Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers held LeBron James to eight points in his return to Northeast Ohio and rolled to a 119-95 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in an NBA Cup group stage game Friday night.
James — who elected to sign with Philadelphia in the offseason instead of returning for a third stint with Cleveland — was 3 of 12 from the field, including 0 for 4 on 3-pointers, in 31 minutes. James received a smattering of boos from Cavaliers fans every time he touched the ball during the first half and left the game with 3:54 remaining.
It was only the 10th time in his 24-year career that James has scored in single digits in the regular season. The Akron, Ohio, native’s NBA-record run of 1,297 consecutive regular-season games with at least 10 points ended on Dec. 4 last season in the Los Angeles Lakers’ victory at Toronto.
Evan Mobley added 22 points for the Cavaliers, who bounced back after two losses to Oklahoma City. Mitchell also had seven rebounds and eight assists in 33 minutes. James Harden scored 17.
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