The Cleveland Cavaliers, after an impressive 16-game winning streak, have now dropped their second consecutive game, falling to the Los Angeles Clippers 132-119 on Tuesday night at Intuit Dome. Despite a strong start, the Cavaliers cooled off in the final quarter, allowing the Clippers to seize control and secure the victory.
Hot Start, Cold Finish for Cleveland
Cleveland opened the game on fire, scoring 45 points in the first quarter. However, their momentum faded as they struggled in the fourth, managing just 17 points. The Clippers outscored them 64-46 in the second half, flipping the script after intermission.
Los Angeles was led by Kawhi Leonard, who tallied a game-high 33 points. Ivica Zubac delivered a dominant performance on his 28th birthday, racking up 28 points and 20 rebounds. Bogdan Bogdanovic was perfect from the field, hitting all eight of his shots, including four from beyond the arc, to provide a crucial boost off the bench.
Key Moments in the Game
The Cavaliers built an early double-digit lead, but the game remained tightly contested through the first three quarters, featuring seven ties and nine lead changes. The turning point came early in the fourth when the Clippers launched a 9-1 run, stretching their lead to 12 points and maintaining their advantage until the final buzzer.
Cleveland struggled in several areas, shooting just 65% from the free-throw line and failing to register a single blocked shot. They also found themselves outmatched on the boards, with the Clippers holding a commanding 49-29 rebounding edge.
Notable Performances
Max Strus led the Cavaliers with 24 points, scoring 12 in the third quarter alone. He finished the night 8-of-12 from the field, including 5-of-8 from three-point range, and was perfect from the free-throw line (3-of-3).
Donovan Mitchell contributed 18 points and a game-high 11 assists but struggled with his shooting, going 5-for-18 from the field. Darius Garland also had a solid playmaking night, dishing out eight assists to go along with 17 points and two steals. Evan Mobley was the only other Cleveland starter in double figures, finishing with 17 points on efficient 7-for-12 shooting.
Off the bench, De’Andre Hunter, the NBA’s leading reserve scorer, added 17 points in just 20 minutes, shooting 7-for-10 from the field and 3-for-6 from three-point range. Ty Jerome chipped in 10 points and four assists.
Cavs Look to Bounce Back
Tuesday’s defeat marks just the third losing streak of the season for the Eastern Conference’s top team. Previously, Cleveland dropped consecutive games to the Hawks in November and suffered a three-game skid in late January against the Rockets and Sixers. Now, they aim to avoid a third straight loss as they continue their West Coast road trip.
The Cavaliers travel to Sacramento for a Wednesday night matchup against the Kings before heading to Phoenix for a Friday night clash with the Suns. They will then take on the Jazz in Utah on Monday night before wrapping up the trip against the Trail Blazers in Portland next Tuesday. Cleveland returns home next Friday for a matchup against the San Antonio Spurs at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
