Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 37 points and Sam Merrill scored five of his career-high 19 points down the stretch in overtime to help power the Cleveland Cavaliers past the visiting Houston Rockets, 135-130, on Monday.
Merrill delivered a key performance off the bench as one of eight Cavaliers to score in double figures. His layup over Alperen Sengun with 2:35 remaining in the extra frame gave Cleveland a four-point lead.
Fifty-eight seconds later, he extended the advantage to seven points on a 3-pointer, then grabbed his fourth rebound of the game on the ensuing Houston possession, leading to a Mitchell basket on the other end.
The sequence was part of a decisive 9-0 run, during which the Cavaliers held the Rockets without a point for more than three minutes.
Houston, meanwhile, forced overtime by holding Cleveland without a point for the final 2:29 of regulation.
Both teams had chances to win down the stretch in the fourth quarter, including Sengun on a jumper at the buzzer that rimmed out.
The loss was Houston’s second in as many nights. The 128 points the Rockets surrendered Sunday in Milwaukee were the second most they gave up in regulation this season.
The Cavaliers’ 135 points are the most Houston, which entered Monday averaging the second-fewest points allowed in the NBA, has given up this season.
Fred VanVleet led Houston with 27 points and Sengun scored 24. VanVleet also dished a season-high 17 assists and flirted with a triple-double at eight rebounds, matching Sengun for game high.
Dillon Brooks scored 16 points in the loss, Jeff Green added 15 points off the bench, and Aaron Holiday and Tari Eason each recorded 14 points. Jalen Green finished with 12 points and shot 2 of 12 from the floor.
Houston went 47 of 102 from the floor overall while Cleveland made 47 of 97. The Cavaliers hit 19 of their 48 3-point attempts, however, led by Merrill’s 5 of 10. Houston shot 12 of 33 from beyond the arc.
Mitchell shot 4 of 11 beyond the arc, Max Strus hit 3 of 9 from deep and scored 17 points. Dean Wade hit two of his three 3-pointers and finished with 12 points.
Caris LeVert posted another 12 points off the bench; Isaac Okoro went for 11 points, seven rebounds and six assists; and Jarrett Allen scored 10 points.
–Field Level Media
