Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points and had seven assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors 115-104 on Sunday night, snapping a 16-game losing run to the Warriors.

Cleveland, which had lost its first three home games, got 24 points and seven assists from Darius Garland, 13 points and 16 rebounds from Evan Mobley, and 15 points from Max Strus.

The Cavaliers defeated the Warriors for the first time since December 25, 2016, a run of 12 regular-season and four postseason losses.

“It’s a hell of a feeling,” Mitchell admitted. “I know this is a rivalry, so I understand how important this game was to the fans.” We’re attempting to eventually reach the level they’ve been at for a long time, and we put together a full game tonight.”

For the Warriors, Stephen Curry scored 28 points and nailed seven of 11 3-pointers, while Draymond Green added 18 points and eight assists. Golden State never drew closer than five points in the second half and suffered its first road loss.

The Warriors were 4-0 on the road, tying the second-best start in franchise history, and had won five straight games overall. Klay Thompson and Jonathan Kuminga both finished with 15 points.

“We didn’t play with the force that we needed to win this game,” Thompson stated as he folded the box score into a paper airplane. “We definitely need to improve our rebounding.” You can’t allow that many second-chance points to this team.”

From 2015 to 2018, Golden State and Cleveland met in four consecutive NBA Finals. The Cavaliers won their only title in 2016, when they recovered from a 3-1 series deficit to win Game 7 on the road.

The two-game season series will be completed Saturday night in San Francisco.

“I enjoy coming back here,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr, a former Cleveland player, said. “Of course, you think about the four straight Finals appearances. It was a historic moment for us, them, and the NBA.”