At 10 o'clock on January 1, Beijing time, in the 2024-25 NBA regular season, the Cavaliers defeated the Lakers 122-110 to win eight consecutive victories. So far this season, the Cavaliers are unbeaten in nine of their nine wins against Western Conference teams.

Statistics

Lakers: James 23 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists, Davis 28 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks, Hachimura 7 points and 5 rebounds, Reaves 35 points, 9 rebounds and 10 assists;

Cavaliers: Mitchell 26 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists, Garland 14 points, 2 rebounds, 14 assists and 2 steals, Allen 27 points, 14 rebounds and 3 blocks, Strus 15 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists, Mobley 20 points and 6 rebounds;

Background

The Cavaliers previously had a regular season record of 28 wins and 4 losses, with a winning rate of 87.5%, ranking first in the East and No. 1 in the league. The Lakers previously had an 18-13 regular season record, a 58.1% win rate, and ranked 7th in the West. Both sides have been in impressive form of late, with the Cavaliers holding a seven-game winning streak and the Lakers holding a two-game winning streak. Jaime has just celebrated his 40th birthday, and this is James' first game in his 40s. Milton and Finney Smith made their Lakers debuts.

The course of the game

At the beginning of the first quarter, the Cavaliers were on fire on the offensive end, and Mobley and Mitchell led the team to a wave of 10-4 through jumpers and free throws. James hit consecutive three-pointers to lead the Lakers to chase the score, but the Cavaliers continued to be hot, Allen and Mobley took turns to attack the inside to score and Strus scored 3+1, and the Cavaliers blasted a wave of scoring climaxes, instantly extending the lead to 15 points. The Lakers quickly responded with free throws, rebounding layups and jumpers to go on a 10-2 run. Milton then hit a three-pointer to help the Lakers close the gap further, but Mitchell then hit a difficult mid-range shot to help the Cavaliers stabilize the situation. At the end of the first quarter, the Cavaliers led the Lakers by four points at 34-30.

Entering the second quarter, the Lakers became the first team to enter the state, and continued to score points through counterattack layups, mid-to-long-range jumpers, and interior ball-holding offense, but James counterattacked and scored violently, and the Lakers overtook by 2 points at 41-39. The Cavaliers quickly returned to their offensive state, Jerome and Garland hit three-pointers one after another, and Allen took turns to score inside, and the Cavaliers launched a wave of scoring spurts, and when Allen hit the ball again on the inside, the Cavaliers led the Lakers by 7 points at 55-48. At the end of the quarter, Davis hit an open three-pointer, but the Cavaliers responded with a three-pointer from Mitchell. Immediately afterwards, Reeves burst inside with the ball and singled out Allen to shoot. At halftime, the Cavaliers were 58-53.

Yibian fought again, Mobley scored points on the outside and inside attack, but the Lakers scored on the inside by Hachimura, James, and Davis in turn, and when Reaves broke through the throw with the ball and scored, the Lakers were 63-65. In the following period, the Cavaliers were on fire from the outside, Strus hit three three-pointers and Garland also hit a three-pointer, and the Cavaliers exploded into a scoring surge to extend the lead to 12 points. The Lakers quickly responded to the opponent, and Davis continued to score points on inside and outside shots, leading the Lakers to a 10-0 run. Mobley made a free throw to stop the bleeding, Milton hit an open three-pointer, but Mitchell and LeVert each hit a three-pointer. At the end of the third quarter, the Cavaliers 87-78 Lakers.

In the final quarter, Mitchell hit consecutive three-pointers and Niang also hit a three-pointer, and the Cavaliers took the lead in a wave of 9-2, instantly extending the lead to 16 points. In the following period, Reaves continued to score points through free throws and jumpers to lead the Lakers to blast a wave of scoring climaxes to successfully close the score, and when Reaves threw and hit again, the Lakers fell behind by 9 points at this time. Immediately afterwards, the two sides launched an offensive attack on the inside, Allen and Davis took turns to score points, and when James scored five points in a row on an inside and outside shot, the Lakers were 107-112. Allen then scored six straight points to extend the Cavaliers' lead to double digits. In the final stages, the Lakers instigated a final counterattack, and the Cavaliers stabilized the situation. In the end, the Cavaliers beat the Lakers 122-110 to win eight in a row.

Both sides start

Lakers: James, Davis, Hachimura, Reaves, Christie;

Cavaliers: Mitchell, Garland, Allen, Wade, Mobley;