Malaki Branham scores 22 as Cavaliers close Vegas with 82-77 win over Pelicans

The Cleveland Cavaliers closed their scheduled run in Las Vegas with an 82-77 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, capping the two-team stretch of games in the desert with a result that kept the Cavs’ summer momentum pointed in the right direction. Malaki Branham led the way with 22 points, providing the most consistent scoring output for Cleveland in a game that stayed tight until the final minutes.

According to the report, the Cavaliers’ victory was also framed by what Cleveland will not be doing next. The Cavs did not qualify for the knockout tournament, which is why this win functions as both a finishing note to their regular Vegas schedule and a bridge into the next consolation matchup.

The margin of the final score matters because it suggests the Pelicans were in the game throughout, forcing Cleveland to secure the kind of possessions that tend to decide games when neither team gets an extended stretch to pull away. An 82-77 result usually reflects late-game tightening and the need to protect the lead rather than simply extend it.

Branham’s 22-point performance stood out as Cleveland’s primary offensive driver. With the Cavaliers’ path to the knockout field already closed, players in games like this typically face a different kind of pressure, one rooted less in advancement and more in demonstrating shot creation and scoring steadiness against a live, postseason-style atmosphere.

For New Orleans, the loss ended its chance to change the Cavs’ postseason outlook in Vegas. The Pelicans still had their own reasons to compete aggressively, but the report makes clear that, regardless of outcome, Cleveland’s larger tournament picture was already settled by the time of this meeting.

The next step for Cleveland is one more consolation game in Las Vegas. With that in mind, the Cavaliers’ staff and players will likely focus on carryover themes from this finish, especially how they handle late-game execution when the game stays within a handful of points and the tournament structure no longer offers the same pathway to elimination-and-advance scenarios.