SAN ANTONIO — The Cavs embraced the challenge.
Playing their third consecutive game against a title-contending opponent, Cleveland snapped its losing streak, beating the San Antonio Spurs, 113-101, inside Frost Bank Center on Monday night.
Following Saturday’s embarrassment in Houston — a game in which the Cavaliers trailed by 31 at one point — star guard Donovan Mitchell spoke about this brutal stretch of games, all but one against teams with a winning record over the next few weeks.
That night, Mitchell urged his teammates to embrace it, to meet it head on.
Challenge: accepted.
Unlike Saturday, this game was far from over early.
A competitive first half featured nine lead changes and seven ties. Even though it looked like the Spurs were going to pull away a few different times, the Cavs finished the second quarter on a 7-2 run, keeping it a two-possession game at the break.
The early portion of the third quarter belonged to the Spurs as well. But capitalizing on San Antonio’s sloppiness, the Cavs fought all the way back to tie the game with 2:48 left in the third. They eventually grabbed their first lead of the second half with 10:18 left on a Jaylon Tyson corner 3-pointer. The Cavs never relinquished it. Tyson followed up with another triple on the ensuing possession, putting the Cavs up by five — part of an 11-4 burst to open the fourth quarter that enlivened the Cleveland bench.
By the 8:41 mark of the fourth, Cleveland had a 10-point lead — matching its biggest of the game.
It increased to 13 late, as the Cavs held off every Spurs comeback attempt with surgical offense and feisty defense.
They outscored San Antonio 37-23 in the fourth quarter.
Texas native Jarrett Allen finished with a game-high 27 points on 11 of 21 shooting to go with 10 rebounds. It’s Allen’s fifth 20-point game this season and first since Nov. 12. Six other Cavaliers reached double figures. Evan Mobley had 16 points. Darius Garland chipped in with 15 to go with 11 assists. Tyson and De’Andre Hunter had 11 apiece off the bench. Donovan Mitchell and Dean Wade each had 10. Mitchell went just 3 of 12 from the field and 2 of 9 from beyond the arc.
The Spurs got 26 points and 14 rebounds from Victor Wembanyama. Second-year guard Stephon Castle added 15 points.
The Cavs held San Antonio to 38.6% from the field and 22.6% from deep while forcing 18 turnovers that turned into 20 points.
A loss Monday would’ve sent the underachieving Cavs to .500 on the season — the embodiment of mediocrity.
But they avoided that fate, responding to this weekend’s no-show and picking up one of their best wins of the season.
**Up next**
The Cavs will return home to play the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday afternoon. Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m.