Donovan Mitchell scored a season-high 36 points, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 119-113 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night. This win marked the Cavaliers' 12th consecutive victory to start the season, making them just the eighth NBA team to achieve such a feat. Darius Garland contributed 17 points, while Evan Mobley had a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Cleveland has now scored at least 110 points in 11 of their 12 games this season.

Their 12-0 start is the best since the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, who began their campaign with 24 straight wins. That Warriors team finished the season with a record of 73-9, although they ultimately lost the NBA finals to the Cavaliers. "It's great to be part of history," Mitchell said. "I never want to take these moments for granted. We're winning in various ways, whether it's by blowing out teams, coming from behind, or winning close games. It's always a group effort."

Garland sealed the victory with a layup in the final 24 seconds, and Mitchell made two crucial free throws to secure the win. Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 26 points, but Chicago has now lost five of their last six games. Coby White and Nicola Vucevic each contributed 20 points for the Bulls, who held a nine-point lead with 4:26 left in the third quarter before Cleveland rallied for the second consecutive game.

Of the other seven teams that started a season 12-0, five went on to play in the NBA finals. "This group is locked in," Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. "There have been questions about whether they can reach the next level, but I think that has only made them more focused. There's an extra level of concentration and detail that these guys have used to get us to 12-0 so far."

Atkinson, in his first season with Cleveland, has been credited by Mobley for the changes he has implemented. The team lost 4-1 to the Boston Celtics in last season's Eastern Conference semifinals. "Kenny did a great job of integrating everyone," Mobley said. "We knew the defensive system, and he had an offensive scheme that he wanted to implement. He did that very well, and I feel like everyone bought in right away. Since then, we've just been improving."

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