Cavs Insider

Three-Point Blitz Pushes Cavaliers Past Nuggets For 20th Win Of Season

Cleveland drained a season-high 22 three-pointers in its 126-114 victory over Denver on Thursday night.

Logan Potosky

Dec 5, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) shoots beside Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) in the third quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images
Dec 5, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) shoots beside Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) in the third quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images
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It was a tale of two different types of offense when the Cleveland Cavaliers hosted the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night.

In a battle of perimeter versus paint, Cleveland's success from three-point range proved to be the difference in the game.

The Cavaliers drained a season-high 22 three-pointers in their 126-114 win over the Nuggets, becoming the first NBA team to reach 20 wins this season and advancing to 13-1 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse to begin the campaign.

As a team, Cleveland shot an efficient 22-for-48 (45.8%) from deep. On the other side, while Denver outscored the Wine and Gold 76-40 in the paint, the visitors went just 6-for-24 (25%) from three-point territory.

Donovan Mitchell led the way with a game-high six triples, shooting 60% from deep en route to a game-high 28 points. This performance marked Mitchell's second time making six threes in the Cavaliers' last three games, and his fifth time reaching the mark this season.

A basketball player in a light blue uniform shooting the ball over an opposing player's arm.
Dec 5, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) shoots beside Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) in the third quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

Cleveland had three additional 20-point scorers in: Darius Garland (24 points), Caris LeVert (21 points), and Evan Mobley (20 points). LeVert made a season-high five three-pointers off the bench, going an impressive 5-for-6 (83%) from beyond the arc. Mobley shot 3-for-5 (60%) from three-point range, tying his career high with three triples.

Thursday night's outing was another example of why the Wine and Gold lead the NBA in three-point percentage (40.5%), and rank fifth in the league in three-pointers per game (15.6).

Up next, the Cavaliers will begin a two-game road trip when they face Charlotte Hornets on Saturday, December 7 at 1 p.m.

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Logan Potosky
LOGAN POTOSKY

Logan Potosky is an aspiring play-by-play sports broadcaster who, to date, has called approximately 350+ hours of professional, college, and high school sporting events. He is currently the Play-by-Play Broadcaster for the Lake County Captains, the High-A Affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. He graduated from John Carroll University in May of 2023 with a degree in Communication, with a concentration in Digital Media, and a minor in Entrepreneurship.

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