Mitchell has 35 points to power Cavs past 76ers 133-107 but Garland exits with foot injury

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Donovan Mitchell had 35 points and nine assists, Darius Garland scored 20 points before leaving with an injured foot and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Philadelphia 76ers 133-107 on Wednesday night.

Garland was ruled out for the game late in the third quarter when he hurt his right foot diving for a loose ball. Garland already had surgery in June on the injured left big toe that hampered him during Cleveland’s exit from the playoffs.

The All-Star guard averaged 17.9 points after a slow start this season as he recovered from surgery. Garland continued his recent hot streak and shot 8 for 13 against the 76ers.

Garland averaged 20.6 points and 6.7 assists during the regular season to help the Cavs finish atop the Eastern Conference.

Joel Embiid scored 20 points and hit a 3-pointer that helped him reach 13,000 career points, the seventh player in team history to hit that mark.

Paul George had 17 points for the Sixers in the opener of a two-game series.

Sixers fans booed the team off the court in the third quarter headed into a timeout and trailing 75-53.

Tyrese Maxey and Quintin Grimes hit a pair of 3s during a 10-0 run and Embiid — who just earlier landed his 7-foot-2 frame on two rows of unsuspecting fans when he dove for a loose ball — buried a 3 that made it 79-66.

The good times were short-lived, and fans headed for the exits as the Cavs stretched the lead to 22 midway through the fourth.

Sixers forward Dom Barlow needed help up from the court and into the locker room after his legs gave out on him and he landed hard on his back and head on a driving layup attempt. He suffered a back contusion.

De'Andre Hunter hit early 3s that stretched Cleveland's lead to 30-14 and 60-47 headed into halftime. Hunter and Evan Mobley both scored 17 points. Mobley grabbed 13 rebounds.

The teams play again Friday.

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Cleveland Cavaliers' Darius Garland, left, passes against Philadelphia 76ers' Tyrese Maxey during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid, center, goes up for a shot between Cleveland Cavaliers' Jarrett Allen, left, and Evan Mobley during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid (21) goes up for a shot during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Cleveland Cavaliers Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia 76ers' Tyrese Maxey (0) goes up for a shot against Cleveland Cavaliers' Sam Merrill (5) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Cleveland Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell, right, battles for the ball against Philadelphia 76ers' Vj Edgecombe during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran closed its airspace to commercial flights without explanation early Thursday as tensions remained high with the United States over Tehran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests.

Iran previously shut its airspace during the 12-day war against Israel in June and when it exchanged fire with Israel during the Israel-Hamas war. However, there were no signs of current hostilities though the closure immediately rippled through global aviation because Iran is located on a key East-West route for airlines.

“Several airlines have already reduced or suspended services, and most carriers are avoiding Iranian airspace,” said the website SafeAirspace, which provides information on conflict areas and air travel. “The situation may signal further security or military activity, including the risk of missile launches or heightened air defense, increasing the risk of misidentification of civil traffic.”

Iran in the past has misidentified a commercial aircraft as a hostile target. In 2020, Iranian air defense shot down Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 with two surface-to-air missiles, killing all 176 people on board. Iran for days adamantly dismissed allegations of downing the plane as Western propaganda before finally acknowledging it.

The airspace closure came as some personnel at a key U.S. military base in Qatar were advised to evacuate. The U.S. Embassy in Kuwait also ordered its personnel to “temporary halt” going to the multiple military bases in the small Gulf Arab country.

U.S. President Donald Trump made a series of vague statements Wednesday that left unclear what American action, if any, would take place against Iran.

In comments to reporters, Trump said he had been told that plans for executions in Iran have stopped, without providing many details. The shift comes a day after Trump told protesters in Iran that “help is on the way” and that his administration would “act accordingly” to respond to the Islamic Republic’s deadly crackdown.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also sought to tone down the rhetoric, urging the U.S. to find a solution through negotiation.

Asked by Fox News what he would say to Trump, Araghchi said: “My message is: Between war and diplomacy, diplomacy is a better way, although we don’t have any positive experience from the United States. But still diplomacy is much better than war.”

The change in tone by the U.S. and Iran came hours after the chief of the Iranian judiciary said the government must act quickly to punish the thousands who have been detained.

Activists warned that hangings of detainees could come soon. The security forces’ crackdown on the demonstrations has killed at least 2,615, the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported. The death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surrounding the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Demonstrators burn a poster depicting Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a rally in support of anti-government protests in Iran, in Holon, Israel Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

A woman mourns next to the flag-draped coffins of a group of security forces, who were killed during anti-government protests, during their funeral ceremony, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

A man hands out posters of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a funeral ceremony for a group of security forces, who were killed during anti-government protests, in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

People take part in a rally in support of anti-government protests in Iran, Berlin Germany, Wednesday, June 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Policemen protect the British Embassy during a protest by hardline supporters of the Iranian government, as people ride on their motorbike in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)