CLEVELAND (AP) — James Harden scored 21 points to become the ninth player in NBA history with more than 29,000 career points, Keon Ellis added 19 off the bench, and the Cleveland Cavaliers cruised to a 115-101 victory over the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night.
Donovan Mitchell had 17 points and six assists, and Evan Mobley had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Cavaliers. Harden reached the milestone with a free throw in the first quarter, finishing the game with 29,017 points in 17 pro seasons.
Cleveland is 8-1 at home since Jan. 23, with its lone loss Sunday to surging Boston, and has won 18 of its last 24 overall. The Cavaliers are in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, one game behind New York.
Quentin Grimes scored 17 points and Cameron Payne had 12 points for Philadelphia, which has lost two in a row and four of its last five to slip into eighth in the East. Justin Edwards added 14 points.
The 76ers were without their top four scorers in All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey (right finger sprain), Joel Embiid (right oblique strain), Paul George (league suspension) and VJ Edgecombe (lumbar contusion). They are averaging 86.9 points per game combined.
Harden scored nine points in the third quarter when the Cavaliers extended their advantage to 84-59 en route to sweeping their four-game season series with Philadelphia. They scored 497 points combined in those contests.
Ellis had 14 points and made four 3-pointers in the first half, helping Cleveland build multiple 17-point leads after going in front for the first time at 19-18. Grimes scored 14 for the 76ers, who trailed 56-44 at the break.
Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen missed his second straight game with right knee tendinitis.
Up next
76ers: Host Memphis on Tuesday night
Cavaliers: Visit Philadelphia on Wednesday night.
