Cavaliers' Strong Defense, Torrid Third Quarter Fuel Win Over Warriors

Cleveland held Golden State to a season-low opponent shooting percentage and outscored the Warriors by 10 points in the third quarter on Monday night.

Dec 30, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) and center Jarrett Allen (31) and guard Caris LeVert (3) react after a foul is called against a Golden State Warriors player during the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images | John Hefti-Imagn Images

In their first meeting of the season back on Nov. 8, the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors at home by 19 points.

And on Monday night, the Wine and Gold secured a season series sweep in similar fashion, defeating the Warriors on the road by a score of 113-95.

Cleveland put together one of its strongest defensive performances of the campaign in its latest win.

Golden State shot just 33.3% from the field, the lowest mark by a Cavaliers opponent this season. The Wine and Gold also held the Warriors, who ranked fourth in the NBA with an average of 15.0 three-pointers per game entering the contest, to just 9-for-38 (23.7%) from beyond the arc. This shooting percentage from deep was the third-lowest by a Cleveland opponent this season.

After a tightly contested first quarter, the Cavaliers outscored Golden State 20-11 in the following period. The Warriors shot just 4-for-24 (16.7%) from the field and 0-for-8 from three-point range, as Cleveland led 46-38 at halftime.

The Wine and Gold then used a remarkable third quarter to distance themselves from the opposition.

Three basketball players celebrating while wearing white uniforms. — Dec 30, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) and center Jarrett Allen (31) and guard Caris LeVert (3) react after a foul is called against a Golden State Warriors player during the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images | John Hefti-Imagn Images

Donovan Mitchell, who led the way with a 15 points in the period, made three straight triples to give the Cavaliers a 55-41 lead. He eventually shot 5-for-7 (71.4%) from deep in the quarter. As a team, Cleveland shot an impressive 14-for-23 (60.9%) from the field and 8-for-14 (57.1%) from deep, leading by as many as 26 points in the period.

Overall, Darius Garland recorded game-highs of 25 points and eight assists. Additionally, Dean Wade tallied his third career double-double with 10 points and a career-high 13 rebounds.

Up next, the Wine and Gold will continue their four-game road trip against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, Dec. 31 at 9 p.m.