Denver Nuggets vs Cleveland Cavaliers Final Score & Over/Under Result — Jan 2, 2026

Cleveland held off Denver 113–108, a five-point home victory that landed well short of expectations in a defensive showcase. The combined 221 points fell 19.5 below the 240.5 market total, with DAGGER's pregame lean to the under proving prescient as the game's rhythm deteriorated sharply in the second half.

The opening two quarters set a faster pace. Q1 combined for 52 points, before Q2 exploded to 69—the game's highest-scoring frame—giving the teams a brisk 121 combined at halftime. Denver's Jamal Murray led all scorers with 34 points (6 reb, 7 ast), while Donovan Mitchell answered for Cleveland with 33 points (6 reb, 5 ast). Peyton Watson added 21 points for the Nuggets, and De'Andre Hunter chipped in 16 for the hosts. But the second half told a different story. Q3 dropped to 64 combined points, and Q4 collapsed further to just 36, a combined 100 in the final half that sealed the under's fate.

Darius Garland's 18 points and 8 assists orchestrated Cleveland's offense down the stretch, while Tim Hardaway Jr. managed only 15 for Denver in a low-volume fourth quarter. Both teams' recent form—Denver averaging 125.3 points scored over its last ten games, Cleveland 122.3—suggested a higher ceiling, but cold shooting and deliberate half-court sets grounded the pace. The under cashed by 19.5, a decisive margin that reflected how dramatically the game decelerated from its opening acts.