LeBron James: "Our record is our record"

Donovan Mitchell scored 33 points and Darius Garland added 24 in the dynamic Cleveland backcourt's return from injury absences, and the Cavaliers rolled past LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 114-100 Sunday for their eighth consecutive victory.

Jarrett Allen added 16 points to back the Cleveland guards' latest two-man show while the Cavs improved to 8-1, extending their longest winning streak since a 13-game run in late 2017 during James' final season with the team.

James scored 27 points, but lost to his hometown Cavaliers for only the second time in 19 meetings during his 20-year NBA career. He took his only other loss in March 2011 while with Miami.

Mitchell remained in a groove with his new team, topping 30 points for the sixth time in eight games.

Cleveland hasn't made the playoffs without James on its roster since 1998, but this current group appears primed to make its own history. The Cavs trailed by 12 in the first half during a slow start that coach J.B. Bickerstaff dryly attributed to "LA," but they smoothly surged away in the second half.

Anthony Davis had 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers, who dropped to 2-7 with their second straight home defeat. Russell Westbrook had 19 points and 10 assists with seven turnovers in another lively performance as a reserve, but the Lakers had no defensive answers for Mitchell or Garland.

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