The NBA-leading Cavaliers defeated the Wizards 118-87, extending Washington’s losing streak to 15

CLEVELAND— Donovan Mitchell scored 19 points and Evan Mobley had 19 points and 10 rebounds as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Wizards 118-87 on Tuesday night, extending Washington’s losing streak to 15.

Sam Merrill and Georges Niang each scored 14 points off the bench for Cleveland, which has the best record in the NBA at 19-3 and is 12-1 at home. The 31-point win was the Cavaliers’ largest of the season.

Cleveland point guard Darius Garland had 12 points before leaving in the third quarter with a head injury. Garland was hit by an accidental elbow from Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas in the paint. Coach Kenny Atkinson said Garland isn’t expected to miss any time.

Valanciunas, Jordan Poole and rookie Bub Carrington scored 13 points for Washington in both teams’ final NBA Cup game. Valanciunas also grabbed 11 rebounds in 19 minutes.

Wizards: Rookie forward Kyshawn George and guard Corey Kispert each suffered left ankle sprains within 78 seconds of each other in the second quarter and were ruled out. Guard Malcolm Brogdon left the game in the third period with soreness in his right knee.

Cavaliers: Cleveland got a big scare early in the third when Mitchell ran off the field with his right arm dangling after Valanciunas hit him in the shoulder with a pick. The All-Star shooting guard returned to the game two minutes later.

Cleveland led from wire to wire, but didn’t go up by 20 points until late in the second quarter. Garland scored five points and had an assist during a 10-0 run that extended the Cavaliers’ lead to 48-28.

The Cavaliers defeated Washington for the 10th straight time – their longest winning streak in the 55-year series – and took a 119-118 overall lead. Cleveland’s average margin of victory in the current run is 19.2 points.

The Wizards host Dallas on Thursday. The Cavaliers conclude their three-game homestand against Denver on Thursday.

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