CLEVELAND (AP) — Darius Garland scored 26 points and Evan Mobley had 16 points and 10 rebounds after both were named All-Star reserves, helping the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers to a 137-115 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night.
Donovan Mitchell scored 24 points and Ty Jerome added 20 points off the bench for Cleveland (39-9), which has the best home record in the league at 23-3. Jarrett Allen had nine points and 15 rebounds.
Hawks rookie Zaccharie Risacher, the No. 1 overall draft pick, scored 30 points and De’Andre Hunter had 25 points and made all 12 of his free throws. Atlanta has lost a season-high seven straight.
Cleveland built a 29-point lead in beating the Hawks for the first time in three games this season. Atlanta won the first two meetings by a combined 27 points on Nov. 27 and Nov. 29.
Hawks: Point guard Trae Young, who is averaging 22.7 points and a league-high 11.4 assists, was not chosen as an All-Star. He missed 11 of 16 shots and finished with 15 points and 10 assists.
Cavaliers: All-Star starter Mitchell has been the driving force behind Cleveland’s three-game winning streak that followed its initial three-game skid of the season, scoring 79 points in 88 minutes.
Garland banked in a runner and Max Strus followed with back-to-back 3-pointers in a 41-second span early in the third quarter, extending Cleveland’s lead to 88-69. Mitchell pushed it out to 90-70 with a layup that completed the 10-1 run.
The Cavaliers have three All-Stars for the fourth time in franchise history in Mitchell, Garland and Mobley. Kenny Atkinson and his assistants also will be part of the mini-tournament, coaching two of the four teams.
The Hawks visit Detroit on Saturday. The Cavaliers continue their three-game homestand Sunday against Dallas.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
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