The Dallas Mavericks gave the Cleveland Cavaliers (47-30) everything they had, for three and a half quarters, but eventually suffered a 98-87 loss Sunday night.
Dallas (23-54) has now lost three straight games and sits at No. 13 in the Western Conference, with five games remaining in the regular season. This loss gives Cleveland the 2-0 season series sweep. The win prevents Cleveland from dropping into fifth-place in the Eastern Conference.
Breakdown
As many expected, the contest had all the looks of a trap game early on. Cleveland came out a bit lethargic while Dallas played spirited basketball, taking command early in the first period.