Cavaliers torch Spurs with third quarter avalanche

The young San Antonio Spurs spent two quarters looking like the sharper team on the second night of a back-to-back. Then Cleveland lit the match.

Donovan Mitchell scored 28 points with eight assists, Jaylon Tyson delivered a breakout 24-point performance, and the Cavaliers used a blistering third-quarter run to erase a double-digit deficit and beat the Spurs 130–117 on Friday night at Rocket Arena. The win snapped Cleveland’s two-game home skid and marked just its second victory in six outings.

Evan Mobley posted 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, while Dean Wade added 12 points, eight boards and five assists as the Cavs’ frontcourt took full advantage of San Antonio’s thin rotation.

The Spurs led by as many as 10 behind a scorching first half from Devin Vassell, who nailed seven 3-pointers and scored 25 of his 28 points before halftime. San Antonio controlled the game’s pace early, moving the ball around a depleted lineup missing Victor Wembanyama (left calf tightness), Stephon Castle (left hip soreness), and Luke Kornet (left ankle sprain).

But everything flipped midway through the third.

Cleveland unleashed a 23–4 run over five minutes to blow past San Antonio, turning an 81–75 deficit into a 98–81 advantage. Tyson was the main cog, scoring 11 points during the surge and 16 overall in the period as the Cavaliers dropped a season-high 44 points in the quarter. By the time Mitchell capped the frame with a pull-up jumper, Cleveland held a commanding 108–91 lead.

"Obviously, the physicality and resistance at the start of possessions were not where they needed to be," Spurs Head Coach Mitch Johnson said. "They made some shots, we missed some shots, and some good shots, but we missed them. And then you start playing on your heels, they're playing with the momentum coming downhill, and there was quite a snowball effect there that was pretty disappointing."

San Antonio never got closer than 12 the rest of the way despite 25 points and nine assists from De’Aaron Fox. Keldon Johnson chipped in 14 off the bench, providing much-needed punch for a road-weary squad navigating one of the league’s most brutal travel stretches: nine cities in 18 days with only one home game between Nov. 21 and Dec. 16.

"Not enough ball movement offensively and defensively. We didn't guard the ball. They got to the lane way too much. They were finishing at the paint pretty much every single time, and we're not going to win games with people just continuously getting layups," Vassell said.

The Spurs, now 4–3 on that trip, continued to lean on pace and perimeter shooting to stay competitive without their franchise star.