NBA roundup: Cavaliers bounce back against Pacers, Nuggets dominate Mavs again

The Cleveland Cavaliers, propelled by Donovan Mitchell's impressive 35 points, triumphed over the Indiana Pacers with a score of 127-117 on Tuesday. This victory served as retribution for their previous loss on Sunday and improved their NBA-leading record to 34-5.

Just three days after the Pacers snapped the Cavaliers' 12-game winning streak, marking only Cleveland's second home defeat of the season, the Cavaliers traveled to Indianapolis and ended the Pacers' six-game winning streak.

Mitchell established an aggressive pace early in the game, scoring 19 points in the first quarter.

Although Indiana briefly took a two-point lead at the start of the second quarter and was only one point behind at halftime, the Cavaliers dominated the third quarter, outscoring the Pacers 38-28 to seize control of the game.

Pascal Siakam was the leading scorer for the Pacers with 23 points, while Benedict Mathurin contributed 19 points before being ejected late in the fourth quarter for receiving a second technical foul after making contact with an official while arguing a call. His first technical foul was issued for hanging on the rim following an impressive dunk in the second quarter.

Seven players from the Pacers scored in double figures; however, the absence of star player Tyrese Haliburton due to a groin injury proved detrimental.

Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson expressed satisfaction with the team's response following the loss on Sunday.

"It was a playoff-type response," Atkinson remarked. "You get knocked in the teeth, punched in the mouth, and we responded.

"Donovan really set the tone. It was one of those nights where he wasn't going to let us lose."

Evan Mobley contributed significantly for Cleveland, scoring 13 of his 22 points during the crucial third quarter, while Darius Garland added 24 points. The Cavaliers are set to face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday in a matchup between the teams with the best records in the league.

The Oklahoma City Thunder, currently leading the Western Conference, improved their record to 33-6 following a decisive 118-102 victory against the injury-stricken Philadelphia 76ers.

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who had a challenging shooting performance in the previous game against the Washington Wizards, excelled by making all eight of his attempts in the first half and concluded the game with an impressive 12-of-15 shooting, totaling 32 points.

In addition to his scoring, Gilgeous-Alexander converted seven of eight free-throw attempts, secured three rebounds, and provided nine assists, guiding the Thunder past a Sixers team that was without injured center Joel Embiid, as well as Paul George and Tyrese Maxey.

"I aimed to be aggressive and set the tone," Gilgeous-Alexander remarked after Oklahoma City achieved their 18th victory in the last 19 regular-season games.

Embiid, who has participated in only 13 games this season, remained out due to a sprained foot. Maxey was unavailable due to a hand injury, while George was a late scratch due to a sore right ankle.

In another matchup, the Denver Nuggets triumphed over the shorthanded Dallas Mavericks with a score of 118-99.

Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 45 points, while NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic contributed a triple-double, recording 10 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists. This victory marked the Nuggets' second win over the Mavericks in three days.

After overcoming a 19-point deficit in their previous encounter, the Nuggets took control early in this game, thanks in part to Murray's 19 points in the first quarter, securing their fourth consecutive win.

Daniel Gafford was the leading scorer for the Mavericks with 13 points off the bench, while Kyrie Irving added 11 points in his return from a back sprain that had kept him sidelined for five games.

However, the Mavericks, still missing star Luka Doncic, faced an additional setback when Dereck Lively II exited early in the first quarter due to a sprained right ankle.

In a separate game, Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded a triple-double with 33 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists, helping the Bucks end the Sacramento Kings' seven-game winning streak with a 130-115 victory.

The Bucks, following a significant defeat against the Knicks, recorded 47 points in the opening quarter and maintained the lead throughout the game, at one point extending their advantage to 28 points.

In Atlanta, Trae Young contributed 43 points, leading the Hawks to a 122-117 win over the Phoenix Suns.