Cleveland trailed Washington 69-59 at halftime and won 121-111, outscoring the Wizards 62-42 after the break. It is a third straight win, and the Cavs moved from sixth to third in the East before a quick turnaround at Atlanta on Oct. 29.
How did a team down 10 at the half win by 10?
By playing a different game after intermission. Washington scored 42 in the first quarter, ran 9-0 late in the period to turn a 32-30 Cleveland lead into a 39-32 deficit, and built a lead as big as 12. Then the Cavs held the Wizards to 42 points over the last two quarters and scored 62 of their own. That is a 20-point swing in 24 minutes, and it is the only stretch that mattered.
Who carried Cleveland?
Evan Mobley, start to finish. He led the team with 24 points and 12 rebounds, and he had 12 of those points by halftime on 4-of-7 shooting, 3-of-4 from deep. Peyton Watson kept the Cavs within reach before the break with 16 points on 7-of-11, 14 of them in the second quarter. Meleek Thomas added eight off the bench on 3-of-3 in 10 minutes. Grades: Mobley A, Watson A-minus, Thomas B-plus.
What went wrong in the first half?
The backcourt. James Harden went 2-of-10 in 17 minutes. Donovan Mitchell had nine points but four turnovers and was minus-13 in 15 minutes, the worst mark on the team at the break. Mobley was minus-9 and Jarrett Allen minus-7. Mario Hezonja was the only Cav in positive territory, plus-2 in nine minutes. Bilal Coulibaly went 7-of-7 off Washington's bench, and Trae Young was plus-15. Harden's first-half grade: D.
Is the bench a problem?
Not yet, but it was thin early. The reserves had 12 points at halftime against 45 from the starters, and eight of those 12 came from Thomas. Jaylon Tyson had two in nine minutes. Allen's role is part of the same conversation: Cleveland.com's Wine and Gold Talk podcast asked whether he will keep getting left out of closing lineups. Atkinson has real choices to make about minutes, and Thomas keeps forcing his way into them.
What does it mean for Atlanta?
At 3-1, Cleveland sits third in the East, two games clear of 11th. The Hawks are 2-3 and have lost three straight, with Henri Veesaar and Mouhamed Gueye out. Jalen Johnson is their engine, and he averaged 21.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 8.3 assists over four games. After Atlanta come Milwaukee on the road and Oklahoma City twice. A first half like this one will not hold up against the Thunder.
What was the final score of Cavaliers vs Wizards on Oct. 28, 2026?
Cleveland won 121-111 at home after trailing 69-59 at halftime. Evan Mobley led the Cavaliers with 24 points and 12 rebounds.
When do the Cavaliers play next?
Cleveland plays at the Atlanta Hawks on Oct. 29 on NBA TV, then at Milwaukee on Oct. 31.
