NBA LIVE! Los Angeles Lakers vs Cleveland Cavaliers September 18, 2025 | 2025 NBA Season Live 2K
match up in this one. Yeah, I I love to see skilled bids drooling down low. Kind of a throwback in some ways, but there’s still plenty of physicality in the modern game. And a look at the starters for the Cavaliers. A loaded back court. It’s Garland and Mitchell. A lot of length inside. It’s Mobley and Allen in the post. It’s Hunter at the three spot. Boy, nine times out of 10, that’s going in. I’m sure he surprised himself with the miss. Here’s Mitchell banked in off the glass. There is a level of physicality and the frame of Donovan Mitchell allows him to finish through contact. Pass to Aiden. James against Hunter. The drive by James. Off to a good start as he hits his first shot attempt. Just such a well-rounded offensive player. He’s got a little bit of everything. Cleveland with the ball. Garland dishes to Allen. [Music] [Applause] And now just over a minute played here in the first. Screen by Allen. And here’s Carlin for three. And here’s James. He’ll bring it up for LA. Reeves outside. Back to James. Some nice passing here by Los Angeles. 14 ft away is Tonic. That time on the assist by James. Well, you see what the defense wants to give up there. Luca more than comfortable in the mid-range. And now the latest from our reporter David Aldridge. Hey Kevin, briefly spoke with JJ Reick. So for much of the brief time I had with him, he was talking about Evan Mobley. He said, “This kid is not a kid. This is a mature big man who affects all aspects of the game at both ends. but in particular, he’s worried about Moley’s defensive presence and his ability to guard every position on the floor. Back to you. Thanks so much, David. Cavaliers have gone two or three here to start out the game. Lakers with the rebound. [Music] [Music] The three for Dunic. Here’s Eaton. Mobley with the rebound. Cleveland’s gone one and two from long range in the first quarter. Mitchell with it. He’s picked up by James. Mitchell’s shot is good. Boy, Mitchell’s confidence is off the charts right now. Off the dribble jumper. Yes, sir. And JJ Reick calls timeout here. Wants to regroup and go over the strategy. [Music] [Music] Heat [Music] up [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] First quarter of ball almost 2 and 1/2 minutes in. and Doris. The Cavs had a very successful 23-24 season, 47 wins and the number four seed in the East. And Kevin winning a playoff series, their first one without LeBron James since 1993. Most of the players on the floor weren’t even alive back then. Incredible to think of it in that context. Now, here’s Mitchell. Seven points in the game, buries it from three-point range. Mitchell’s got 10 from three-point range. Donovan Mitchell attacks with reckless abandon. He’ll just keep firing, folks. Back to Donic. Here’s James. The shot goes in as the ref calls the blocking foul. He’s on his way to the free throw line. [Music] Los Angeles shooting their first free throw of the game. [Music] Find the length. Find the length. Nice shot. [Music] The feel LeBron has for the game. Unreal. Whatever situation he finds himself in, he always seems to have an answer. Moy outside. [Music] [Applause] Garland against Aton. Trying to get open as Hexim. It’s not going to go for him. Some solid defense from Aton. LeBron with it. He’s picked up by Moley. And too much time in the lane. They get called for the 3second violation. Cleveland leading by three. Mitchell outside. [Music] Garland. The pass to Mitchell. Off target from outside. Los Angeles has gone 02 from D2. Oh, in position. An emphatic lu jam. Elite athleticism for Mr. Eightton. No doubt on the dunk. Cavaliers have gone 50% from the field at this point. Four of eight. Mitchell outside. Allen at the screen for Mitchell. to the inside. There’s Allen. That’s good on the assist by Mitchell. Well, Jared Allen proving he’s more than capable of beating good defense. That’s nicely done. With a screen on Mitchell. Pass to Hatchima to the middle. Here’s Donic and he banks in the layup. And their post play has been really solid right off the bat. Gage Garland with the ball for the Cavaliers. And here is Mobley. Allen at the screen for Hunter. [Music] Rebounded by DeAndre. Eightton’s got his fourth rebound with that last one here tonight. Donic against Garland. And he drops in the layup off the glass. Donic has got six. That’s a high percentage look for Luca Donuch. He is a menace if he gets that deep. Mitchell outside to Garland. [Applause] [Music] Shot clock at five. You look how Garland can create for himself. Very good off the catch or the bounce. so deadly off of those high pick and rolls because he can dribble into that three. A playmaker that can do that is a headache. Garland knows how to create that space and get his looks. [Music] Throw good. Garland Doris. When the Cavaliers made the trade for Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland then began to do a lot of his work off the ball. He had to, Kevin, and he made no secret of the fact that this was an adjustment. When you are accustomed to being the primary initiator, moving off the ball takes time, but to his credit, he’s adapted beautifully. That one misses. M that will sting a little bit. Failing to get the lead when the opportunity was there, but he does tie it up. LeBron could and nice touch from the inside. I I’m a fan of when LeBron just burls his way inside and takes it there. Now here’s Moley. Still yet to score. Lets a floater go. Darwin no good. The Lakers in the lead. Reeves into the lane. Vanderbilt the pass to Reeds and LeBron James with the three. He’s got 10. We often see LeBron James with the ball in his hands creating for himself or others. That time a little catch and shoot. The easy one for LeBron. Now here’s Allen. Mitchell outside. [Music] shoots from the line and a kind roll that time off the rim as that one falls. Mitchell’s got 12 in the game. James gets to Atonic outside [Music] trying to break free. A nice shot by Donic. I’ll tell you, Luca Donuch makes tough shots look easy. Boy, that close to the bucket through that much contact. Nice. Mitchell in the corner. Misses him close. Lakers lead by five near the three-point line. It’s Donic. Evan Mobley with the rebound. Listen, he knows he should have made that shot. We’ll see if they can work it back to him in that same area. Mitchell passes to Darwin from outside off the mark. And on an open look like that, he’s very good at making the weak coverage. It’s good. And the Lakers lead by seven. Well, that’s a determined scorer right there. DeAndre Aton showing a little toughness on the interior finish. A moment now to hear from our Sargon reporter, Hall of Famer, David. David. Hey Kevin, we all know the Lakers have to pound the ball inside. LeBron James says we have attackers. That’s who we are. That’s what we do. We’re not shooting 40 to 50 threes a game. We don’t have the luxury of being that team. Working it into the paint. That’s what we’re really good at, Kevin. They play to their strengths. They got a lot of strengths. Got to do it. Thanks, Da. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Smarts checked in for Los Angeles. Switcher also for Cleveland. Green hands has checked in for Evan Mobley. [Music] Los Angeles on Dan. They lead by seven. All in a screen on Dunic near the three-point line. It’s Mitchell. And all around that time before dropping in. There’s a measure of composure with Donovan Mitchell. Just so calm and focused, understanding how to manipulate the pick and roll. Smart puts the pick in for Vanderbilt. Wants to get it to Smart and does. And he floats in for the easy two. Credit the assist on that one. I mean, the number of points they’ve scored in the paint already here is eye open. Mitchell feeling it out a bit. Traps in the train. Measel’s got 17. Spida is attacking right now. Very few guys can score it as quickly or as easily. Here’s James. The shot’s good on the assist by Duch. 12 points for LeBron. There is an imagination, a creativity. This guy’s passing drives the offense. N outside. Pass to Spruce. Vanderbilt against N. Here’s Mitchell. Rebounded by DeAndre. Eightton’s got rebound number seven for him tonight. Smart passes to Vanderbilt. Back to Smart. Eight. A screen on Allen. The three for Dage. Offensive rebound. Kicks it out to James. Shot clock at six and they double up LeBron. Good on the shot. And now it’s an eight-point Laker lead. Yeah, under duress of the shot clock. LeBron James so comfortable taking and hitting these shots. Always calm in those circumstances. Now here’s Mitchell. 17 points in the game. [Music] Garland against Smart. Right side Garland over Smart. [Music] Garland no good. He is singlely dropping the temperature in here with that cold streak. He is trying to shoot his way out of it and it might be better for him to pass the basketball at this point. LeBron shot is off. The Cavaliers trail by eight. Pass to Garland. [Applause] Back to Mitchell. [Music] Good for his eighth field goal. He’s attempted a dozen shots. Boy, nothing you can do about that. Mitchell is just simply that good converting over aggressive defense. [Music] No one against Zayton. Back to Donic and he uses the glass on the layup. Donic has got 10 points in the game and really a good job spotting his teammate near the bucket and then just pinpoint passing for the finish. Garland finds NS Mitchell outside and a miss there on the triple. Yeah, you could tell you thought that triple was going to fall. And here’s James outside. Count that one as his seventh bank in eight attempts. A scorching 88%. We’re seeing some fireworks from them already. Well, what I love is the game plan has been solid from the opening tip and guys are making their shots. That’s critical. Now here’s he has yet to score. Allen at the screen for Garland. And they wasted no time getting those three points back. Oh, Darius Garland asserting himself the answer back from distance. Donic against Mitchell. [Music] Now here’s Donic. He’s got 10. Payton Green for the three. And another three for the Lakers. And guys getting into a nice groove here, starting to feel it. And this is partly what the game has become, right? A matter of dueling three-point opportunities. So, as we end the first quarter, already a double-digit ball game. Lakers lead by 11. And the second quarter will get underway just after this short break. [Music] [Music] And glad to have you with us, folks. Second quarter of basketball. This game has not exactly been neck and neck, but plenty of time left in this one. Hey guys, what do you think about the offensive approach you’ve seen so far for the Lakers? And guys, they’ve done a great job feeding their bigs inside. They are just punishing the opposition in the paint. And the other thing I love how they’re making the extra pass. They’re not settling for the first shot. They’re going from good to great. Connect out there with Jared Vanderbilt. Then it’s Austin Reeds. Then it’s Marcus Smarts. And it’s Hayes in at the center position. That’s the group for the Lakers to start the second quarter. Inside Mo and it’s blocked. Outside Smart [Music] on the wing, Reeds. He’s defended by Merrill. [Music] A fader. The Cavaliers pull it in. Stru passes the ball. [Music] And a big part of perimeter defense, Greg, avoiding screens. What are some of the tricks of the trade in that regard? Well, sometimes you have to get skinny. I mean, other times it’s using your strength. A lot goes into it. Also, you know, getting a cadence for the screener. One of the more challenging aspects of NBA defense. Lakers shooting their second and third free throws tonight. And just to mention, a season ago, they were very comfortable at the line, hitting about 78% of their free throws. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. Re good. Reeves has checked in for Vanderbilt. A switch here also for Cleveland. Hunters checked in. [Music] off on that one. So he goes one for two at the line. Now here’s truce. He’s guarded closer. Reeves against ball. And Nance kicks to Strus. A floater. It’s rebounded by Hayes. And so it’s Smart. He’ll bring up the ball for Los Angeles. Aimura finds Smart. Reeves left side. Fouled in the act of shooting. Gets the bucket anyway. So, a three-point play chance for him. And with the lead, I like the strategy here, continue to get the ball to guys who can do something with it. One thing we’ve learned in the NBA, the game is never over. So, you’ve got to continue to score, continue to build your lead. Find the length. Find the length. Well, [Applause] [Music] Rethrow good. Reeds. The Cavaliers trail by 12. [Music] Ball the best and eight. Oh boy. A lot of contact there, but he gets the call and he’ll shoot two. Well, who says this isn’t a contact sport? Larry Nance taking the initiative to draw the foul. Nice. It’s his first trip to the line. [Music] That one is off. You know, even though Larry Nance doesn’t handle it on every possession, you can expect him to be a factor on the defensive end and on the glass. [Music] Good on the second free throw. Two minutes now played in the second quarter. [Music] SM with the ball. Reeves outside. A three. Hunter grabs the miss. The Cavaliers trail by 11. Stress in the corner. Floats it up there for Moley. Smart with the steel and here’s the fast break. Here’s Hayes and he gets the whistle. Two free throws coming up. And really the defense fouling there to prevent the layup, but that’s exactly what you need to do. Lakers shooting their fifth and six free throws of the game. Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. [Music] And he can’t get the first one. [Music] And the second free throw. Good. And a little under two and a half minutes gone by here in the second quarter. Smart against ball. Now here’s Hunter. He’s going closer and there just through activity. Hunter keeps the pressure on the defense. The Cavaliers have gone two of four at the free throw line. And if we want to take a look back, they converted about 76% from the line. The first free throw is good. An athletic forward with with a versatile skill set. Hunter has also proven he can come up big in big moments. [Music] And both free throws good for Hunter. An efficient night from the line. This is a guy who puts in the work and it pays dividends. Reeves against Roose. And that’ll be two free throws coming up. Officials on the call with the foul. Los Angeles shooting their seventh and eighth attempts at the foul line tonight. [Music] Shooting two. [Music] The first free throw is good. [Music] And that one goes in. Two from the line that time. And so it’s Ball who brings the ball up for Cleveland. Down by 12. Pass to Hunter. Now here’s Stru. Here’s Mobley. And it finally drops after rolling around the rim. Mobly’s got five now. Okay. Quick shooting from the big fella. Mobly knocking in the jumper. Strus against Reeves. [Music] Shoots over Stru and the Lakers with another miss. Well, they’ll be happy with that look even though it didn’t fall. I think expect them to go back to it because that’s the kind of shot this offense is designed to generate. And that replay showed just how forceful that block was. And boy did he get up quick to reject that shot. That’s as fundamental as defense gets. And the Lakers making a change here. James has checked in and Cleveland also making a change. Darwin has checked in for ball and Kenny Atkinson calls timeout here. He wants a minute here to get things straightened out with his team. [Music] [Music] [Music] Heat up here. [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Reeves against truce outside Garland and the lead is down inside single digits. Garland’s got seven points in the game. Wow, a lot of distance on that jumper by Darius Garland. Nice. And last season, Max Duce hit that ridiculous 59footer. Remember that Dors? That was to beat the Mavericks. How could we forget that shot, Kevin? It was the second longest gamewinning buzzer beater in league history. And what gets overlooked, Strus was five for five from deep in the last few minutes of that game. It’s hauled in by Los Angeles. They’ve held a 12-point lead earlier. Aim kicks to LeBron. Pass to Smart to the paint. Nice ball move here by the Lakers. Los Angeles with another miss. The Cavaliers trail by seven. Hunter on the wing. Covered by LeBron. Outside Garland. Hunter with it. Over by LeBron. Four on the clock. Spruce. Passes to Hunter. Let’s go. rebounded by Smart and this is exactly what you have to do to stop him. That was a tremendous contest forcing the miss. [Music] Pass to Hatchet Murray. Now Hayes covered by Nance. Hayes the pass to Reeds. Trills the three-pointer. He’s got nine. Wow. You don’t see him left alone very often. And of course he makes good use of it. [Music] Moley outside. Spruce kicks to honor. Here’s Moley. Pass to Garland. Shoots the three. Missed that one. Still looking for a shot. Just two for nine. Lakers lead by 10. James in the high post. Here’s Hatchim. Mobley with the rebound. Moley’s got his sixth rebound on the night. Garland with it. Now guarded by Smart and it’s blocked and the ball goes out of bounds. Last touch by Garland. And with an update from the sidelines, let’s check in with David Aldridge. Kevin, thanks. Darius Garland, the son of former NBA player Winston Garland, said that he was a sponge growing up listening to his dad. He hung on every word about playing point guard. Darius says, “I learned the little things much quicker. You taught me at a young age to change gears to keep defenders off balance, Kevin. And he’s doing it. I love the tricks of the trade you just talked about. Thank you so much. Outside James shoots over Stru. James with the bucket. LeBron’s got the lead up to 12 now for the Lakers. Yeah, it’s very hard to guard LeBron James because he’s a threele scorer. Catches the defense off guard. just pulls up into that mid-range and Kenny Atkinson calls timeout here. He’s made the decision he wants to huddle up with his guys. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Smarts checked in for Los Angeles. Then for the Cavaliers, NY’s checked in for mobile. And Donna Mitchell subbed in for Max Truce. [Music] [Music] Now here’s Nance covered by Hayes. [Music] Garland against Smart. It’s rebounded by Gonic and he has definitely been struggling in this quarter and you know what they keep calling his number and they’re simply trying to get him out of this funk. Smart finds Dunes [Music] Ball with the rebound. The Cavaliers trail by 12 outside Garland. He’s looking for Mitchell and finds him. He gets it in there and that’s now 21 points for Donovan Mitchell. This is exactly where Donovan Mitchell wants to be. This guy knows how to finish strong inside. The Lakers moving the ball around [Music] to Smart out to Donic. Five on the clock. The triple. Donic. Well, Luca Donic on the receiving end of a quality pass. We usually see him with the ball. Garland dishes to now here’s Garland guarded by Smart. Garland no good. Lakers lead by 13. Smart with the ball. James looking around with a screen on both. And it’s LeBron missing. Cleveland’s gone two of four from three-point range so far in the second quarter. [Music] Balls. That’s a screen for Mitchell. [Music] The three-pointer is off the mark. Lakers shooting 13% in the second quarter. The offense has looked crossed up and James flushes in the alleyoop. Amazing. Even a little bit offtarget. LeBron knows how to finish the alley. They could use a big shot here to get this offense going. Too many empty possessions right now. They need the basket. Harland with it now guarded by Smart for three. Mitchell. The rebound by James. Here are the Lakers. Big stretch here. Gone 102 kicks to Smart. Pass to Hayes. [Music] James in the post covered by Mitchell and James gets it to go on the assist by Hayes. A monster down low. LeBron James the rare package of skill, size, and athleticism. Now Mitchell fires the three again. Mitchell missing. Lakers lead by 17. Outside game uses the glass to finish the layer. Both runs got eight points here in this quarter. Getting it done on both ends and it shows up in the score. Well, what I love is the energy they’re bringing right now. They’re ignoring the scoreboard and playing hard. Inside deflects the pass. pass to Hayes and that one clearly a foul. Gets the whistle and two shots coming up. That one on Nance. You know, I love how he absorbs the foul and still had a chance to knock that one down. This is his second trip to the line in this one. And you know, you’ll take what he can give you from the free throw line. Looking at his numbers, just really not one of his strengths. Shooting in the low 60s last season. That free throw no good. Austin Reeves is checked in for Marcus Smart. Jared Allen’s checked in for the Cavaliers. Evan Mobley comes in for Lonzo Ball. [Music] [Music] And he sinks the second and the Cavaliers with possession here. Garland the pass to Moy to the inside and it’s missing. No matter what looks they get, they just can’t convert to stop this run. And I think you can start to feel their frustration mounting. With every missed bucket, it becomes more and more desperate. And there is a whistle. And that’s going to go on Jackson Hayes. That’s foul number two for him. And that kind of stifling effort on defense needs another look. And guys, don’t think twice about attempting that shot again. That was a big time rejection. Los Angeles making a switch here. Eightton’s checked in. The Cavaliers trail by 20. [Music] 136 left in the first half of the game. Mitchell against Reeves. Out of bounds. The Lakers will take possession. When it comes to the games elite scores, Doris, Donovan Mitchell is certainly on that list. Kevin, there’s no question about it. He’s a proven playoff performer, a natural leader who doesn’t mind a team leaning into his scoring ability. And the beauty is he can do it in a lot of different ways. Donic, nice jump shot from the top of the key. Donic has got five points now this quarter. Boy, Luca Donuch makes it look easy. What a pretty jumper. Holy wide open. That’s good. And it’s Garland with the assist. Garland’s got three assists in the game. Donic dishes to LeBron. Aton in the high post. Plenty of room to knock down the shot. Eighton’s got six points. Those guys so effective. DeAndre Aton will take the mid-range if you concede it. Back to Garland. Shoots from the elbow and he gets it to go. He’s got nine. Great finish. What a setup. Terrific ball movement there. Pass to Hatchim. Hunter against James. Eight. A screen on Hunter. Over Hunter. And it’s LeBron missing. The Cavaliers trail by 19. [Music] Now Hunter. [Music] Allen at the screen for Hunter. Another three for Cleveland. And so it’s LeBron James making things happen for the Lakers. He’s at the quarter century mark. 25 points for him in this game as they have looked to him over and over to make things happen. And now we’ll send it over to David Aldrich who is standing by Corsant. David, thanks a lot. LeBron, are you getting the ball where you want to get it? Is that helping you score? Um, I’m very pleased with my individual performance right now, but uh, you know, not so pleas, you know, how I’m trying to, you know, help our teammates. You know, I got to do a better job. We’re trying to get our teammates in the boat as well as keep myself in a good mood, too. So, uh, hopefully I can do a better job of that. We’ll see how it goes. Thanks, LeBron. Back to you, Kevin. Thanks so much, Dave, for the great interview. Don’t go away, folks. We’ll be back for the second half of basketball right after this. [Music] [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] And after a very lopsided first half, we’ll see if things play out a little more evenly here in the second. It has been a clinic out there by James. No problems fighting his way to the rim in this one. a lot of points in close and part of that has to do with his mindset. He has been looking to push the action at every opportunity and he has been in attack mode all night. And so in the game for the Cavaliers, a lot of length inside. It’s Mobley and Allen in the post. A loaded back court. It’s Garland and Mitchell. And it’s Hunter in it. The small forward. Just five to shoot. Back to Garland. No good from outside. And so James will bring it up for Los Angeles. And two is their biggest lead. Here’s Hatchim. And foul on the shot. He’ll shoot two at the free throw line. that one on Moy. Well, you know, Ruie wants to score it. He will not retreat in the face of some tough defense. Nicely done. The Lakers have shot 70% from the free throw line tonight. Seven for 10. [Music] [Applause] [Music] And the first one at the line is good. Rui Hachimura, a guy who’s willing to slot into whatever position the team needs him and works hard to help out on every single play. You love the hustle and the attitude. [Music] Mariah. Here’s Garland. Mobley outside. Garland with a screen for Moley. Pass to Hunter. A free ball. Six to shoot. The Lakers with the rebound. Le Brown. That’s a two-pointer. Hunter grabs the miss. The Cavaliers trail by 18. [Music] Garland finds Mitchell. Allen. A screen on Reeves. And here’s Mitchell from the AR. It’s hauled in by Los Angeles. Payton’s got rebound number 10 tonight with that last one. Reeves against Mitchell. LeBron James on the wing. [Music] Evan Mobley with the rebound. Moley’s got rebound number eight here tonight from the game. with the steel and block. That one goes to off the glass. Seven ft. Sneaking shots past Mr. Moley is not easy. Send it back, Evan. And here’s the fast break. No one near Donic as he lets it fly on the wing. Donic [Music] good. And the assist goes to James. James has got his fourth assist in this one. And buckets like that have been hard to come by. Not the most exciting game. Both sides look way off in terms of their shooting. Well, you have to appreciate the defensive battle for sure. Both squads struggling on the offensive end. We call this grit and grind. Just five on the clock. Once again, off the mark by Cleveland. Yeah, but the defense was determined not to give him an inch of free space. Here’s Reeves again. sent back by Allen. But Jared Allen, a rim protector at its finest. What a heat block. Cleveland’s gotten off to a very slow start from three-point range in the second half. They’re 0 for four. And Kenny Atkinson calls timeout here. He wants to check in with his team and regroup. [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Three minutes gone now in the third quarter. Garland finds Moley. Mobley. A screen on LeBron. Loads it up there for Moley and stolen by Eaton. Hunter against James. Missile blows. Basket is good. So, our chance here for a three-point play. This is superior strength by James. Even when the defense roughs him up, he’s more than capable of playing through them. It’s amazing. This trip is his second to the free throw line in this one. and his percentage at the line last season right at the 75% mark. [Music] [Music] Free throw good. games. And here is Garland. Nine points in the game so far. Mitchell outside looking it over. [Music] Back to Mitchell. Six on the shot clock. Shot to stop the run. And it’s Aiden with the rebound. And so it’s Himura who brings up the ball for the Los Angeles Lakers. They haven’t given up any points here in the second half. Boy, you have to be impressed with the offensive production. They have got it firing on all cylinders. And at this point, it is their game to lose. They’ve done such a good job building the lead. Here’s Mitchell. It’s good. Mitchell’s got 23. And how about how he sets his man up there, runs him right into the screen, and then gets the basket. When Donovan Mitchell, Greg, is on the floor. He is the offense. Yeah. And that goes beyond just his ridiculous scoring. It gets overlooked that he’s also a skilled passer. So, one way or another, Mitchell is finding points out there on the pass to Allen. that shot off. Some solid defense from Eightton. Cartland against Donic. Pass to Reeves. LeBron with it. Back to Reeves. Down low. Here’s Eightton. The Cavaliers pull it in. Ellen’s got four rebounds now tonight. Some tough offensive sets. They want to turn it around. Yeah, right now you just need a bucket to get some momentum. I’ll tell you, this has not been his game and he’s making it worse with shot selection like that. Lakers passing it around. Mass to Aiden. [Music] Reeves outside over Mitchell 11 ft out and he hits it. Reeves has got 11 points. Well, this is a multi-skilled big man. And DeAndre Aton’s passing better than you think it is. Mitchell finds Hunter. Mobley sets the pick for Hunter. Kicks it out to Garland. [Applause] Back to Hunter. Here is Mobley. And another miss by Cleveland. And he didn’t punish them for the weak coverage there, but they can’t count on him to continue missing. Gunic. No good. Yeah, and he had the detangled up there with that patented crossover. Just couldn’t convert the finish. [Music] James against Allen. And it’s James missing. Boy, if you’re going up against this guy in this close a range, you’ve got to defend with everything you’ve got. A tremendous job defensively. Allen kicks to Hunter to the middle. Here’s Moley. It’s held in by Los Angeles. James has got four rebounds in this game. Here’s Hachimura. And a lot of contact on that one. So, he’ll shoot two here. And you can see what makes Hachimura a tough cover. He can beat you with finesse. And also, he can bring the hard hat. And let’s take a moment, guys, to get your take on the scoring so far for Los Angeles. They’ve been playing some really physical offense, just attacking the paint as much as possible. And I tell you what, they have been very successful with that strategy. Well, I also noticed, guys, how much they move the ball in this one, selfless, willing to pass the ball to a teammate with a better look. And that one falls for Hachimura. Max Truce has checked in for the Cavaliers. [Music] He’s off on the second and here are the Cavaliers now. Fires the three. That’s good. And it’s Garland with the assist. Struus has got himself on the board with three there. Darius Garland playing the role of ball distributor to perfection. Pretty pass. Here’s Donic. One points in the game. The stupendous finish in traffic. Donic has got five points in the quarter. Just another hoham. Brilliant offensive performance from Luca Donic. pass to Stru to Garland. Oh, good with the triple. Sometimes you just have an off day and this is one of those games for him. Garland against Hatchima. James sets the screen for Hatchimal. Pass to Aton from downtown. The three-pointer is right on target. Hachimura’s got six. Just solid with the jump shot. Hachimura helps your offense in a number of ways. In that case, spacing the floor. Mitchell against Reeves. Mitchell shot is good. Mitchell’s got 25 points in the game. How about that move? You’ll see very few players able to pull off. Just sensational stuff. Bounce pass from Reeds. Here’s LeBron. Moy with the rebound. Moley’s got 10 rebounds here tonight. So active. Mitchell dishes to Moy. All sorts of time. Rebounded by Deandry. And it’s the Lakers ball. They’re on a 20 to7 run. Puts it up from seven and Kic finishes inside. 25 points in the game. And no surprise here, right? This guy is not only a gifted player, but he is so smart on the offensive end. Mitchell wide open, gets a very good look and converts. 27 points for Donovan Mitchell. You love how confident Donovan Mitchell is on the catch and shoot opportunities. There’s no hesitation [Music] against Moley. [Music] Here’s Donic up and in on the way. Donic has got nine points now in just the second half. Big miscommunication on defense. He recognizes it and quickly takes advantage. And that’s typical of this guy. He’s always reading the situation, reacting quickly, and capitalizing. And the rejection by Eaton. Outstanding shot blocker, DeAndre Aton off his feet in a hurry to send it back. That one goes. Count it. Good job attacking. Those restricted area shots are what every NBA team is looking for. Allen. A screen on Reeves. The drive by Mitchell and the rejection by Eaton. Pass to Reeds. Back to Donic. And they call the foul. So a chance at the line for one more coming up. Boy, and the foul. Donic has got great upper body strength. completes the play. Nicely done. It’s hard to believe, but Luca Donuch is still in his mid20s. Doris, does he even have a ceiling? That is the question, Kevin. And I’m not sure he does because in the first part of his career, he’s been all NBA consistently. And we’re talking first team multiple times. He’s averaged over 30 in a season. I don’t think there is a ceiling, Kevin. Luca Donic started off his 2024 Doris with a historic scoring performance. He sure did, Kevin. He was only the fourth player in league history to score over 72 points in a game. It was the shooting performance of a lifetime. And Luca just takes it all in stride. Incredible. [Music] Strus finds Merrill. Can they get it? Trains the three-pointer. Merryill’s got himself going there. His first points of the game on the deep ball. Well, the defense deserves to get burned. Absolutely no excuse for leaving him open. Here’s Dic and two free throws coming up. Unable to get that one to go with all the content. The understated part of Luca Donic’s game, his strength. He is going to draw contact and usually make it. He’s gone one of one in the game so far from the line. [Music] [Music] And he makes the first. Boy, Luca’s strength, his size, his savvy puts him at the free throw line so often. DeAndre Hunter, he’s checked in for Sam Merrill. [Music] And he makes both free throws. Well, Cleveland shooting has been a little ragged, just 38% from the field. And it’s Hunter with the jam. And boy, when Hunter’s aggressive, good things seem to happen for him and his team. Smart deciding where to go with it on the wing. Nice. [Music] Five to shoot. A baseline check. Evan Mobley with the rebound. Moley’s got 11 rebounds in the game. Pass to Nance for three. A rebound by the Lakers. 16 seconds left to play here in the third. Smart passes to Donic. [Music] Eighton a screen on Streus. And here’s Tonic from the arc. And he’s been a force on the glass all game long. A lot of it comes down to great fundamentals, establishing position early, controlling the backboards. And at the end of the third quarter, a huge lead in this one may already have been decided. Lakers ahead just dominating this one. And we’re just moments away from the start of the fourth quarter. Stay with us. And how about a look now at our assist of the game brought to you by State Farm. And the winner today, the big fella here with the sweetest of dimes. What a plus it is to have a post player who’s got this ability to find. Well, we have some elite passing big men in the NBA. And you love that skill. Wow. And there have been two very different performances from these teams today. As we get going in quarter number four, Jared Vanderbilt out there with Connect. Then there’s Smart. Then it’s Gabe Vincent. And it’s Hayes at the five down low. That’s who’s in the game for the Lakers. Garland. The pass to Hunter. Back to Ball. Three-pointer. Good on the three-point shot. Ball’s got his first bucket of the game and he’s on the board for three. And Ball has tremendous confidence in that shot. As soon as the pass hits his hands, he’s ready to pull up. Vanderbilt with the screen. Smart wide open. He fires. Another shot and the tote by Vanderbilt. Impossible to stop the footback when he’s got that kind of position. Agreed, Brain. Let him get his hands on it inside and finish it off. How about the activity level, the effort level? This team right now feeding off his energy. Back to Smart. It’s deflected. Paul slams it in. Ball finishes with power. Not just going for the layup. Solid at throwing it down deep inside. Smart passes to Hayes. Pass to Vincent. Here’s connect. Defended by Strus. Back to Vincent. Pocket two. 18 ft out. It’s rebounded by Cleveland. Hunter’s got his fourth rebound with that last one here tonight. Harland kicks to Hunter. A rebound by the Lakers. Hayes has got six rebounds now in the game. Benson with it. [Music] Vanderbilt a screen on Garland. Latrey gets the three-point fall. Vincent’s got himself going with the triple. His first basket of the game. [Music] Just under two and a half minutes gone here in the final quarter. Vanderbilt against Hunter. No good that time. LA’s gone one and two from three-point range here in the fourth. Smart against Paul. Now here’s Smart. Fires from 14 and he can’t bank that one in. Cavaliers have gone two of four from the field since we started the final quarter of play. outside. Garland got a piece of it. I’ll tell you, don’t forget about Marcus Smart’s vertical. Twice on the pipes. Rejects that shot. Some nice passing here by Los Angeles. Here’s Vincent. Hits the target from 18 ft. Wow, what a pass there. He made that a very easy basket with that setup. They need a bucket in a big way here to regain some confidence. Ball the pass to Garland. And here’s Nance. Covered by Hayes. Nance dishes to Garland looking to get it going. Yep, it counts. Well, if you were a point guard like Darius Garland at his size, you’ve got to be able to get into that mid-range bag. Very well done. Smart kicks to Vanderbilt to the paint. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. That free throw no good for the Cavaliers. Jared Allen’s checked in for Nance. Oh boy comes in for Max Struce and Donovan Mitchell subbed in for Garland. [Music] And he’s good on the second for Cleveland. They’ve gone three of six from the field so far in the fourth quarter. Moy the pass to Allen. Lob there for Allen. Hayes with the steel. Pass to Vincent. [Music] Now Vanderbilt over to the left wing. Connect with it. Covered by Mitchell. Down to five on the shot clock. Fires away from outside. Mobley with the rebound. Cavaliers shooting just 39% from the field. Struggling to find that net. And it’s Bull in the corner. Moy outside. It’s good. The assist that time from Ball. Ball’s got three assists now in this one. Los Angeles has gone one to three from outside the arc since we’ve reached the fourth quarter. Bass to Vanderbilt. Here’s Smart. Makes it off the glass. Well, if there’s any player in the league who relishes contact, it’s Marcus Smart. You want to play physical? Oh, yeah. I like that. Moy outside. Mitchell with it. Allen at the screen for Mitchell. [Music] He can’t get it to go. Lakers have gone. 4-10 here in the final period. Not the time to go cold. And connect slams it in. Rising up. Dalton. Connect. And it’s Mitchell with the ball for the Cleveland Cavaliers. [Music] outside ball. Allen a screen arm smart inside and then Allen slams it in. Well, Jared Allen has length and athleticism and that’s an easy opportunity. Wow. Ball against Smart. Pass to Hayes. connect with it outside. Smart knocks down the three ball. It’s great seeing Marcus Smart drain these perimeter jump shots. You know, he’s put in the time to let that offense become a natural part of his game. Moy finds Mitchell trying to answer back, but that three is off the mark. Lakers have gone six of 12 from the field here in the fourth and even 50%. Connect no good. Cavaliers have gone five of 10. 50% from the field. Smart against Ball. Moy as screen on Smart. There’s Ball with the three. It’s rebounded by Hayes. Hayes has got nine rebounds in the game. Getting it done. Pass to Vincent. [Music] Vanderbilt a screen on Mitchell. Lets the free fly. It’s rebounded by Cleveland. Allen’s got rebound number seven for him tonight. Wound up there for Allen. Hayes with the steel. Here’s Vincent. He’s covered by ball outside. Smart. Some nice passing here by Los Angeles [Music] now. Connect. Five on the clock. Pass to Vincent. Lets it go from deep. Hits the three-point bomb. Vincent’s got nine points in the corner. He’s just stretching him out. The defense has got to do a better job of staying attached to him. Well, you know this. This is a guy who is looking for his shot the whole time. You have to know who you’re guarding. KY, know your personnel. Hunter kicks to Mitchell. Lets it fly from 18. Bucket is good. Mitchell’s got 29 in the game. See what a good feel for what the defense is conceding. Donovan Mitchell very willing to get to that mid-range jumper. Smart against ball. Smart misses. Cleveland’s gone two of five on three-point shots since the end of the third quarter. And all you got to do is look at the rebounding margin as to why they hold the lead. Well, they’ve absolutely dominated that category in this one. And it’s reflected in the score. Well, hit a man in stride. That is a textbook delivery, guys. They’re looking for a way to score here. Yeah, they’ve had a tough time taking the lid off. Los Angeles has gone beyond the arch seven times here in the fourth and been successful three times. Pass to Vanderbilt. The fade away. Jared Allen grabs the miss. Allen’s got nine rebounds now tonight. Ball the pass to Mitchell. Now Hunter. Now Mobley defended by Vincent. And here’s Mitchell from the arc. Here’s Mobley. And good work on the board as they pick up the second chance points. Mobly’s got five points in the quarter. They’re making this a runaway. And the only question for me right now is just how big the lead will eventually become. Pass to Hayes. Here’s Vincent over Mitchell. Vincson misses on the wing. Mitchell rebounded by Smart. And it’s really a tail of two quarters. Shot it so well in the last, but this one can’t get anything to fall. And here is Vanderbilt. Two free throws coming up and they call the shooting foul. [Music] that free throw missing. The Lakers making a switch here. Lori is checked in. Darwin has checked in for the Cavaliers. [Music] No good at the strike this time. Second misses. Also, now Cleveland shooting here in the fourth quarter around 41%. Well guys, this was never really a contest, just a total obliteration, if you will. You can safely say mission accomplished now for Los Angeles. And this was one that never really was intoubaround dominant performance. And you kind of thought that maybe even going into the game. Yeah, there was a sense of that in me. They they just pretty much blew them right out of the water. A clinic was put on display here today. And one of the key components to this victory, if not the biggest, was the incredible performance for Luca Donic. Just an outpouring of points from him. Nobody could do much to keep him from dropping it in. How smoothly does Donovan Mitchell get into that jump shot? Boy, it is so pure. Pass to Smart. [Music] Vanderbilt gets a wide open look. misses the three. Well, he tries to answer with a three of his own and can’t do it. You can’t get caught up in the one-on-one aspect. Vanderville with the steal, guys. They can just sit on the ball here if they want to. They have earned this win. Smart on the wing guarded by Garland. Left side. smart. So, it’s Los Angeles winning this one easily. It was a total of two teams tonight. One that was in total control, operating flawlessly, the other just searching for answers that they could never find. I mean, the energy here is just so tremendous. Fans involved from the get-go. And once they started to really pour it on, it was fun to see that rhythm and flow from their perspective. And now, let’s check in with David Aldridge reporting from the sideline for our player of the game. David, take it away. Thanks, Kevin. Luca, you played well and you got the win. So, what made the difference? Yeah, I think we had a had a great game. You know, we had a I think it was a great game today. You know, we step up together, play good defense, and it was a great win. Thanks for your time, man. Appreciate it. Kevin, back to you. Thank you, David. Well folks, that’s going to do it for now. For Greg Anthony, Doris Burke, and David Aldridge, this is Kevin Harland. Thanks for tuning in. And now we present the player of the game, Luca Donuch. [Music]
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