Cleveland Cavaliers 125, Brooklyn Nets 121 — Donovan Mitchell scored 34 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers survived a spirited Brooklyn Nets comeback for a 125-121 home win at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on October 25, 2026. The Cavaliers led for much of the night, but Brooklyn’s shot-making kept the game uncomfortable until the final possessions.

Game overview

Cleveland built a one-point halftime lead and stretched the advantage to five entering the fourth quarter. The Nets refused to fade, tying the game midway through the final period behind Cam Thomas’s isolation scoring and Nic Claxton’s activity around the rim. The Cavaliers responded with a balanced closing stretch: Darius Garland created off the dribble, Evan Mobley scored over smaller defenders, and Mitchell delivered the go-ahead basket with just over a minute left.

• Q1: Cavaliers 31-28
• Q2: Nets 32-30
• Q3: Cavaliers 33-29
• Q4: Nets 32-31
• Final: Cavaliers 125, Nets 121

Key moments

The game turned on two sequences in the last two minutes. First, Mobley blocked a Thomas drive and Garland pushed the other way for a pull-up jumper. Then, after Brooklyn cut the lead to two, Mitchell hit a tough step-back over a contest to make it a two-possession game. The Nets had one last look from three, but the attempt rimmed out and Cleveland secured the rebound.

Brooklyn’s third-quarter push was powered by transition offense and offensive rebounds. The Nets repeatedly attacked Cleveland’s second unit and got to the line, but they could not get the same clean looks once the Cavaliers tightened their rotation late.

Tactical story

Cleveland’s advantage came inside. Mobley and Jarrett Allen controlled the paint, forcing Brooklyn to help defensively and opening driving lanes for Mitchell and Garland. The Cavaliers also won the offensive rebounding battle, generating second-chance points that offset a modest three-point shooting night. When Cleveland needed a bucket, it went to the Mitchell-Mobley pick-and-roll, a action Brooklyn struggled to contain without overhelping.

Brooklyn stayed in the game with pace and shot creation. Thomas was aggressive in isolation, Cam Johnson spaced the floor from the wing, and Claxton rolled hard to the rim. The Nets’ smaller lineups gave Cleveland trouble in the third quarter, but the Cavaliers eventually adjusted by switching more aggressively and keeping a bigger body on the glass.

Standout players

Mitchell’s 34 points led all scorers, and he added five assists. Garland finished with 22 points and 11 assists, repeatedly finding Mobley in the short roll. Mobley posted 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Allen added 14 points and 13 rebounds. The Cavaliers’ core four combined for 90 points, a sign of how balanced their attack can be.

Thomas paced Brooklyn with 29 points, many of them contested. Claxton had 18 points and 12 rebounds, and Johnson contributed 21 points. The Nets got strong minutes from their bench, but they missed a few crucial free throws and gave up two offensive rebounds in the final three minutes.

What it means

The win keeps Cleveland’s early-season momentum intact and reinforces its status as a team that can win with defense and half-court execution when the pace slows. Brooklyn leaves with a moral victory but also a familiar lesson: against elite teams, small late-game mistakes are often the difference.

The result also adds another chapter to the Cavaliers-Nets head-to-head series. Cleveland’s size and two-way balance won out this time, but Brooklyn’s competitiveness suggests future meetings will not be easy.