Cavaliers score 91 points in the first half against Mavericks following Doncic trade

CLEVLEAND — The Cavaliers ran up the score on the undermanned Mavericks.

Cleveland scored 91 points — matching the third most in a first half in NBA history — on Sunday while opening a 45-point lead on Dallas, which was playing its first game since trading superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Cavs set several franchise records, including points in a quarter with 50 in the first. Also, Cleveland's 45-point lead was the largest in club history for a half. The Cavs also tied their record for 3-pointers in a half with 16.

The Mavericks were not only missing Doncic, but three other starters, including All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, who sat out with a sore shoulder.

The Phoenix Suns set the record for points in the first half with 107 against Denver on Nov. 10, 1990. The Golden State Warriors dropped 92 on Chicago in 2018 and the Houston Rockets scored 91 against Brooklyn in 2022.

The Cavs showed no mercy on Dallas, making 9 of 11 3s in the first quarter while opening a 31-point lead. Cleveland made seven more from behind the arc in the second quarter and finished 16 of 22 (73%) on 3s in the half.

Darius Garland scored 17 points before halftime while fellow All-Stars Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell added 15 and 12 points, respectively, for the Cavs, who came in ranked second in scoring and first in 3-point percentage.

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