Mitchell erupts for 35, steers Cavs to a statement win over Philadelphia

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Donovan Mitchell was a man on a mission after leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 133-107 road victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in the ongoing NBA regular season on Jan. 15, 2026.

Still stinging from a stunning loss at the hands of the struggling Utah Jazz during their last outing, Mitchell vented his ire on the 76ers, unleashing 35 big points built on an efficient 11-of-22 shooting from the field.

Mitchell’s scoring clinic came at the perfect time for the Cavaliers, marking his best offensive performance since exploding for 48 points against the Washington Wizards on Dec. 13, 2025.

The daredevil guard wasted no time letting his presence be felt as he spearheaded Cleveland’s early rampage to build a double-digit advantage.

Confident enough to hoist every three-pointer, Mitchell torched the Philadelphia backcourt with an inspired shooting performance that piled his scoring tally to double digits in the first 12 minutes of action.

As a result of Mitchell’s unconscious scoring, the Cavaliers built a comfortable 17-point lead at the half, 60-47, limiting the 76ers to one of their lowest-scoring first-half performances.

Philadelphia trimmed its deficit to just 11 points after Joel Embiid waxed hot early in the third quarter, but a counter-scoring avalanche from Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley dimmed the 76ers’ hopes of a tighter fight.

Mitchell kicked off Cleveland’s answer with back-to-back floaters, backstopped by Garland’s playmaking after locating Mobley for easy lob dunks, as well as De’Andre Hunter at the elbows for wide-open treys.

The 76ers deployed their last resort by sticking to a 1-2-2 zone defense, but Cleveland was just too much to handle as they could not miss from the parking lot, mounting the biggest lead of the game at 30 points.

Garland stepped up when the Cavaliers needed him most, supplying an all-around effort of 20 markers, seven assists and three rebounds, while Mobley added a dominant double-double of 17 points, 13 boards, six dimes and four blocks.

Unfortunately, Garland had to exit the game early in the fourth quarter after injuring his foot and is set to undergo an MRI for further evaluation.

The Cavaliers will look to sustain their momentum on Jan. 17, 2026, in a rematch against the 76ers, still to be held on the road at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.