Darius Garland scores 26 points, NBA-leading Cavaliers rout 76ers 126-99 for 25th win in 29 games

CLEVELAND (AP) — Darius Garland scored 26 points and Evan Mobley had 22 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, sending the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers to a 126-99 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night.

Donovan Mitchell had 19 points and Georges Niang added 13 points off the bench for Cleveland, which is 25-4 for the top record in the league.

The Cavaliers tied their season high with 22 3-pointers -- Garland made 6 of 7 -- and improved to an NBA-best 16-1 at home.

Tyrese Maxey scored 13 of his 27 points in the third quarter and Paul George had 11 points for Philadelphia. Kelly Oubre Jr. had nine points, but the 76ers were outscored by 34 in his 27 minutes.

Philadelphia center Joel Embiid, who has a sinus fracture and knee soreness, did not play the second game of a back-to-back set. The former MVP scored 34 points Friday in a win over Charlotte.

76ers: Coach Nick Nurse felt comfortable with his rotation until rookie shooting guard Jared McCain underwent knee surgery Tuesday. “When you lose McCain, all those plans go right out the window,” Nurse said.

Cavaliers: After a scoreless first quarter, Mobley erupted for 12 points in the second and 10 in the third by imposing his will in the paint. The fourth-year pro is averaging a career-high 18.4 points and 9.0 rebounds.

Mobley drove down the lane for a thunderous slam over KJ Martin and Andre Drummond — causing the crowd and the Cavaliers’ bench to erupt — as part of a 9-0 run to open the second half.

The Cavaliers made 22 3-pointers in 43 attempts, marking the first time in franchise history they have made 19 or more in three consecutive games. Cleveland leads the NBA with a .405 3-point percentage.

The 76ers host San Antonio on Monday. The Cavaliers host Utah on Monday.

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Cleveland Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket as Philadelphia 76ers' Kelly Oubre Jr., right, defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Saturday Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Philadelphia 76ers' Andre Drummond, left blocks a shot by Cleveland Cavaliers' Jarrett Allen, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Saturday Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Cleveland Cavaliers' Darius Garland (10) shoots against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Saturday Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Cleveland Cavaliers' Jarrett Allen (31) dunks against the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Philadelphia 76ers' Paul George (8) defends as Cleveland Cavaliers' Evan Mobley, rear looks to pass during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Saturday Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Philadelphia 76ers' Paul George (8) shoots as Cleveland Cavaliers' Jarrett Allen, right, defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Saturday Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Philadelphia 76ers' Tyrese Maxey (0) shoots as Cleveland Cavaliers' Caris LeVert (3) looks on during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Saturday Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Philadelphia 76ers' Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) shoots over Cleveland Cavaliers' Jarrett Allen (31)during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Saturday Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Cleveland Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell (45) shoots as Philadelphia 76ers' Paul George (8) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Two U.S. Navy pilots were shot down Sunday over the Red Sea in an apparent “friendly fire” incident, the U.S military said, marking the most serious incident to threaten troops in over a year of America targeting Yemen's Houthi rebels.

Both pilots were recovered alive, with one suffering minor injuries, but the shootdown underlines just how dangerous the Red Sea corridor has become over the ongoing attacks on shipping by the Iranian-backed Houthis despite U.S. and European military coalitions patrolling the area.

The U.S. military had conducted airstrikes targeting Yemen’s Houthi rebels at the time, though the U.S. military’s Central Command did not elaborate on what their mission was and did not immediately respond to questions from The Associated Press.

The F/A-18 shot down had just flown off the deck of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, Central Command said. On Dec. 15, Central Command acknowledged the Truman had entered the Mideast, but hadn't specified that the carrier and its battle group was in the Red Sea.

“The guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, which is part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, mistakenly fired on and hit the F/A-18,” Central Command said in a statement.

From the military's description, the aircraft shot down was a two-seat F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet assigned to the “Red Rippers” of Strike Fighter Squadron 11 out of Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia.

It wasn't immediately clear how the Gettysburg could mistake an F/A-18 for an enemy aircraft or missile, particularly as ships in a battle group remain linked by both radar and radio communication. However, Central Command said that warships and aircraft earlier shot down multiple Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile launched by the rebels.

Since the Truman's arrival, the U.S. has stepped up its airstrikes targeting the Houthis and their missile fire into the Red Sea and the surrounding area. However, the presence of an American warship group may spark renewed attacks from the rebels, like what the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower saw earlier this year. That deployment marked what the Navy described as its most intense combat since World War II.

On Saturday night and early Sunday, U.S. warplanes conducted airstrikes that shook Sanaa, the capital of Yemen that the Houthis have held since 2014. Central Command described the strikes as targeting a “missile storage facility” and a “command-and-control facility,” without elaborating.

Houthi-controlled media reported strikes in both Sanaa and around the port city of Hodeida, without offering any casualty or damage information. In Sanaa, strikes appeared particularly targeted at a mountainside known to be home to military installations. The Houthis did not acknowledge the aircraft being shot down in the Red Sea.

The Houthis have targeted about 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip started in October 2023 after Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and saw 250 others taken hostage.

Israel’s grinding offensive in Gaza has killed more than 45,000 Palestinians, local health officials say. The tally doesn’t distinguish between combatants and civilians.

The Houthis have seized one vessel and sunk two in a campaign that has also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by separate U.S.- and European-led coalitions in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which have also included Western military vessels.

The rebels maintain that they target ships linked to Israel, the U.S. or the United Kingdom to force an end to Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.

The Houthis also have increasingly targeted Israel itself with drones and missiles, resulting in retaliatory Israeli airstrikes.

The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64) steams in the Mediterranean Sea, Dec. 15, 2025. (Kaitlin Young/U.S. Navy via AP)

FILE - Aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman is moored near Split, Croatia, Feb. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic, File)

FILE - A fighter jet maneuvers on the deck of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea, June 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue, File)