Buddy Hield, Sixers snap Cavaliers 9-game winning streak

The undermanned Philadelphia 76ers cooled down the hottest team in the NBA with a big 123-121 road win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night.

Newcomer Buddy Hield continued his strong play since joining the Sixers, leading the way with 24 points and 8 assists including two big threes under five minutes to go to keep the Cavs at bay. He shot an efficient 9-of-13 from the field with 5 triples.

However, it took an endgame scare for the Sixers to pull out the win after a late 9-0 Cavs run in a 58-second span that cut the lead to just one point. Tyrese Maxey made just one of two free throws to leave the door open for Cleveland, but Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland were not able to convert their attempts on the other end, allowing the Sixers to escape. 

The victory was particularly remarkable for the Sixers, who are currently just 2-8 over their last 10 games without the reigning MVP Joel Embiid, who is recovering from surgery to repair his left knee. It took a team effort for the Sixers against a streaking Cavs team, who had won their last nine games and 17 of their last 18.

Supplementing Hield were Kelly Oubre and Maxey, who had 24 and 22 points respectively. New Sixer Cameron Payne chipped in 15 points as Philadelphia had six players in double figures.

Mitchell, who will be heading to Indianapolis next week for the All-Star Game, delivered another All-Star performance with 36 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds, while Garland added 21 points and 9 assists in a losing effort for the Cavs.