Cavaliers score 141 points

CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 27 points, Sam Merrill added 22 and the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled away in the second half for a 141-118 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.

Nine of the 11 players used by the Cavaliers players scored in double figures as they won consecutive games for the first time since Nov. 21-23. Cleveland also evened its December record at 5-5.

The 23-point victory was the Cavaliers’ second-biggest margin this season.

It was the fifth time in the NBA this season and the second time in three days a team has had nine players score in double figures. According to Sportradar, it was only the second time in franchise history the Cavaliers had done it. The previous time was Nov. 10, 1992, against the Washington Bullets.

Cleveland scored at least 139 points for the second straight night and eighth time this season.

The Cavaliers got 57 points from their reserves as Jaylon Tyson scored 18 and Jaylon Tyson added a season-high 15.

Center Jarrett Allen had 14 points, including his first 3-pointer since Jan. 29, 2023.

Zion Williamson scored 26 points off the bench as New Orleans had a five-game winning streak snapped. Derik Queen added 21 points.

Merrill, who returned to the lineup Monday night after missing 14 games with a sprained right hand, was 7 of 12 from the field and 6 of 10 on 3-pointers in 26 minutes. It was the third time this season he scored at least 20 points.

Queen’s 3-pointer got the Pelicans within 76-70 before the Cavaliers blew it open with a 17-4 run. Mitchell had 13 points and made all six of his shots in the quarter as Cleveland was 17 of 26 from the field.

The Cavaliers will play at the New York Knicks on Christmas Day.

Heacock retires from coaching

AMES, Iowa — Former Youngstown State head football coach Jon Heacock and current Iowa State defensive coordinator announced his retirement on social media on Tuesday.

“I’m so thankful, grateful and blessed to have worked alongside some of the finest players, support staff members and coaches in America,” Heacock said in an X post announcing his retirement. “I’m certainly thankful and grateful that God chose me to be the defensive coordinator at Iowa State University for 10 years. Ames, Iowa State, the team, and Cyclone Nation: Man, we all did some special stuff together! Thanks to you all!”

The 1979 West Branch graduate started his coaching career in 1983 as a graduate assistant at Toledo. His assistant coaching stops included Steubenville High School, West Liberty, Michigan and Army before settling in on Jim Tressel’s staff from 1991 to 1996 where he helped build defenses that won three NCAA I-AA championships.

Heacock, 65, departed YSU to serve as Indiana’s defensive coordinator from 1997 to 1999 before returning as the Penguin defensive coordinator in 2000. After Tressel was hired to take over at Ohio State, Heacock was promoted to head coach and led the Penguins to a 60-44 record from 2001-2009.

Following his tenure at YSU, Heacock was a defensive coordinator at Kent State from 2010-2012 as well as a defensive backs coach at Purdue in 2013. In 2014 he joined Matt Campbell’s staff at Toledo and later followed him to Iowa State in 2016.