The Cleveland Cavaliers found their fight again in San Antonio, closing hard and clean to beat the Spurs 113-101. It was a needed bounce-back after a rough loss on Saturday. It also handed San Antonio a second straight defeat just days after the Spurs ripped off eight wins in a row. The headliner: Jarrett Allen, who controlled the paint and the tempo with 27 points and 10 rebounds.

This was a game that turned on poise and shot-making when it mattered most. Cleveland trailed by eight in the third. By the early fourth, the Cavs had flipped everything, and they did it with balance, defense, and timely threes.

Fourth-quarter swing: Tyson’s triples change the game

The key burst came right at the start of the fourth quarter. Rookie Jaylen Tyson calmly splashed back-to-back 3-pointers to give Cleveland an 87-82 lead just two minutes into the final period. That shock of scoring changed the building’s energy. From there, the Cavs stretched it to 94-84 and kept control to the horn.

That closing run didn’t happen by accident. Cleveland’s offense moved the ball and trusted the pass. Darius Garland ran the show with 15 points and 11 assists, getting teammates easy looks and keeping the Spurs in rotation. Seven Cavaliers reached double figures, which tells the story of a team win: no hero ball, just execution.

“Those Tyson threes were the gut punch — that’s where it flipped.”

Jarrett Allen set the tone — and finished the job

Allen was the star. He posted 27 and 10 on 6-for-12 shooting and got 12 in the first half. Two of those makes were the kind that stick in your mind: blind tosses off the backboard that somehow dropped. Those buckets didn’t just count for two points; they told the Spurs that Allen was winning the positioning game inside, finding angles and second chances.

With Evan Mobley adding 16 points, Cleveland’s frontcourt kept pressure on the rim and made San Antonio work for every rebound. It wasn’t flashy; it was steady and physical, and it wore the Spurs down late.

“Allen just outworked Wemby in winning time — that was the difference.”

Wembanyama puts up numbers, but Spurs go cold from deep

Victor Wembanyama was brilliant in stretches, finishing with 26 points and 14 rebounds for his 10th double-double. He even drilled a 25-foot three that swung the early lead to San Antonio at 26-25 after Cleveland’s hot start. But the Spurs never found a rhythm from long range, and that has now become a theme. As the team admitted, they “couldn’t find the stroke from beyond the arc once again.” When the threes don’t fall, the Spurs’ offense gets sticky, and the lane closes.

There were bright spots. Rookie guard Stephon Castle chipped in 15 points with downhill attacks. De’Aaron Fox, returning from left adductor tightness, gave the Spurs 14 steady points. But on a night when the Spurs needed a few more threes to make Cleveland pay for crowding the paint, the shots just didn’t go down.

Early swings, then Cleveland’s balance takes over

The game had waves. Cleveland snapped out fast, taking the first double-digit edge at 22-12 after De’Andre Hunter converted a four-point play. San Antonio answered behind Wembanyama’s shot-making and briefly led. In the third, the Spurs stretched it to an eight-point margin, threatening to put the game on their terms.

Instead, the Cavaliers’ balance finally showed. Luke Kornet added a helpful 10 points off the bench. Hunter finished with 11 and set a tough tone from the start. And when Garland organized the fourth-quarter offense, the Spurs’ defense couldn’t sit on one option because there wasn’t just one option. That’s the power of seven players in double figures — it forces honesty from the defense.

“Seven Cavs in double figures — that’s the blueprint for this team.”

Context and what’s next: lessons for both teams

Both clubs came in looking to rebound from Saturday losses. San Antonio had its eight-game winning streak snapped by Utah, 127-114. Cleveland, meanwhile, absorbed a 117-100 defeat to Houston after falling behind by as many as 37. In that light, this win mattered for Cleveland’s belief. It wasn’t perfect, but it was composed. It was also a reminder: when the Cavs move the ball and play through Allen and Mobley, they dictate the pace and the shot quality.

For the Spurs, the takeaway is clear. They must fix the three-point shooting, especially when Wembanyama draws extra help inside. With Castle and Fox providing pressure on the rim, the kick-outs are there. The next step is turning those kick-outs into makes.

Looking ahead: the Cavaliers host the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, a test for their defense and ball movement. The Spurs welcome the New York Knicks, a physical team that will challenge their shooters and their spacing. Both matchups will say a lot about how these clubs absorb lessons from this one.

Bottom line: Cleveland earned this by finishing stronger, sharing the ball, and trusting their center to lead. San Antonio had the star numbers, but not the shot mix. On this night, that’s what split the two.

“If the Spurs don’t hit threes, Wemby’s big nights won’t be enough.”

One more marker: energy. The Cavs played with it in the fourth. The Spurs lost it. That’s how an eight-point third-quarter hole turned into a double-digit road win. Now it’s on to the next one.