(AP) — Max Strus scored 24 points, and the Cleveland Cavaliers had their highest-scoring game of the season, routing the Washington Wizards 140-101 on Wednesday night to open a two-game set.
Donovan Mitchell scored 22 points in 24 minutes to help Cleveland snapped a two-game losing streak. Caris LeVert added 21 points in 23 minutes, and Jarrett Allen had 17 points, 19 rebounds and seven assists.
The teams will meet again Friday night in Cleveland.
Cleveland had a 62-36 rebounding edge, with Tristan Thompson grabbing nine and Georges Niang having eight boards and 15 points off the bench. The Cavs shot 53.5% and made 20 3-pointers.
Kyle Kuzma scored 16 points for Washington. The Wizards, with the third-worst record in the NBA at 6-27, haven’t won consecutive games since Feb. 28-March 2, 2003.
Daniel Gafford, Mike Muscala and Corey Kispert each added 12 points.
Allen, a 6-foot-11 center who made the East All-Star team two years ago, is averaging 21.2 points, 16.4 rebounds and 6.0 assists over the last five games.
The Cavaliers are 6-3 since learning they will be without point guard Darius Garland (broken jaw) and power forward Evan Mobley (left knee surgery) until February.
There were 14 lead changes in the first 10 minutes, and neither team held a double-digit advantage until Mitchell beat the halftime buzzer with a 3-pointer that put Cleveland up 67-55. Strus had 21 points and made all five of his 3s in the half.
