NEW YORK — The Cavs looked like themselves again — until a nerve-wracking fourth quarter turned a surefire blowout into an escape.
Cleveland narrowly edged the feisty Brooklyn Nets, claiming its first win of the season, 131-124, on Friday night inside Barclays Center.
Following Wednesday’s clunker against the rival Knicks, Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson lamented numerous aspects of the team’s performance.
Didn’t seem like there would be any need on Friday.
For three brilliant quarters, the Cavs were in complete control, taking six months of frustration out on helpless Brooklyn. They looked like the star-studded team that obliterated opponents and rose to the top of the Eastern Conference — before getting eliminated in the second round of the playoffs.
The offense was surgical, balanced and efficient. The ball movement was snappy. The 3-pointers were dropping. The defense was more connected. The focus was there from the opening tip.
Cleveland scored the first basket — an Evan Mobley jumper. It opened the game on a 9-2 surge. By the 7:27 mark of the first quarter, the Cavs had their first double digit lead of the night — and the season.
The matchup remained lopsided for most of the night, with Cleveland leading the entire way and its biggest advantage reaching 25 at one point in the second half.
But then came the fourth quarter.
Brooklyn opened with force, trimming that deficit to 10 at the 7:15 mark and reigniting a previously sleepy sellout crowd while the Cavs tried to regroup and keep from throwing away their first W.
The scrappy Nets kept pulling closer, turning it into a two-possession game around the midway point of the fourth — an extended run that caused Atkinson to bring back some of his starters, including star guard Donovan Mitchell.
But even with Mitchell on the floor, the Cleveland lead got trimmed to one around the four-minute mark, as the Nets kept pouring in 3s.
The crowd roared. The Cavs gasped. An overzealous fan even stormed onto the court, right next to Mitchell.
That’s as close as Brooklyn got. The Cavs kept their composure and scored the next six, regaining control and sealing the victory.
Five Cavaliers reached double figures. Mitchell led the way with a game-high 35 points on 10 of 15 from the field and 6 of 10 from 3-point range to go with five assists, three steals and two rebounds in 35 magnificent minutes.
Jarrett Allen, a figurative no-show in Wednesday’s loss, finished with 22 points and six rebounds.
Sharpshooter Sam Merrill added 20 points, going 6 of 11 from the field and 6 of 10 from beyond the arc. Merrill has 11 made triples this season, the most by any Cavalier in franchise history through the first two games, overtaking Max Strus and Kyrie Irving.
Craig Porter Jr. chipped in with 14 points off the bench while Evan Mobley had 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Brooklyn’s Cam Thomas had a team-high 33 points. Michael Porter Jr. added 31. Ziaire Williams contributed 25 off the bench.
With three missing players — De’Andre Hunter, Max Strus and Darius Garland — new lineups and rotations, the Cavs remain a work in progress. Atkinson has repeatedly said it won’t be easy in the opening months.
It certainly wasn’t Friday. Not at the end, anyway.
**Up next**
The Cavs will return to Cleveland for the regular season home opener against the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday night. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.
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