Johnson, Spurs hold off Mitchell, Cavs to win 3rd in row

Updated Dec. 12, 2022 11:24 p.m. ET

Associated Press

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Keldon Johnson scored 21 points and blocked a late shot by Donovan Mitchell as the San Antonio Spurs held off the Cleveland Cavaliers 112-111 Monday night.

Josh Richardson had 24 points to help San Antonio win its third straight after an 11-game losing streak.

Mitchell scored 28 points to keep Cleveland close. The Cavaliers trailed by 19 in the third quarter and rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final 4 1/2 minutes for a chance to win.

Mitchell’s runner was blocked by Johnson with 6.1 seconds remaining. Following an offensive rebound by Caris LeVert, Darius Garland missed a 3-pointer with one-tenth of a second remaining.

LeVert finished with 23 points, Garland had 18 and Evan Mobley had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Cavaliers.

Cleveland had a 12-0 run bridging the third and fourth quarters to pull within seven points. The Cavaliers had to rally after the Spurs dominated the first half.

San Antonio closed the first half on a 28-12 burst in taking a 65-49 lead into the second half. The Spurs outscored the Cavs 36-22 in the second quarter.

Mitchell had 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting in the opening quarter, including an emphatic one-handed dunk that silenced the crowd buzzing from an 8-0 run by the Spurs.

San Antonio was nine for 27 on 3-pointers.

TIP-INS

Cavaliers: Cleveland had won three straight overall and three consecutive road games against San Antonio. The Cavs' previous loss in San Antonio was March 28, 2019. … Mitchell was listed as questionable with a sore right lower leg. … Kevin Love played after being questionable with a sore lower back. … Cleveland is 5-9 on the road this season.

Spurs: Johnson was listed as with a stomach ailment not related to COVID-19. … Jeremy Sochan came off the bench in his return from a five-game with a bruised quadricep. Sochan started the first 20 games of his NBA career, the second most consecutive starts by a rookie in franchise history. Duncan started all 82 games in his rookie season.

UP NEXT

Cavaliers: At Dallas on Wednesday.

Spurs: Host Portland on Wednesday.

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