CLEVELAND, OHIO - FEBRUARY 19: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts during the first half against the Brooklyn Nets at Rocket Arena on February 19, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesJackson FlickingerFri, February 20, 2026 at 2:26 AM UTC·2 min readCLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers thoroughly dominated the Brooklyn Nets. They controlled from the opening tip and never gave the Nets a chance to get off the mat. This led to a runaway 112-84 victory.
The Cavs asserted their control early on. They started the game on a 14-3 run that was capped off by a beautiful alley-oop from James Harden to Donovan Mitchell. That one play seemed to end any chance of this game being competitive.
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AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe biggest question heading into this game was how the Cavs would look with Evan Mobley and Dean Wade back in the starting lineup. If this game was any indication, the answer is they’ll look quite good.
The offense worked great with the two bigs. Harden and Mitchell found openings to get Mobley involved going to the basket, and they did so without forgetting about Jarrett Allen.
The boxscore won’t show it, but Allen was dominant inside. He finished with 15 points in 24 minutes and aggressively attacked any time he had an opening. This led to a game-high 10 free-throw attempts.
Mobley had a solid game in his return from a calf strain. He provided 10 points, nine rebounds, and two assists on 5-9 shooting in 18 and a half minutes of play.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMitchell once again led the team in scoring with 17 points in 21 minutes. The Cavs played their best basketball with him on the court as he led the team by being a +37 in plus/minus.
Harden was in complete control offensively. He orchestrated the attack at an incredibly high level, which led to him scoring 16 points on 6-8 shooting while dishing out nine assists.
The Nets were led by 14 points from Michael Porter Jr.
The one-sided win allowed the Cavs to keep all of their starters under 30 minutes of play. This is much needed as they head on the road to take on the Charlotte Hornets on Friday evening. Tip-off is at 7 PM.
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