By ASSOCIATED PRESS
CLEVELAND (AP) — Evan Mobley scored 22 points and Cleveland set a franchise record with 91 in the first half as the Cavaliers romped to a 144-101 win on Sunday, Feb. 2, over Dallas just hours after the Mavericks traded superstar Luka Doncic to the Lakers for Anthony Davis.
Darius Garland added 17 points and 10 assists as the Cavs improved the league’s best record to 40-9.
Sam Merrill made nine 3-pointers and Cleveland set a franchise record with 26 3s.
Hoping to return to the Finals, the Mavericks dealt the 25-year-old Doncic, a five-time All-Star and the face of their franchise to Los Angeles for Davis, one of the league’s most talented two-way players.
Davis will join forces in Dallas with All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, who has plenty of experience playing with other superstars after stints alongside LeBron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden and Doncic.
Unfortunately, Irving wasn’t available because of injury and the Cavs blitzed the Mavericks from the start. Cleveland scored a franchise record 50 points in the first quarter and opened a 45-point halftime lead.
Their 91 points tied for the third-most in a first half in league history.
Jaden Hardy paced Dallas with 21 points.
Meanwhile in Milwaukee, Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 37 points and the Memphis Grizzlies continued their recent mastery with a 132-119 victory over the Bucks.
Memphis has won its last seven meetings with the Bucks, who last beat the Grizzlies 126-114 in Milwaukee on Jan. 19, 2022. The Grizzlies won this one without star guard Ja Morant, who missed a second straight game due to a sore right shoulder.
Jackson briefly went to the locker room late in the first quarter after taking an inadvertent elbow to the face from Ryan Rollins on the Bucks guard’s drive attempt. Jackson returned at the start of the second period and shot 7 of 13 from 3-point range.
Milwaukee lost for the fourth time in five games despite getting 30 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists from Giannis Antetokounmpo. Khris Middleton added 20 points.
Santi Aldama scored 23 points and Desmond Bane added 22 for the Grizzlies, who have won eight of nine. Zach Edey had 14 points and 11 rebounds. Scotty Pippen Jr. had 9 points, 10 assists and five rebounds.
In Philadelphia, Jayson Tatum scored 13 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter and the Boston Celtics rallied from a 26-point deficit to beat the 76ers, 118-110.
Tatum added 11 assists and seven rebounds. Jaylen Brown scored 21 points and had 10 rebounds and six assists. Kristaps Porzingis scored 18 points and Derrick White added 17.
In Toronto, RJ Barrett scored 20 points, Jakob Poeltl had 10 points and 10 rebounds and the Raptors beat the Los Angeles Clippers, 115-108, for their eighth win in the past 10 games.
Gradey Dick scored 18 points and Scottie Barnes had 15 as the Raptors snapped a five-game losing streak against the Clippers.
Ochai Agbaji had 12 points, Immanuel Quickley scored 11 and Ja’Kobe Walter scored 10 as seven Toronto players reached double digits.
