James Harden scores 21, joins 29,000-point club in Cavaliers' 115-101 win over 76ers

CLEVELAND (AP) — James Harden scored 21 points to become the ninth player in NBA history with more than 29,000 career points, Keon Ellis added 19 off the bench, and the Cleveland Cavaliers cruised to a 115-101 victory over the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night.

Donovan Mitchell had 17 points and six assists, and Evan Mobley had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Cavaliers. Harden reached the milestone with a free throw in the first quarter, finishing the game with 29,017 points in 17 pro seasons.

Cleveland is 8-1 at home since Jan. 23, with its lone loss Sunday to surging Boston, and has won 18 of its last 24 overall. The Cavaliers are in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, one game behind New York.

Quentin Grimes scored 17 points and Cameron Payne had 12 points for Philadelphia, which has lost two in a row and four of its last five to slip into eighth in the East. Justin Edwards added 14 points.

The 76ers were without their top four scorers in All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey (right finger sprain), Joel Embiid (right oblique strain), Paul George (league suspension) and VJ Edgecombe (lumbar contusion). They are averaging 86.9 points per game combined.

Harden scored nine points in the third quarter when the Cavaliers extended their advantage to 84-59 en route to sweeping their four-game season series with Philadelphia. They scored 497 points combined in those contests.

Ellis had 14 points and made four 3-pointers in the first half, helping Cleveland build multiple 17-point leads after going in front for the first time at 19-18. Grimes scored 14 for the 76ers, who trailed 56-44 at the break.

Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen missed his second straight game with right knee tendinitis.

76ers: Host Memphis on Tuesday night

Cavaliers: Visit Philadelphia on Wednesday night.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Philadelphia 76ers forward Justin Edwards, top, reaches for the ball held by Cleveland Cavaliers guard Keon Ellis, bottom, in the first half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Monday, March 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jaylon Tyson (20) shoots as Philadelphia 76ers forward Dominick Barlow, left, defends in the first half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Monday, March 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) shoots over Philadelphia 76ers guard Quentin Grimes (5) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Monday, March 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) shoots as Philadelphia 76ers forward Trendon Watford (12) defends and teammate Donovan Mitchell, left, looks on in the first half of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland, Monday, March 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

DENVER (AP) — The U.S. Center for SafeSport on Monday permanently banned a Paralympic swimmer who was accused of sexually assaulting an autistic teammate at the Games in 2021 and for about a year after that.

The center handed down the suspension to Robert Griswold, whose case led to a 2022 lawsuit that was eventually dismissed when a judge ruled the court lacked jurisdiction.

The lawsuit spelled out a pattern of grooming and sexual assault that began when Griswold and the swimmer traveled to Tokyo for the Paralympics in 2021. It accused the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the SafeSport center for “shielding and protecting” Griswold while he committed the acts.

“Accountability is the path to long-term culture change,” said the center’s new CEO, Benita Fitzgerald Mosely. “We are grateful to those who come forward with their stories because they make it possible for the Center to take action and protect others.”

The USOPC did not immediately comment on the latest action by the center and Griswold's attorney did not immediately return an email sent by The Associated Press.

The center, created in 2017 to deal with sex abuse in Olympic and Paralympic sports, was removed from the lawsuit over jurisdictional issues in 2023. Two years later, a federal judge dismissed the suit altogether.

The center placed Griswold on temporary suspension in August 2022, and more than 3 1/2 years later, increased that to permanent ineligibility for sexual and physical misconduct. The center's Centralized Disciplinary Database said Griswold has the right to appeal.

Though the plaintiff is named in the lawsuit he filed, the AP does not typically identify abuse victims without explicit permission. The plaintiff's attorneys, Jason Lampert and Elizabeth Kramer, said in a statement that “the findings mark an important step toward accountability and justice.”

The lawsuit alleged the USOPC allowed Griswold to share a room and a shower with the plaintiff — an “especially troubling” decision “considering the extent of Plaintiff’s disabilities,” which left him with the mental capacity of a 5-year old.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

FILE - The Paralympic flag is raised during the Opening Ceremony for the 2024 Paralympics, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Thomas Padilla,File)