Spurs Crush Cavaliers 103-74 as Kawhi Leonard Drops 25; LeBron James Scores 17

March can't end soon enough for the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

Matched up against the San Antonio Spurs (57-16) Monday night at AT&T Center, the Cavaliers (47-26) were thrashed 103-74 and dropped to 6-9 this month as they relinquished control of the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed to the Boston Celtics. 

The Spurs, meanwhile, moved to within two games of the Western Conference's top spot as they systematically dismantled a Cavaliers defense that ranks dead last in efficiency over the last four weeks. 

While a complete team effort allowed the Spurs to run away from the Cavs, Kawhi Leonard shined brightest to the tune of 25 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals to join an elite club, according to Jordan Howenstine of Spurs PR: 

As Leonard's night unfolded, ESPN.com's Ethan Strauss compared his dominance to that of a former Spurs great: 

LaMarcus Aldridge joined Leonard in double-figures with 14 points, and he had no problem working the high post and low blocks for buckets against a Cavs defense that continued to splinter in concerning ways. 

Then there was the performance of the Spurs' bench, which outscored Cleveland's second unit 49-24. 

Pau Gasol spearheaded that group with an easy 14 points and four boards, but Manu Ginobili (12 points) provided the highlight of the night for San Antonio's reserves when he converted a reverse layup off a lob in the second quarter: 

At that point, the Associated Press' Tim Reynolds noted it wasn't the Cavaliers' night: 

On the flip side, the Cavaliers didn't have anything working on offense on a night when they shot 37.3 percent from the field, 15.4 percent from three and generally looked listless, according to the San Antonio Express-News' Jeff McDonald: 

LeBron James, to his credit, attempted to keep Cleveland afloat with 17 points, eight boards and eight dimes, and he provided the team's only highlight on a night the Cavs will want to soon forget:

However, James did not make an appearance in the fourth quarter after he took a David Lee elbow to the back of the neck and required a couple minutes before he walked over to the bench gingerly under his own power. 

Elsewhere, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love were both held in check with eight and nine points, respectively. 

The Cavaliers have now lost four of their last six overall and are facing the real possibility of losing the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed to the Celtics if they don't correct their defensive woes in a hurry. 

The good news for the defending champions is that their upcoming schedule offers plenty of chances to get back in the win column. The Cavs will be back in action Thursday against the Chicago Bulls, and their next three games after that will be played against the Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic. 

If the Cavs can capitalize on that forgiving stretch with four straight wins, it will be easier to forget the woeful March they've experienced to this point. 

The Spurs, though, have won five in a row and are just two games back of the Golden State Warriors. And with a matchup against the West's No. 1 seed scheduled for Wednesday, the Spurs will have a chance to put a significant dent in that deficit with the end of the regular season in sight. 

Postgame Reaction

After the win, Leonard broke things down in a way only he could, via the NBA on TNT: 

Head coach Gregg Popovich, meanwhile, heaped praise on the Spurs' team defense during his availability with reporters, as the San Antonio Express-News' Jabari Young documented: 

Conversely, Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue was left to reflect on the Spurs' dominance and his team's plan moving forward, according to ESPN.com's Ramona Shelburne: 

"

Ty Lue acknowledges that he's considered resting his main players like Doc Rivers did with the Celtics once. Hmmmm

— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) March 28, 2017"

Meanwhile, Fox Sports Ohio relayed video of James discussing the knock he took form Lee and how the Cavaliers can find their groove again: 

"We've got nine games to figure it out, and I'm confident we will," Lue added, according to ESPN.com's Tim MacMahon. 

Stats courtesy of NBA.com.