boards as Darius Garland added a double-double of his own with 21 markers and 11 dimes.

Cavaliers great and Ohio’s own LeBron James showed out in his homecoming with 21 points and 17 rebounds but was handed a rude welcome by the Cavs as the Lakers crashed back to earth following their recent string of success. This mark just the third time James has lost against his former team.

The Cavs will look to continue protecting home court

After the snooze fest in New York, the young Cleveland squad finally looked energized. Whether you credit that to Lakers star Anthony Davis leaving early due to a mystery illness (or injury) playing in front of their home fans, Donovan Mitchell’s offensive brilliance, or the return of defensive anchor Jarrett Allen, this one truly felt like Cavaliers basketball.

Having won 11 of their 12 games in front of a consistently sold-out home crowd thus far continues to break records, now having the best home start for any team since the 2015-16 Cavs team–ironically the group led by LeBron James to win the franchise’s first and only NBA title.

Remaining in solo third at 16-9 in the very competitive Eastern Conference, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff will have to find a way to cure their woes on the road, where they often look like an entirely different team.

For now, the Cleveland Cavaliers will look to keep their practically pristine home record at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse when the Sacramento Kings come to visit on December 9.