NBA LIVE! Cleveland Cavaliers vs Los Angeles Lakers I December 9, 2025 | Lakers vs Cavaliers 2K26
Well, guys, dramatic progress. He’s highly skilled. Ally, thank you. So, let’s take a look at the Los Angeles Lakers starting lineup. We’ve got LeBron James. He’s out there with Rui Aimura. DeAndre Aiden is out there with Luca Donuch. And it’s Reeves in at the shooting guard position. And for the Cavaliers, the lengthy pair of Mobly and Allen are together inside. Darius Garland is out there with Mitchell. And it’s Hunter in at the three. And for the Lakers, Clark, the last decade, they haven’t been as impressive. Well, you know, BA, there’s a reason for that. They’ve missed more playoff games in the last decade than the franchise’s entire existence. And a lot of it has been due to injuries. There’s no lack of talent. LeBron took on the challenge, bringing the championship in the 1920 season, but last year did not turn out as they were expecting, and a big part of it was injuries and really trying to adjust to new personnel. [Applause] to the middle. Here’s Garland. Nice dish and the layup goes down. Just taking it right to the rim and no one was there to greet him. Well, this early they should be showing a lot more energy on defense. It’s not there. Now here’s Hachimura. Donic outside. Pass to Reeves. Five to shoot over Hunter. Shot is good by Reeves. And hitting from the mid-range here and early, I mean, really gives the defense just another thing to worry about. Well, they better be thinking about him. I mean, we know how dangerous he is. Here’s Mitchell. Second chance effort and the shot counts. He’s fouled and it’s a chance for a three-point play. Not to be denied there. Allen playing hard. A little contact not going to bother. And we’re expecting an intense battle in the front court tonight, Grant. Both teams with a lot of talent in those positions. You know, BA, it’ll be an interesting matchup here with the talent and size of their front court. It should make this game extra challenging for these squads. They can’t just count on being the dominant force down low. They’ll have to get a little creative. [Applause] [Applause] And after a few seasons of anemic offense, the Cavs have finally started to turn things around. Yes, they have. And they made a big step forward. Now, there’s a nice balance to their offense. Now, here’s Hachimura. Here’s Donic. The rebound by Allen. Boy, he’s got to be disappointed in the result there. I mean, the defender really didn’t make any impact at all. And just around a minute and a half into this first quarter, here’s James. That one falls. Great setup by Donic. How about this combination? Strength of a center and guard skills. LeBron James remains the game’s most difficult wing to defend inside. Now here’s Moley. Garland for three. Lays out and it’s out of bounds. Last touch by Garland. Donic against Garland. Pass to Reeves. No good there. And it’s Cleveland the other way. Here’s Mitchell. [Applause] Rebound by the Lakers. A rare miss for him at point blank range. That’s one he’d like to have back. [Applause] Now, if you’re just tuning in, we played about two and a half minutes here in the first. Down to five on the shot clock. Pass to Aimura. Oh, the go-ahehead bucket. No good. The Cavaliers have gone two of six to open up this game. Shoots from 12. Here’s Garland. And another shot and the foul is called. He missed it. So he’s got a couple of free throws coming his way. That one on Donic. [Music] [Applause] Take a break. Take a break. Two shots. First free throw is good. You know guys, I don’t think too many people expected the resurgence we saw from the Cavs last season. It started with their defense. Garland hits them both. Well, in terms of their D, the Cavs have gone from one of the softer teams in the league to one of the toughest. Well, think about this. I mean, they’re a young team. They play with tremendous energy, and we see that in the way they get after it on defense. Here’s Reeves. to the left wing. There’s the triple. The rebound by Donovan Mitchell. And the defense got away with one there. I mean, that’s the shot he typically makes. Hunter passes to Garland. And there’s the lob. And Moy throws it down. Woo. I just love that alley hoop slam. Defense disorganized, defense pays. Boy, I tell you what, guys. This is really getting close to being real ugly. Now, here is James. Here’s Aiden. Drops in the layup for two. I mean, come on. A sevenfooter with a 75 wingspan. Aiden beats everyone to the ball and converts easily. And it’s Mitchell the miss. Oh man, he can’t get anything to fall. You can feel his frustration. And he’s got to find other ways to contribute then because his shot making is not happening right now. Now here’s Aiden. Oh, and there’s the whistle on the shot. So, two free throws for him coming up. Yeah. What I appreciate about Aiden is that he wants to keep getting better. You have to be excited about his future. Heat. Heat. [Applause] And he makes a first. [Applause] And he can’t hit the second for Cleveland. They’ve gone only three for nine from the floor. Left side Hunter. Rebounded by LeBron. The Lakers trail. Donic. So, it’ll be two free throws. He was fouled in the act of shooting. He’ll pin that one on Jared Allen. Look at Luca playing hard, which is always the way he goes. Hits a foul, but keeps pushing and takes his shot. Playing through contact. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] That free throw no good. Luca Donic is a doit all player. I mean, he does everything for this team, including being a walking triple double threat on a gameby-game basis. [Music] [Applause] and he’s good on the second. The Cavaliers leading outside Mitchell. [Applause] Back to Garland. Mitchell finds Garland. Here’s Mobley. The Lakers with a rebound. Here’s Reeves. And that misses. That would have put him up. Boy, I’m absolutely shocked he didn’t get that one to go. Usually he’s money from deep. [Applause] Donic against Garland. Good D by Donic. And for the Lakers, they’re shooting 33% on the first. First quarter pass to Aimura [Applause] and we’re going to have a jump ball. And here are the Cavaliers. Now here’s Cleveland outside Hunter. Pass to Mobley. Goes up from the block and the basket. Good. A bank shot that time. Moley’s gotten his second bucket. Boy, at the offensive end, his game is so impressive. I mean, he’s a threat every time up the floor and stolen by Moley from deep Mitchell and the basket’s good off the assist from Garland. This is Mitchell at his best. Such an aggressive score. Always ready to shoot as soon as he catches it. Here’s Reeves [Music] out to James. Just five on the clock and he can’t get that one. And for the Cavaliers, they’re shooting just 36% here in the first quarter. [Applause] Mitchell, the pass to Hunter. Back to Mitchell. And Mitchell with the slam and a 6′ three. Mitchell gets high up there for those slams. I love that he didn’t settle for the layup on that play. Time called here. The Lakers decide to talk it over. And Grant Donovan Mitchell where is the number 45. Not one we see a lot of in the NBA. That’s true, BA. But Donovan’s got a good reason to wear it. Paying homage to Michael Jordan. Mitchell said growing up everyone always took 23. So he went to MJ’s return number 45. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] [Music] Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Strus. He’s checked in for the Cavaliers. Well, the Lakers shooting an unremarkable 30%. 10 in the first. Aimura outside. [Applause] This James on the wing. Will it go? Good D by Moley. You know, using his size advantage there to rip down that board in traffic and he lobbs it up to the rim. Stress the pass to Moy over James and there’s a whistle. He’ll head to the line to shoot two. And a moment here to take a look at the scoring breakdown for the Cavaliers. Everything working for them inside so far, guys. Tons of high quality shots that they’re knocking down inside. And I just love playing on teams like this. Passing teams. You can tell they really like playing with each other. And hopefully they keep this up. The first free throw is good. A different look for Cleveland. Wade, he’s checked in for Donovan Mitchell. And it’s ball in for Darius Garland. And the Lakers also making a change. Vanderbilts checked in for James. [Applause] And both free throws good for Moy. Really always a plus to have a big guy stroke it from the line like that. The soft touch on full display. [Applause] [Music] Smart outside. Oh, and again unable to change momentum here. Pass the ball. Jacks up a three. It’s Hayes with the rebound. Boy, they need something to go to regain some confidence. No question. Way too many empty possessions for them. Here’s ABC [Applause] releases. They grab their own miss and finished off by Hayes. Oh, nothing soft about that. Was not going to be denied. just took the dunk that was right in front of him. Well, you know, if nobody’s going to put a body on him, then that’s going to be the result. Now, here’s Allen. Oh, poked away. Vanderbilt with it. Strus covering and it’s ABC missing. A perfect example of how to protect the rim. And you know guys, I love his fight and grit on the interior. I mean, he never lets a shot go uncontested. [Music] Smart against ball. Smart passes to Aimura. Now Hayes. [Applause] Pass to ABC. [Applause] The rebound by Allen. Allen’s got his fifth rebound in this one. Here’s Wade guarded by Vanderbilt. Now here’s Smart. Boy, he’s been patient so far. Nothing yet on the scoreboard. Not an easy rebound at all. But when you win that kind of battle, it gets your blood pumping. Now here’s Paul. Eight-point game. And it’s Allen who slams it home. Boy, Allen always a threat, especially when you give him room to run. He’s capable of banging it home. Time called here. Los Angeles decides to talk it over. Yeah. Hoping to tap into something that’ll get them clicking. Yeah. And you know, that’s going to be the focus of this timeout. They need to come up with a spark to get the offense going. [Music] Heat. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Heat. [Music] [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Merrill. He’s checked in for Allen. And the Lakers with possession here, trailing by 10. [Applause] Vanderbilt the pass to Aimura. And Max Streus picks up the foul. That’s his first foul. Tough break for the defense. I mean, he took the hit, but he didn’t get the call. Yeah, but he was late to get there, so the referee couldn’t give him a free pass on that one. And what a phenomenal replay of that impressive rejection. You know, you can’t ask for any better defense than that. He responded so fast to the shooter and it stifled him. [Applause] Smart against ballot. The ball’s knocked loose. Clock at six. And there’s the foul. It’s on Jackson Hayes. That’s his first foul of the game. [Music] And the Cavs shooting only 37% early. [Applause] And they call an illegal screen here. The screener was leaning a bit right there. His feet may not have been planted. Pretty obvious call by the officials. Yeah, I agree. You know, sometimes that can be a tough call for the refs to make, but not that time. It was easy there. Allen, he’s checked in for Cleveland. And for Los Angeles, they’re shooting pretty low at 24% in this first quarter. Smart outside down low. Vanderbilt. And they’re going to count that bucket and they’ll send him to the line. It could be a three-point play. Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] The Cavaliers leading [Applause] outside Strus pass to Merrill. Here’s Wade outside. Stress now Allen. He’s defended by Hayes. A kick out to ball. Two on the clock. Off target from outside. A minute 20 left to play in the first quarter. Here’s ABC. But no scoring yet from but that’s likely to change. Machimura against Struce. [Music] And two free throws coming up as the whistle blows. He barely missed that one. Exactly. The defense determined not to allow the easy layup right there. They’ll settle for making him earn the free throws. Shooting two. And he knocks down the first one. So he gets them both. The Lakers trail. Aimura outside. Pass to ABC. [Applause] And here’s Smart. [Applause] Six to shoot. Oh, and he got fouled on his way up. He’ll head to the line to shoot two. [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] That one misses. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Applause] He hits the second from the line. [Music] [Applause] Well, the Cavaliers shooting only 35% so far in this quarter. Outside Strus back to ball out to the wing. Outside Streus. Pass to Allen. Shot clock at six. Here’s Ball over. Smart. Will not go. Misses off the front iron. Here’s ABC. Yep, that one’s good. Good execution. They’re getting some short range looks here. Right side streus over Ashimura. [Applause] And that concludes the first quarter play. [Music] [Applause] The Cavaliers on top up six. Don’t go anywhere folks. We’ll be back in a moment. [Applause] [Music] And thanks again for tuning in. If you’re just joining us, we played through one quarter of action so far. And what stands out to you from the Cavaliers in this one? Well, it looks like hitting the boards hard was an emphasis of their attack. They knew how valuable it was to do so. Yeah, and you know, when a team establishes an edge on the glass early, it really sets things up for the rest of the game. So many incredible players. Clark, what elite talent really takes your breath away. Is it passing or shooting handles or maybe those high-flying dunkers? Yeah, for me, I think it’s seeing the game and that goes back to passing. Being able to see a play or so ahead that really excites me because not the not many players can do that. Scoring, you got a bunch of guys that can do that. Athleticism is actually 13 to a dozen in today’s NBA. So, I like the vision and passing as the skill that most excites me. Jared Allen out there with DeAndre Hunter. Then there’s Mitchell. Then it’s Darius Garland. And it’s Strus in at the three. So that’s who’s on the floor for the cab. [Applause] One shot. [Applause] That’s good from Donic. Garland with the ball outside. Strus. [Applause] Pass to Mitchell. Here’s the three. Counted from distance. Mitchell’s got eight. It does a lot for their spacing when Mitchell’s draining threes. That’s what they want from him. He can really open things up for their bigs inside. Now here’s Donic. Here’s Reeves. It’s wide right. Hits off the rim. Well, the Cavaliers shooting 35% so far in this one inside. Here’s Hunter. Uses the glass on the layup. And now it’s an eight-point Cavaliier lead. They’re punishing those late defensive rotations, getting good looks inside throughout the half. Fantastic replay we just saw of the Mobile One drive. Yeah, staying with it and looking to expand this margin. Hardnos takes like that will certainly help. Here’s ABC [Applause] left side. Pass to ABC. Lets it go from deep. Cavaliers with a rebound. Garland’s got four rebounds in the game. [Music] Allen with it. James with the rebound. James has got his fourth rebound in this one. LeBron led the NBA in his assist during his 2020 title season with the Lakers becoming the second oldest player ever to lead the league in that category. Here’s Allen and that makes him three for four. He’s looking good. Boy, exhibiting toughness right there and persistence. Allen might have been fouled on that inside basket. Time called here. Los Angeles decides to talk it over. Man, that assist title for LeBron. An incredible accomplishment for someone of his size. Clark, I bet you didn’t know this, BA. Or maybe you did cuz you are a factoid machine, but the only player taller than LeBron to lead the league in the system. Wilt Chamberlain. When you throw in winning the bubble championship finals MVP, 2020 might have been LeBron’s finest season. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] The Cavaliers making a switch here. Moy’s checked in. We’re now about 2 minutes into the second quarter. Donic against Garland. Pass to James. They need this. Can’t hit that one. Hunter with some nice D and out of bounds. Los Angeles will have it. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Quarter two and just under two and a half minutes gone by. Here’s Donic. Good D by Moley. You know, I think the effort on defense there has everything to do with why he missed that shot. Well done, Hunter. Can’t get it to go. He did everything in his power to make that a hard shot. And you know what, guys? That will pump him up because he takes a ton of pride in what he does on defense. Now, here’s Hunter. 10-point lead. This is their biggest of the game. Pass to Mitchell. Outside Garland. Six on the shot clock. Oh, that’s going to be too many steps. Gets the whistle on the travel. They’re looking to trim the deficit to single digits. right there for three James. The Lakers with another miss. The Cavaliers have gone three of five since the beginning of the second. [Music] Now here’s Hunter. Not a lot of room. Garland. Pass to Hunter and he gets it to go. Hunter’s got four points now in the quarter. Pass to ABC. Here’s Reeves. [Applause] Pissed off the dr. And it’s ABC missing. The Cavaliers have gone four for six here on the S. Left side. Mitchell. That one no good. And for the Lakers, they’re shooting only 23% so far. Pass to Aiden [Music] to the inside and Donic with the jam. Fantastic decision making. Aiden electing to move it for the high percentage look. Now here’s Hunter. He’s covered closely and he got the whistle on the way up. So he’ll be headed to the line for a pair. [Music] [Applause] Take a break. Take a break. Two shot. [Music] [Applause] No good on that one. [Applause] And the second free throw is good. Here’s Donic. He has six. Pass to Reeves. Here’s ABC. [Applause] Looking to get it going. The Cavaliers pull it in. Moley’s got his seventh rebound here tonight. [Applause] Outside Mitchell. There’s the drive and he hits it from 9 ft. Mitchell’s got 10. Putting his athleticism to great use. When Mitchell takes the initiative, he’s hard to stop. Donic outside. Pass to Aiden. Ooh, stolen by Allen to the paint. And count the basket. He was fouled. And he’s going to the line for one more. The Lakers making a switch here. Aimura’s checked in. [Music] What’s up? [Applause] Any hope of coming back to win this game looks near impossible. I know the way things have gone so far. Hard to imagine. Plenty of daylight on that shot. When you play with Luca now, Donic, he’s ready to find you if you’re open. So, you’ve got to be ready to receive. [Applause] Garland finds Allen. And the ball is tied up. So we’ll have a jump ball and the Lakers have possession. Los Angeles shooting 27% in today’s game. Not good. Donic outside. Here’s Reeves and he’s going to the line for two. The officials saw contact while he was going up. It’s going to be Evan Mobley. Good man. The defender really went after him. Yeah, if you’re going to foul, then make sure that you don’t give a chance for the and one. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] And the first one at the line is good. Wade, he’s checked in for Cleveland. [Music] [Music] [Applause] and good on the second. So, he makes them both. It’s not luck that he’s so steady at the line. It’s through repetition and hard work. Garland. The pass to Mitchell. Now, here’s Mobley. Puts up a three. Aimura with a rebound. Tell you what, the defense was lucky there. I mean, leave him that open from range, he’ll typically knock it down. And one of the big names on the move this past summer was Donovan Mitchell. Now, you figured his time in Utah was up as the team decided to change their core. Could be a game changer though with this roster even with all they gave up to get him. Moley finds Mitchell. Now Garland. Here’s Wade. Yes. And a nice assist from Garland. Garland’s got his fifth assist in this one. Really nice job moving the ball around that time, picking apart that defense. Now here’s Hachimura. And here’s Aiden. And there’s a 3second violation. We’ve seen more than a few miscues from them tonight. And I tell you what, more brain neutral plays like that one and they’ll have a hole deeper than the one they’re already in. A different look for Cleveland. Merryill comes in for Mitchell and it’s ball in for Garland. Here’s Ball. Well, he hasn’t scored yet, but I’m sure that’ll change. [Music] Moy passes to Ball. And once again, off the mark by Cleveland. And for Los Angeles, they’re shooting around 29% in quarter number two. Back to Aimura. 13 ft out again. The Lakers a smart decision maker with a versatile skill set. Hatchim always takes the shots that he’s comfortable with. [Applause] Pass to Hunter. Here’s Merrill. And another miss by Cleveland. And for the Lakers, they’re shooting a low 31%. Their offense is lacking. Here’s Reeves. Aie Burrow from long range. Mobley grabs the board. Moley’s got rebound number eight here already in the game. Smart again. Small ball. And here’s Hunter from the arc. Yes, sir. And it’s Ball with the assist that time. Hunter’s got 11 here in the corner alone. And when Ball has the ball, it’s in good hands. He can run the offense. No doubt. The three is up. [Music] Gets it to go. His second make in six tries. And that’s how you up the ante. Come right back at him. A little back and forth from long range. I love it. That’s a terrific answer there. Here’s Wade. [Music] Clock at six. [Applause] Here’s Merrill and Reeves pulls it down. Now Los Angeles with it. It’s a 10-point game. And a foul called on the way up. So he’ll take two from the free throw line. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] The first one falls Strus. He’s checked in for Merrill. [Music] [Applause] That’s also good. So he hits both free throws. The Cavs have gone eight of 15 in the second outside Strus. And looks like an illegal pick was set. That gets the ref’s attention. Well, the league has put an emphasis to crack down on illegal screens. Yeah. You know, he might have gotten away with that a few years ago, but not anymore. No way. Now you’ve got to be stationary on those screens. No extra hips or elbows or they’ll call it Allen. He’s checked in for Evan Mobley. Pass to Aimura. Hunter with some nice D. You know, even though it’s a point blank range shot, that’s not an easy one, especially when the defense is that tight. He made the most of that opening, teaching the defense a lesson. [Music] Now Aimura and here is Vanderbilt. Smart outside. [Applause] Six to shoot. Vanderbilt finds Smart. Puts it up. That one off the back iron it out. And they’ve won the battle on the board so far. And the scoreboard perfects that boy. The effort level they’ve had has been outstanding. Hard to keep a team down when they play with that much energy. And that’s a back breaker for the defense. I mean, offensive boards like that run momentum against you. Well, you know, that’s the way it’s going to be for them today, fellas. Can’t sustain any momentum. Here’s Aimura. Oh, and he took a hard foul on the shot. So, he’ll head to the line to shoot a pair. It’s going to go on DeAndre Hunter. [Music] [Applause] [Music] First one falls for him. [Music] [Music] And both free throws good for Achimura. And the Cavs shooting 56% for the second quarter. Outside Streus back to ball. Outside Strus. Shot clock at six. It’s Hayes with the rebound. Hayes has got rebound number five here tonight. Pass to Smart. [Music] [Applause] We’ve got 33 seconds left in the first half. Now here’s Hayes. He’s guarded closely. Here’s Aimura. The Cavaliers pull it in. At one point they led by 16. Stru the pass to Ball. Hunter on the wing. [Applause] He got it up in time, but it would not fall for him. DeAndre Hunter, he’s been the guy making things happen for the Cleveland Cavaliers. 11 points in the quarter. He’s on fire. We’ll be right back after this word. The 2K Sports Halftime Show. greetings to each and every one of you watching at this very moment. Uh, I’m Ernie Johnson. Kenny the Jetmith is here. Shaq is here. One half is behind us. Welcome to the 2K Sports halftime show. It’s Cleveland out on top at halftime. They lead by 11. Jack, how do you think Cleveland played? They’re in good shape thanks to the work work they’re doing on the glass. Their effort has been excellent. Numbers are too. And I don’t see those numbers dropping off. They’re going to keep doing the dirty work in the second half. And Kenny, let’s get your thoughts on the Lakers. A combination of poor shooting and poor shot selection. That’s what my take is. They need to be more patient, run the offense all the way through and let everyone touch the ball. Otherwise, they’re playing to the other teams. And that does it for our halftime show. We now take you back to Kevin Harland for the start of the third period. [Music] And with the second half upon us, we’ll find out if this game becomes the route that it’s threatening to be. We’ve seen DeAndre Hunter really having a great game. Yeah, in the first half, he taught a class on how to make your teammates look good. And you know, that’s what delights him most. That’s what he takes most pride in. He loves being the chief facilitator. Just about ready for the second half here. A big comeback is needed for this game to be competitive and it probably has to happen quickly. On the court for the Lakers, they’ve got DeAndre Aton, LeBron James out there with Ruachimura. Then it’s Luca Donuch and it’s Reeves in at the two guard spot. Now here is James to the left side wing. [Applause] Tries again and he was fouled in the act of shooting. Opportunity for a three-point play here. Yes. So strong. Aiden and one and the Cavaliers making a change here. Moley’s checked in. [Applause] One shot. [Music] [Applause] And so it’s Cleveland with it. They’re leading by eight. Garland. The pass to Hunter from deep. Mitchell. Rebound. The Lakers. Aton’s got six rebounds now in the game. Machimura against Garland. [Applause] Pass to Aiden. And so he draws the foul. Headed to the line to shoot a pair. They’ll pin that one on Jared Allen. Got to be careful how you guard Aiden. He’s so creative at finding ways to draw fouls. [Applause] two. [Applause] He misses the free throw. [Applause] good on the second one. The Cavaliers leading outside Hunter [Applause] A little over a minute gone here in the second half. Allen. The pass to Garland. Six to shoot inside. Here’s Mitchell and he makes it on the layup. Mitchell’s got 12 points. If you’re the D, don’t let Mitchell beat you inside. Got to push him out further. Outstanding dribble drive. And that replay was brought to you by Mobile One. You’re toasting the defense and getting in close. Don’t take possessions like that one all day. To the wing on the left, Reeves. And there’s the foul. It’s on DeAndre Aton. That’ll be a second foul of the game. Coach is loving the ball movement. This is why you want ball movement and player movement. And that’s made it hard for the defense to key in on any one individual. [Applause] That’s good from Garland. Garland hits them both. Just a little over 90 seconds gone in the third quarter. Pass to Reeves. Now here’s Hachimura, the 11-footer. And the rebound goes to the Cavaliers. Allen’s got 14 rebounds tonight. Going after it. Mitchell the pass to Hunter. Moley with it. Clock at six. And here’s Garland. Check by James. 43. Can’t get it to drop. And Los Angeles the other way now. [Applause] Not quite 2 and 1/2 minutes played here in the second half. Off target at the rim from deep. Mitchell sinks the tray. Mitchell’s got 15 points. You love to see Mitchell explode like this on offense. A guy who has so much potential as an elite scorer. Pass to Reeves. [Applause] Oo, solid defense from Mitchell. The Cavaliers have gotten two of four shots to go since the break. And he was fouled while in the act of shooting. So he’ll take two free throws. What you love about Mitchell, he plays with energy, explosiveness, and courage. [Music] [Applause] And he drops him first. [Applause] Both free throws good from Mitchell. Second half of play and we’re 3 minutes into the third here. Time called here. Los Angeles decides to talk it over. Yeah, they’re hoping to turn things around with this timeout. Yeah, you know, they had to do something, anything to stop this run. You can’t just let it go on any longer. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Applause] Heat. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Heat. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Heat. Heat. Aimura outside a shot to stop the run. That’s good on the jumper. Aimura’s got nine. He gets inside right when he sees the opening. Got to attack when you have that chance. [Applause] Aiden against Howen. Pass to Garland and he’ll draw the foul. He’ll head to the line for two. Two stops. [Music] First free throw is good. He makes one of two that time. The Lakers have gone three of seven here in this third quarter. Donic against Garland. 16 ft out. Mobley grabs the board. Outside Mitchell, back to Garland. [Music] Pass to Mitchell. Outside Hunter. Five on the clock. Oh, a clear foul there on the missed shot. So, he’ll get a pair at the line. It’s going to be on DeAndre Aton. The officials were right on top of that one. Clearly a foul. I mean, didn’t give him any choice but to blow the whistle. I mean, you got to play without fouling. And let’s take a moment here to get your take, guys, on the scoring so far for the Cavaliers. Well, you know, for me, the passing has been fantastic all night. Everybody loves watching this style of basketball where the ball moves and players move, coaches, fans, and even us broadcasters can appreciate that kind of action. Yeah. Another thing they did well, running the floor. They’ve kept the pace high and pulled away with their transition offense. It’s both from the stripe. Well, the Lakers shooting a disappointing 38%. Donic passes to Aimura. Now Aiden pass to James. [Applause] Here’s Aimura. Just five to shoot over Allen and it’s Aimura missing and it’s Cleveland’s ball. A big stretch here going 10 to2 and the defense has no one to blame but themselves. I mean, they just let him get right to the rim. And you know, he should be getting extra attention from the defense, not less. Now, here’s Hachimura. He’s got nine. Here’s ABC. A three. James gets rebounded by Cleveland. Allen’s got rebound number 17, if you can believe that. Garland. The pass to Hunter into the lane and the shot goes down. Hunter’s got four points this quarter. They’re making it look easy out there. Just having fun. Yeah, offensively they’ve just been rolling. Impossible to stop. Pass to Donic. Out to Aimura. Unloads and it’s good as he snugs it right through the net. Aimura’s got 11 points. Capable of running the offense. Don fantastic at getting his teammates involved. Garland the pass to Mobley goes to the reverse layup and drops it in. Give him eight points now to just an easy reverse for him. He is nice feel and touch around the bucket. Pass to James. Back to Donic. [Applause] The Lakers got to get one up. Late clock kept alive and Aiden gets it to go. Yeah, when you let Aiden get the ball close, it’s over. DeAndre is just too skilled. Back to Garland [Applause] and he loves it up top. Ooh, the death touch on the lob. And that’s a double double for him now. Oh, what a pass. Those two read each other really well. Looks like a play they’ve definitely run in practice. And as the receiver, he doesn’t feel the need to go for the monster finish that time. I mean, laying it up for the two points worked out just fine. That is super efficient getting in deep and then taking advantage. Hunter on the wing. [Applause] lets it go from 11. The offensive rebound, Mobley. And that one’s good. Moley’s got six in the quarter and just totally relentless. Only increasing the intensity level. Yeah, I love the fact he doesn’t play the score. He just keeps coming attack mode. He doesn’t know how to step off the gas pedal. And here’s Donic outside. Moy grabs the board. Moble’s got a rebound number 12 here. You’re already in the game. Here’s Hunter. Oh, and he got fouled on his way. He’ll head to the line to shoot two, man. He made sure to get his money’s worth on that foul. He got him good there. I mean, that’s why the shot was so far off. [Music] Two shots. [Applause] The first free throw is good. Strus, he’s checked in for Cleveland. Ball comes in for Mitchell. Vanderbilt’s checked in for Los Angeles. Smart comes in for Donic. [Music] [Music] And both free throws good for Hunter. And for Los Angeles, they’re shooting around 33%. Not the best offensive efficiency. Here’s Smart. And the officials called goending. So they’ll award the basket. Good hustle right there. I love that effort. Just a little late in the act. Wade. He’s checked in for the Cavaliers. [Applause] Here’s Garland. He’s got seven. [Applause] And the layup is good off the glass. Garland’s got nine. Loses him with the bounce and doesn’t look back. What a pretty move. Back to Smart. Softly drops in the floater. How about that wonderful floater? He has showing off an exquisite touch. Back to Garland. Hires the three. Wade. Great positioning on the put back and the Cavaliers lead by 20. I love the relentless attitude he showed there. Got himself in great position under the glass. Hey, he had the presence of mind to know exactly where the rebound was going. And then the nifty tut to tip it in as well. And the basket by Achi Mura. And for the Cavaliers, they’re shooting the ball at 46% sent for the floor. Pass to Garland. Ball outside. Stress with it. Aimir covering. Shot clock at five. [Applause] Here’s Strus. No good on the shot. Aimura with the defensive effort. Moy against Smart out left to the wing and that one’s good. ABC, he’s got five. Not sure what the defense was thinking. I mean, you can’t leave this guy open from deep. Pass the ball. Here’s Wade outside. Stru. [Applause] And here’s Ball. Lets the three fly. I can’t lie, I love to see that kind of physical play under the rim. He boxes out and claims the rebound. Ooh, plenty of contact on that shot. Officials call the foul and he’ll take two free throws. Now it’s going to be on Lonzo Ball. [Applause] That free throw misses for the Cavaliers. Jared Allen. He’s checked in for Wade and it’s Merrill in for Darius Garland. Hayes has checked in for the Lakers. Reeves comes in for Achie Mura. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] And he sinks the second. Cleveland shooting an excellent rate of 56% in the third quarter. And he’s going for the lob. Mobley. No good. And for the Lakers, they’re shooting 37% from the floor at this point. He’s been tremendous at corelling misses all night long. Yeah, I love the way he’s fighting through box outs, using his elbow. I mean, he’s doing whatever it takes. Here’s Allen. Fadeaway. And for Los Angeles, they’re shooting well here in the third, hitting 50% of their shots. Here’s Reeves. Oh my. Throw is down. BA, forget about attempting the long range three to cut into that lead. Just attack the rim, my man. Man, that was sweet. Exercising his authority. And here’s the mobile one drive. A great move to get right to the cup. They’re trying to come back in this game. Now, bottom line, it’s about energy and effort exemplified by a possession like that. To the inside, Allen. And that one falls. His fifth basket in seven tries. Well, you got to do much more than that to slow Allen. I mean, this guy is long and athletic, capable of converting through contact. Smart against ball. Smart outside. Just five to shoot. Here’s Reeves. And so he draws the foul headed to the line to shoot a pair. [Music] Take break. Take break. [Music] And he makes the first [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] and he makes both free throws. 27 seconds left to play in the third. Ball outside. Pass to Moy. Outside Streus. Ball outside. [Applause] Misses in close. Just a big time effort for Donovan Mitchell providing a lot of energy for the Cavaliers. Hunting for opportunities leading to nine points in the quarter. Back to the game after this break. And a moment now as we take a look at our State Farm assist of the game. Yeah, just shredding the defense with that feed. Zero chance to stop that. Yeah, that’s just a brilliant re of the defense. I mean, it was also excellent anticipation of the movement of his teammates before the pass. Just great harmony on all sides. And there have been two very different performances from these teams today as we get going in quarter number four. The lengthy pair of Mobley and Allen are together inside. Donovan Mitchell out there with Lonzo Ball and it’s Strus in at the small forward position. So that’s who’s on the floor for the Cavs. Now here’s Mitchell. Elbow shot on the way. That shot missing and the Lakers going the other way now. And so it looks like the Lakers will retain possession here. DeAndre Eaton, he’s checked in for Hayes. [Applause] Paul again. Donic pass to Reeves. Launches a three. That one falls. Great setup by Donic. Donic has got four assists in the game. Yeah, he’s been hooping, but the rest of the team not so much. Moley left side on the wing. Struiner sends it home from three-point land. That’s how you up the ante. Come right back at him. A little back and forth from long range. I love it. That’s a terrific answer there. Now here’s Donic. Here’s ABC. Six on the shot clock. Pass to Aiden [Applause] and he floats it in for the easy two. Credit to sweet setup on that one. And that’s just terrific body control by Aiden. Setting a solid pick and then quickly getting himself open. Here’s Mitchell off the window. It’s good. Mitchell’s got 11 in the second half. Intelligent decision by Mitchell using the pick and roll to break up the defense and get open. Pass to Aiden. Here’s Reeves. [Applause] Back to Aiden. And Aiden with the stuff. Yeah. Looking at Aiden using all of his height and reach, slamming it down on a helpless defense. Now Mitchell. All outside. [Applause] and he drives in and the foul is called. He missed it. So, he’s got a couple of free throws coming his way. Man, I like Ball’s energy going to the rack. I mean, he’s showing no fear because he knows he’s going to get hit and he drives inside anyway. [Music] [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Music] And that one falls for ball. Hunters checked in for Strus. And the Lakers also making a switch. Aimura’s checked in. And so ball nails both of them for Los Angeles. They’ve gone a perfect three for three here in the fourth. 11 ft out. Deflected. Ball size and timing really an asset when it comes to him blocking shots. And for Los Angeles, they’re shooting only 40% from the floor in this game. rejected by Mitchell and he’s going for the oop here. The defense pays so much attention to Mitchell and as a result it opens the floor for everyone else and we just had to take one more look at that great drive. Yeah, that’s a little icing on the cake right there. Putting on a show while they enjoy a big second half lead. Here’s Reeves. Check by Mitchell. Six to shoot. Pass to Donic. Looking to get back on track and it’s good for two. You know, as I watch Dantage, I think it’s feudal to try to distract this guy. His focus and concentration and control of himself is uh excellent. Now here’s Hunter. Now Mitchell. [Music] Here’s Ball. Oh, and he took a hard foul on the shot. So he’ll head to the line to shoot a pair. It’s on Ruie Aimura. Good utilization of his height and speed to get to the line that time. Ball showing you he’s got the savvy to draw contact. [Music] [Music] [Applause] And he knocks down the first one. [Applause] and so ball nails both of them for Los Angeles. They’ve gotten four shots out of six attempts to drop so far in the fourth. Aimura finds Aiden. Ball against Donic. Back to Aiden. And a foul called on the way up. So he’ll take two from the free throw line. They’ll pin that one on Jared Allen. Be a solid inside play by Aiden. Staying strong and taking the foul while still putting up a shot. [Applause] [Music] Shooting two. [Applause] That’s good from Aiden. The Cavaliers making a switch here. Garland’s checked in. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Aiden hits them both. The Cavs have gone three of five since this fourth quarter started. Outside Mitchell back to Garland down low. Hunter. Yes. And a nice assist from Garland. or has got 19 points. And you know, coaches will take possessions like that all day long. Phenomenal use of the screen there. Throws it up high. Stolen away. Nice job to interrupt the alleyoop attempt. Mitchell. The pass to Moy. Here’s Allen. Check by James. It’s going to be on LeBron James. That’s his fourth foul of the contest. And that puts them just one foul from the bonus. Yep. They’ll be trying to draw that Nick foul quickly so they can start getting those easy chances at the strike. And that’s how you defend. Glad we had a chance to see a replay of that block again. Showing no signs of giving up this lead. That block sent shock waves into the opposition sails. Mitchell misses and the shooter had very little space on that attempt. And guys, that’s exactly the kind of high impact defense they want to see out of him. James finds Donic. Clock at six to the right side. Here’s Reeves. No good on the three. And this is exactly who you want taking that shot. He just missed it. offensive board. Outside for Mitchell, hits the layup after the sweet pump fake to freeze the D. Mitchell’s got four points in the quarter. Even with the score as it is, he just keeps coming at you. Well, he only plays one way and that full throttle all day, all the time. Cold bloodooded and lethal. Now here’s Garland and the foul on DeAndre Hunter. That’ll be his second foul of the game. And this kind of selflessness is great to see. Textbook positioning to draw the charge. Heads up action there. Reading the play and then beating him to the spot. Well done. They’ve been having major pro problems offensively. Definitely in a bit of a dry spell. Pass to Donic. Over Garland. Donic. Good. Donic is such a confident player. He knows he can fire off the catch whenever he wants to. Garland against Donic. Garland. The pass to Hunter. [Music] Back to Garland from downtown. And the Cavaliers another three. Pick works well there, but the defense left a lot to be desired. Yeah, that’s not the defense you need. You got to be tougher defensive. Now here’s Hachimura. Marked it down low that time. Got hit with the 3second call. We’ve seen more than a few miscues from them tonight. And I tell you what, more brain neutral plays like that one and they’ll have a hole deeper than the one they’re already in. [Applause] Donic against Garland. Pass to Mitchell. Allen with it. Moley outside. Hunter up top. [Applause] grabs the rebound again and he hauls in his 20th rebound. Just dominating the glass. And you know when Allen gets this positioning, the defense is in trouble which in turn forces them to commit the foul. [Music] Two shots. That’s That one’s off. Well, you know, when you look at the raw athleticism of Allen, very enticing. I mean, he’s a quickfooted shot blocking big guy. He’s got a great future in this league in my opinion. [Applause] He hits the second from the line. The Lakers have gotten five shots out of nine to go in this fourth. Aimura outside. Pass to Reeves. Donic outside. Now here’s Aimura. Shot clock at six. [Applause] Here’s Reeves. Mobley grabs the board. Mobley has got his 16th rebound on the night. Here’s Mitchell. And Mitchell with the slam. This is what he gives you night in and night out. Stella’s production at the offensive end. Pass to Reeves. Dantic against Garland and the foul called on Evan Mobley. That’ll be foul number five on him. [Applause] Allen against Aiden to the middle. Here’s Aimura Hunter with some nice Dan. You know, you don’t always get that opportunity. So, those are the ones you hate to miss. Now, you have to extend that defense. I mean, you really have to stay connected to him at all times. Yeah, especially with the score being what it is. I mean, you got to tighten it up on deep. Pass to Reeves. [Applause] Back to Donic. Down to five on the shot clock. tries to snap the cold streak and the rebound goes to the Cavaliers and he lobbs it up and it’s out of bounds. They say it was last touch by Mitchell. Yeah, a communication breakdown. Two guys thinking in opposite directions. The pass winds up in the stands. Donic passes to Aiden. Here’s Reeves. From deep. Here’s Donic. Hunter with the rebound. The Cavaliers have gotten eight of 13 shots to find the basket in the fourth quarter. Back to Garland. Pass to Mitchell. Shoots. Cleveland gets it back. Another shot up to Garland and the Cavaliers. Another three. This has been their game plan here in the final period. We’ll see if it continues to work out. You know what? Teams can get a little three happy down the stretch sometimes. Letting it fly. Now here’s Hachimura. Kicks it to Donic. Tipped. Outside Hunter down low. Stolen by Aton. Hachimura outside. So, it’ll be two free throws. He was fouled in the act of shooting. And even from where we’re sitting, you could clearly tell it was a foul. No question about it. I mean, a ton of contact and a good call by the officials. [Applause] shooting two. [Applause] First one falls for him. [Applause] And so he makes both from the line. There’s a minute 40 left in the fourth quarter of this one. Garland. The pass to Porter. Back to Garland. And he got the whistle on the way up. So, he’ll be headed to the line for a pair. two. And the first one at the line is good. Smarts checked in for the Lakers. Garland hits them both. 119 left in the fourth quarter. Well, the scoreboard tells you everything you need to know about this one. A great showing here for the Cavaliers. And you don’t usually see this kind of blowout, but tonight they delivered the punishment. I mean, what’s so impressive is they never wavered in their approach. They just kept at it and showed they were without a doubt the better team. And we’ve come to expect these kinds of strong games for Darius Garland. Boy, you have to marvel at how well he picked apart that defense. Repeatedly found the right guy in the right spot at the right time. Stepping up and nailing an important shot to put this away. And you know, this run shows what kind of attitude this team has. I mean, the win is there. Go get it. Pass to Smart. Here’s Vincent. Cleba outside. comes up empty down low. Boy, this could snowball if they continue to put up points. I can’t say enough about their performance [Applause] outside. Porter. [Applause] And so Cleveland takes this one by a big margin. We saw two different teams tonight. One played with confidence, operating flawlessly. The other just looked lost. And the energy in this building was awesome. The crowd was involved from the jump. And once they started to really pour it on, it was fun to see how it all came together. Well folks, that’s going to do it for now for Ali Leforce, Clark Kellogg, and Grant Hill. This is Brian Anderson thanking you for watching the NBA presented by 2K Sports. We’ll see you next time.
NBA LIVE! Cleveland Cavaliers vs Los Angeles Lakers I December 9, 2025 | Lakers vs Cavaliers 2K26
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