Overview
- Jamal Murray finished with 34 points, including 28 before halftime, as Denver faded to just 11 points in the fourth quarter.
- Denver played without Nikola Jokic, who is out at least a month with a hyperextended left knee, plus Aaron Gordon, Cam Johnson, Christian Braun and Jonas Valanciunas.
- Darius Garland had 18 points and eight assists, and his three-pointer with 2:13 remaining capped a 10-0 Cleveland surge that put the hosts ahead for good.
- Cleveland converted five fourth-quarter offensive rebounds into nine second-chance points, with Jarrett Allen contributing 12 boards and a key late rebound.
- De’Andre Hunter scored 16 off the bench, Craig Porter Jr. added 10 with energy on both ends, and Lonzo Ball returned to action with six points in 15 minutes.