Final
Houston Rockets at Dallas Mavericks
135 – 117
2026-27 · Preseason · Preseason
Game state source: whynba · Retrieved Oct 9, 7:44 pm EDTNew Orleans Pelicans at Cleveland Cavaliers
2025-26 · Regular season · All results that day · New Orleans Pelicans vs Cleveland Cavaliers head-to-head · New Orleans Pelicans schedule · Cleveland Cavaliers schedule
Final
Away
New Orleans Pelicans
118
Home
Cleveland Cavaliers
141
Venue: Rocket Arena
Schedule source: whynba · Observed Oct 9, 2026, 06:29 UTC.
Game recap
The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the New Orleans Pelicans 141-118 at home on Tuesday, December 23, 2025 at Rocket Arena. Donovan Mitchell had 27 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Zion Williamson had 26 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist for the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Cleveland Cavaliers led 69-60 at halftime and pulled away after the break. Their best stretch was the first quarter, won 32-22. Bench points: New Orleans Pelicans 53, Cleveland Cavaliers 57. Sam Merrill had 22 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists in support for the winners.
Written by the whynba data desk from the licensed final box score and period scores.
Score source: whynba · Retrieved Oct 9, 2026, 06:29:14 UTC. Source update time is unavailable.
Controls this game's status, scores and reported player statistics only. Other page sections may still update. Pausing lasts until you resume or reload.
Reported player statistics
this may be a partial box score. A dash means unavailable. Zero minutes alone does not establish a DNP designation.
| Player | Team | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | +/− | Retrieved (UTC) |
|---|
Quick answers
- Who won New Orleans Pelicans vs Cleveland Cavaliers?
- The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the New Orleans Pelicans 141-118 on December 23, 2025.
- Who led the scoring?
- Zion Williamson scored 26 for the New Orleans Pelicans; Donovan Mitchell scored 27 for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Match dossier
Inside the game
Box score
| Team | q1 | q2 | q3 | q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Pelicans | 22 | 38 | 31 | 27 | 118 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 32 | 37 | 41 | 31 | 141 |
Game leaders
New Orleans Pelicans
- Points
- 26 Zion Williamson
- Rebounds
- 7 Bryce McGowens
- Assists
- 5 Jeremiah Fears
Cleveland Cavaliers
- Points
- 27 Donovan Mitchell
- Rebounds
- 9 Jarrett Allen
- Assists
- 8 Darius Garland
| Player | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG | 3P | FT | PF | +/− |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce McGowens starter | 30:36 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3-7 | 1-3 | 1-2 | 3 | -13 |
| Jeremiah Fears starter | 27:13 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3-11 | 1-3 | 4-5 | 0 | -7 |
| Trey Murphy III starter | 26:26 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6-12 | 2-5 | 0-0 | 2 | -16 |
| Saddiq Bey starter | 26:08 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5-13 | 1-5 | 0-0 | 0 | -5 |
| Derik Queen starter | 25:11 | 21 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7-14 | 2-3 | 5-6 | 2 | -11 |
| Jose Alvarado bench | 25:24 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2-4 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 3 | -18 |
| Jordan Hawkins bench | 21:34 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2-5 | 1-2 | 2-2 | 2 | -7 |
| Zion Williamson bench | 20:55 | 26 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 9-15 | 0-0 | 8-9 | 2 | -17 |
| Micah Peavy bench | 13:44 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2-4 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0 | -9 |
| Yves Missi bench | 12:48 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3-3 | 0-0 | 1-1 | 1 | -1 |
| Karlo Matkovic bench | 10:01 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1-6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1 | -11 |
Not available: Herbert Jones, Jordan Poole
| Player | MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | FG | 3P | FT | PF | +/− |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donovan Mitchell starter | 29:40 | 27 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 11-16 | 2-6 | 3-4 | 4 | +19 |
| Darius Garland starter | 28:34 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4-9 | 2-6 | 0-0 | 0 | +14 |
| Jarrett Allen starter | 26:17 | 14 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6-9 | 1-1 | 1-2 | 4 | +15 |
| Sam Merrill starter | 25:43 | 22 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7-12 | 6-10 | 2-2 | 2 | +18 |
| Dean Wade starter | 24:53 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4-10 | 3-8 | 0-0 | 2 | +9 |
| Jaylon Tyson bench | 24:39 | 18 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8-13 | 2-4 | 0-0 | 4 | +15 |
| De'Andre Hunter bench | 24:07 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5-13 | 0-4 | 0-0 | 1 | +23 |
| Craig Porter bench | 22:17 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4-8 | 2-4 | 2-2 | 0 | +5 |
| Thomas Bryant bench | 21:43 | 15 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6-8 | 2-2 | 1-1 | 3 | +8 |
| Tyrese Proctor bench | 8:18 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0-5 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 1 | -8 |
| NaeQwan Tomlin bench | 3:49 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1-2 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0 | -3 |
Not available: Lonzo Ball, Max Strus, Evan Mobley, Larry Nance Jr.
| New Orleans Pelicans | Stat | Cleveland Cavaliers |
|---|---|---|
| 21/25 (84%) | Free throws | 9/11 (81%) |
| 32/68 (47%) | 2 pointers | 36/56 (64%) |
| 11/26 (42%) | 3 pointers | 20/49 (40%) |
| 43/94 (45%) | Field goals | 56/105 (53%) |
| 43 | Rebounds | 49 |
| 30 | Defensive rebounds | 35 |
| 13 | Offensive rebounds | 14 |
| 26 | Assists | 40 |
| 16 | Turnovers | 13 |
| 10 | Steals | 8 |
| 2 | Blocks | 6 |
| 16 | Fouls | 21 |
| 8 | Max points in a row | 9 |
| 0:15 | Time spent in lead | 46:08 |
| 3 | Biggest lead | 28 |
Largest margin: 28 points.
Game flow
- Lead changes
- 1
- Times tied
- 1
- Largest lead · New Orleans Pelicans
- 3 Q1 11:36
- Largest lead · Cleveland Cavaliers
- 28 Q4 3:15
- Longest run
- 9-0 Cleveland Cavaliers · Q3 7:09 to Q3 5:02
Scoring plays
Q1 · 24 scoring plays
| Time left | Team | Play | New Orleans Pelicans | Cleveland Cavaliers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:36 | New Orleans Pelicans | Trey Murphy III 3-pt field goal | 3 | 0 |
| 11:21 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Sam Merrill 3-pt field goal | 3 | 3 |
| 10:08 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Dean Wade 3-pt field goal | 3 | 6 |
| 9:22 | New Orleans Pelicans | Saddiq Bey 2-pt field goal | 5 | 6 |
| 9:12 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Donovan Mitchell 2-pt field goal | 5 | 8 |
| 8:53 | New Orleans Pelicans | Saddiq Bey 2-pt field goal | 7 | 8 |
| 8:41 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Darius Garland 2-pt field goal | 7 | 10 |
| 8:06 | New Orleans Pelicans | Trey Murphy III 2-pt field goal | 9 | 10 |
| 7:48 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Dean Wade 3-pt field goal | 9 | 13 |
| 7:31 | New Orleans Pelicans | Saddiq Bey 2-pt field goal | 11 | 13 |
| 6:36 | Cleveland Cavaliers | De'Andre Hunter 2-pt field goal | 11 | 15 |
| 6:07 | New Orleans Pelicans | Zion Williamson 2-pt field goal | 13 | 15 |
| 5:59 | Cleveland Cavaliers | De'Andre Hunter 2-pt field goal | 13 | 17 |
| 5:34 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Jarrett Allen 2-pt field goal | 13 | 19 |
| 4:57 | New Orleans Pelicans | Karlo Matkovic 2-pt field goal | 15 | 19 |
| 4:37 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Thomas Bryant 3-pt field goal | 15 | 22 |
| 4:06 | New Orleans Pelicans | Zion Williamson 2-pt field goal | 17 | 22 |
| 3:15 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Craig Porter 3-pt field goal | 17 | 25 |
| 1:48 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Jaylon Tyson 2-pt field goal | 17 | 27 |
| 1:10 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Jaylon Tyson 3-pt field goal | 17 | 30 |
| 0:50 | New Orleans Pelicans | Derik Queen Free throw | 18 | 30 |
| 0:50 | New Orleans Pelicans | Derik Queen Free throw | 19 | 30 |
| 0:40 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jordan Hawkins 3-pt field goal | 22 | 30 |
| 0:28 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Jaylon Tyson 2-pt field goal | 22 | 32 |
Q2 · 40 scoring plays
| Time left | Team | Play | New Orleans Pelicans | Cleveland Cavaliers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:34 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Jaylon Tyson 2-pt field goal | 22 | 34 |
| 11:13 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Craig Porter Free throw | 22 | 35 |
| 11:13 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Craig Porter Free throw | 22 | 36 |
| 10:25 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Donovan Mitchell 2-pt field goal | 22 | 38 |
| 10:15 | New Orleans Pelicans | Bryce McGowens Free throw | 23 | 38 |
| 9:28 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Thomas Bryant 2-pt field goal | 23 | 40 |
| 9:28 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Thomas Bryant Free throw | 23 | 41 |
| 9:20 | New Orleans Pelicans | Zion Williamson 2-pt field goal | 25 | 41 |
| 9:20 | New Orleans Pelicans | Zion Williamson Free throw | 26 | 41 |
| 9:07 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jeremiah Fears Free throw | 27 | 41 |
| 9:07 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jeremiah Fears Free throw | 28 | 41 |
| 8:42 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jeremiah Fears 3-pt field goal | 31 | 41 |
| 8:13 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Dean Wade 3-pt field goal | 31 | 44 |
| 7:34 | New Orleans Pelicans | Bryce McGowens 2-pt field goal | 33 | 44 |
| 7:24 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Dean Wade 2-pt field goal | 33 | 46 |
| 7:09 | New Orleans Pelicans | Yves Missi 2-pt field goal | 35 | 46 |
| 6:54 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Jarrett Allen 2-pt field goal | 35 | 48 |
| 6:43 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jeremiah Fears 2-pt field goal | 37 | 48 |
| 6:09 | New Orleans Pelicans | Yves Missi 2-pt field goal | 39 | 48 |
| 6:09 | New Orleans Pelicans | Yves Missi Free throw | 40 | 48 |
| 5:54 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Darius Garland 2-pt field goal | 40 | 50 |
| 5:44 | New Orleans Pelicans | Trey Murphy III 2-pt field goal | 42 | 50 |
| 5:29 | Cleveland Cavaliers | De'Andre Hunter 2-pt field goal | 42 | 52 |
| 5:19 | New Orleans Pelicans | Yves Missi 2-pt field goal | 44 | 52 |
| 5:00 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Sam Merrill 2-pt field goal | 44 | 54 |
| 4:50 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jeremiah Fears Free throw | 45 | 54 |
| 4:50 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jeremiah Fears Free throw | 46 | 54 |
| 4:35 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Sam Merrill 3-pt field goal | 46 | 57 |
| 4:24 | New Orleans Pelicans | Trey Murphy III 3-pt field goal | 49 | 57 |
| 4:12 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Jarrett Allen 2-pt field goal | 49 | 59 |
| 3:54 | New Orleans Pelicans | Saddiq Bey 2-pt field goal | 51 | 59 |
| 3:27 | New Orleans Pelicans | Zion Williamson 2-pt field goal | 53 | 59 |
| 3:27 | New Orleans Pelicans | Zion Williamson Free throw | 54 | 59 |
| 3:11 | New Orleans Pelicans | Zion Williamson 2-pt field goal | 56 | 59 |
| 3:04 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Donovan Mitchell 2-pt field goal | 56 | 61 |
| 1:12 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Donovan Mitchell 2-pt field goal | 56 | 63 |
| 0:58 | New Orleans Pelicans | Zion Williamson 2-pt field goal | 58 | 63 |
| 0:34 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Sam Merrill 3-pt field goal | 58 | 66 |
| 0:13 | New Orleans Pelicans | Trey Murphy III 2-pt field goal | 60 | 66 |
| 0:04 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Sam Merrill 3-pt field goal | 60 | 69 |
Q3 · 35 scoring plays
| Time left | Team | Play | New Orleans Pelicans | Cleveland Cavaliers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:30 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Donovan Mitchell 2-pt field goal | 60 | 71 |
| 11:20 | New Orleans Pelicans | Trey Murphy III 2-pt field goal | 62 | 71 |
| 10:59 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Darius Garland 3-pt field goal | 62 | 74 |
| 10:40 | New Orleans Pelicans | Bryce McGowens 3-pt field goal | 65 | 74 |
| 10:24 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Donovan Mitchell 2-pt field goal | 65 | 76 |
| 10:04 | New Orleans Pelicans | Derik Queen 2-pt field goal | 67 | 76 |
| 8:57 | New Orleans Pelicans | Derik Queen 3-pt field goal | 70 | 76 |
| 8:44 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Darius Garland 3-pt field goal | 70 | 79 |
| 8:23 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Sam Merrill 3-pt field goal | 70 | 82 |
| 8:08 | New Orleans Pelicans | Derik Queen 2-pt field goal | 72 | 82 |
| 7:57 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Donovan Mitchell 2-pt field goal | 72 | 84 |
| 7:51 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jeremiah Fears 2-pt field goal | 74 | 84 |
| 7:09 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Donovan Mitchell 3-pt field goal | 74 | 87 |
| 6:06 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Jarrett Allen Free throw | 74 | 88 |
| 5:42 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Jaylon Tyson 3-pt field goal | 74 | 91 |
| 5:02 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Craig Porter 2-pt field goal | 74 | 93 |
| 4:42 | New Orleans Pelicans | Zion Williamson 2-pt field goal | 76 | 93 |
| 4:27 | New Orleans Pelicans | Zion Williamson Free throw | 77 | 93 |
| 4:27 | New Orleans Pelicans | Zion Williamson Free throw | 78 | 93 |
| 4:12 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Craig Porter 3-pt field goal | 78 | 96 |
| 4:02 | New Orleans Pelicans | Zion Williamson 2-pt field goal | 80 | 96 |
| 4:02 | New Orleans Pelicans | Zion Williamson Free throw | 81 | 96 |
| 3:44 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Thomas Bryant 2-pt field goal | 81 | 98 |
| 3:21 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Jaylon Tyson 2-pt field goal | 81 | 100 |
| 2:38 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Craig Porter 2-pt field goal | 81 | 102 |
| 2:27 | New Orleans Pelicans | Zion Williamson Free throw | 82 | 102 |
| 1:58 | New Orleans Pelicans | Derik Queen 2-pt field goal | 84 | 102 |
| 1:38 | Cleveland Cavaliers | De'Andre Hunter 2-pt field goal | 84 | 104 |
| 1:04 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Thomas Bryant 2-pt field goal | 84 | 106 |
| 1:00 | New Orleans Pelicans | Derik Queen 2-pt field goal | 86 | 106 |
| 0:50 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Donovan Mitchell 2-pt field goal | 86 | 108 |
| 0:39 | New Orleans Pelicans | Derik Queen Free throw | 87 | 108 |
| 0:39 | New Orleans Pelicans | Derik Queen Free throw | 88 | 108 |
| 0:16 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Donovan Mitchell 2-pt field goal | 88 | 110 |
| 0:02 | New Orleans Pelicans | Derik Queen 3-pt field goal | 91 | 110 |
Q4 · 30 scoring plays
| Time left | Team | Play | New Orleans Pelicans | Cleveland Cavaliers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11:45 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Donovan Mitchell 3-pt field goal | 91 | 113 |
| 11:11 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jose Alvarado 3-pt field goal | 94 | 113 |
| 11:01 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Thomas Bryant 2-pt field goal | 94 | 115 |
| 10:26 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Donovan Mitchell Free throw | 94 | 116 |
| 10:26 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Donovan Mitchell Free throw | 94 | 117 |
| 10:26 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Donovan Mitchell Free throw | 94 | 118 |
| 10:14 | New Orleans Pelicans | Zion Williamson 2-pt field goal | 96 | 118 |
| 9:30 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Thomas Bryant 3-pt field goal | 96 | 121 |
| 9:12 | New Orleans Pelicans | Derik Queen 2-pt field goal | 98 | 121 |
| 8:44 | New Orleans Pelicans | Zion Williamson Free throw | 99 | 121 |
| 8:44 | New Orleans Pelicans | Zion Williamson Free throw | 100 | 121 |
| 8:10 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jose Alvarado 3-pt field goal | 103 | 121 |
| 7:47 | New Orleans Pelicans | Derik Queen Free throw | 104 | 121 |
| 7:03 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Jarrett Allen 2-pt field goal | 104 | 123 |
| 6:16 | New Orleans Pelicans | Saddiq Bey 3-pt field goal | 107 | 123 |
| 6:08 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Sam Merrill 3-pt field goal | 107 | 126 |
| 5:26 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Jarrett Allen 2-pt field goal | 107 | 128 |
| 4:59 | New Orleans Pelicans | Bryce McGowens 2-pt field goal | 109 | 128 |
| 4:37 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Sam Merrill Free throw | 109 | 129 |
| 4:37 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Sam Merrill Free throw | 109 | 130 |
| 4:04 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Jarrett Allen 3-pt field goal | 109 | 133 |
| 3:49 | Cleveland Cavaliers | De'Andre Hunter 2-pt field goal | 109 | 135 |
| 3:15 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Jaylon Tyson 2-pt field goal | 109 | 137 |
| 2:34 | New Orleans Pelicans | Micah Peavy 2-pt field goal | 111 | 137 |
| 2:22 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Jaylon Tyson 2-pt field goal | 111 | 139 |
| 2:02 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jordan Hawkins 2-pt field goal | 113 | 139 |
| 1:05 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jordan Hawkins Free throw | 114 | 139 |
| 1:05 | New Orleans Pelicans | Jordan Hawkins Free throw | 115 | 139 |
| 0:32 | Cleveland Cavaliers | NaeQwan Tomlin 2-pt field goal | 115 | 141 |
| 0:08 | New Orleans Pelicans | Micah Peavy 3-pt field goal | 118 | 141 |
2025-26 season series
After this game: Cleveland Cavaliers 1-0. Final series: Cleveland Cavaliers 2-0.
- Dec 23: New Orleans Pelicans 118 at Cleveland Cavaliers 141 (this game)
- Mar 21: Cleveland Cavaliers 111 at New Orleans Pelicans 106
Highlights
Game statistics · retrieved Oct 9, 2026 02:29.
Tipoff and venue can change. Game times: Eastern Time.
Tipoff in UTC
Dec 24, 2025 · 00:30 UTC