Donovan Mitchell, James Harden rally Cavaliers to 119-117 win over Nuggets

DENVER (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points, including two free throws with 0.9 seconds left after James Harden's tying 3-pointer, and the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied to beat the Denver Nuggets 119-117 on Monday night.

Harden finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds in his second game with Cleveland. Harden, acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 4, scored 23 points in his Cavaliers' debut three nights later.

Nikola Jokic had 22 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists, but missed a potential winning 3-point shot at the buzzer. Two nights after Jokic passed Oscar Robertson for second place in career triple-doubles, he notched his 183rd.

Monday night was the 14th time Harden has played against Denver since the start of the 2024-25 season, including a seven-game slugfest in the first round of the playoffs last year.

“Even if you’re prepared for (Harden), his ability to go get 28 and 12, it’s historical,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said before the game.

Harden keyed a Cleveland rally that cut Denver’s 11-point lead to 106-104 but Christian Braun, playing his fourth game back from a left ankle injury, drained a 3-pointer and Jonas Valanciunas hit two free throws to make it 111-104.

Mitchell's lob to Jarrett Allen, who finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds, for an alley-oop dunk made it a one-point game, and after Jokic's hook shot, Harden hit a step-back 3-pointer to tie it 117-all with 32 seconds left. Tim Hardaway missed at the other end and Jamal Murray fouled Mitchell, who calmly drained the winning free throws.

Mitchell added 10 assists for the Cavaliers, who have won eight of their last nine.

Murray finished with 17 points and 11 assists for Denver, which has dropped four of its last five games.

Cavs: Hosts the Wizards on Wednesday night.

Nuggets: Host the Grizzlies on Wednesday night.

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Denver Nuggets guard Julian Strawther, left, and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell pursue a loose ball in the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill, left, fouls Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray as he drives to the net in the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, left, drives past Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun (0) in the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen, left, is called for a foul as he elbows Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden, right, goes up to block a shot by Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun in the first half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Bangladesh’s election Thursday is the country's most consequential. It follows youth-led protests 18 months ago that overthrew the government of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and ushered Bangladesh into an interim administration led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.

The vote, alongside a constitutional referendum on political reforms, will end the transition period and test the South Asian nation's democracy.

Many voters hope the return to elections will restore law and order, protect civil liberties and bring accountable leadership. But there is also unease. Some fear political instability, the marginalization of women and minorities, and the rise of Islamists in a secular country.

Here’s a look at what Bangladeshis have been saying.

Yunus has promised to deliver a fair vote. That is a major demand among most people, many of whom regard previous elections under Hasina as rigged. Those concerns, including a clampdown on opposition parties, were a major factor that eventually exploded in a student-led uprising that ended Hasina's 15-year-long rule and sent her to exile in India.

“I don’t want any more bad incidents in Bangladesh, or a war like situation,” said Arefin Labib, referring to the 2024 uprising which was met with a brutal crackdown by security forces, killing hundreds of people.

Labib hopes that a newly elected government might finally restore stability to Bangladesh and guide the nation toward a better future.

“If the country wants to run smoothly, then a fair election is needed,” he said.

Much of this sentiment is shared by many Bangladeshis, especially after Hasina’s ouster was followed by rising political violence, attacks on Hindu minorities, and a collapse of law and order on the streets.

“I want the government to prevent riots, killings, and any other trouble in the country,” said 62-year-old street vendor Zainul Abedeen.

There is broader consensus that Yunus’ interim government steadied an economy that had been in free fall, but many say it failed to restore security and protect human rights, and neglected the safety of religious minorities.

Dhaka resident Rajit Hasan said that while the interim government made efforts to stabilize the situation, it ultimately fell short of delivering the deep reforms and accountability many had hoped for.

“The government just tried, but the political situation was so fragmented, so fragile, that it just couldn’t sort it out,” he said.

Hasan wants the transition to bring stronger access to justice, genuine protection of civil liberties, and the freedom for people to practice their religion and exercise their rights. He also called for accountable leadership, independent institutions, and a political culture where dissent is respected rather than suppressed.

“We want democracy. We want our rights. We want the rule of law. That’s what we are looking for,” he said.

For years, Bangladesh stood out globally for being governed by female prime ministers — Khaleda Zia for two full terms and Hasina for four. It gave many women a sense of representation. That legacy, however, is under threat.

Hasina and her party are banned from participating in the election. Meanwhile, there are fewer women contesting than before, despite the pivotal role women protesters played in the uprising that paved the way for the election.

Economics student Wasima Binte Hussain, who took part in the uprising, said she had hoped the political transition would open more space for women. But she has found the reality discouraging. Female leadership remains scarce, and issues affecting women have yet to get the attention she expected, she said.

“One of my primary hope was that there will be more women leaders ... and women issues would be prioritized more. It hasn’t been prioritized that much,” she said.

These worries have grown alongside a surge of support in Bangladesh for Jamaat-e-Islami, an Islamist group that was banned under Hasina but has gained influence since her ouster.

The party's rise has alarmed many women, especially after its leaders suggested restricting women’s activities and questioned their ability to work because of their childbearing role. The party, however, insists that it would rule moderately if it comes to power.

Sayma Nowshin Suha, 22, said the prospect of Jamaat-e-Islami gaining power is deeply frightening for young women like her because of its conservative politics. She said she dreams of a Bangladesh where people are free to live their lives as they see fit, without fear or restriction.

“In Bangladesh,” she said, “conservatism is the scariest thing.”

Wasima Binte Hussian, 23, economics student, talks to The Associated Press in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

Sayma Nowshin Suha, 22, talks to The Associated Press in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

Rajit Hasan, 28, talks to The Associated Press in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

Mohammed Zainul Abedeen, 62, a tea seller vendor talks to Associated Press in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

Arefin Labib, a student talks to The Associated Press in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)