Cavaliers Proving to Be Eastern Conference Favorite, and Tuesday NBA Takeaways
Just as one shouldn't have made too much of the Cleveland Cavaliers' 5-7 start this season, we should avoid overreacting to a winning streak that's now lasted eight games. But extending that streak Tuesday with a 105-101 victory against the Toronto Raptors—currently ranked first in the Eastern Conference—is justifiably cause for some excitement.
Tuesday's performance further cemented this team's credentials against the East's very best. It's become increasingly hard to deny the Cavaliers are beginning to look like the force we expected them to be.
LeBron James led all scorers with 35 points and collected three of them when it mattered most, striking from beyond the arc and putting Cleveland ahead 102-99 with 48.1 seconds remaining. And with that three-pointer, he tied a Cavs record, per SportsCenter, and he seemed to express satisfaction in making the shot, per Fox Sports' Sam Amico:
He also threw down this monster jam in the second quarter, rewarding ticket holders even while his team trailed, a shot noted by the NBA's official Twitter account:
Heroics aside, this was a performance of which head coach David Blatt could be proud. Sixth man Dion Waiters added 18 points in just 24 minutes of action, and point guard Kyrie Irving tallied 10 assists for the first time this season.
Even Cavs fans earned some credit for impacting the game.
"Our fans had a lot to do with us winning tonight," Blatt told reporters after the game, acknowledging the energetic onlookers' contribution during the third meeting between these two teams this season.
The Cavaliers have won two of those games, including a 105-91 road victory on Dec. 5. For what it's worth, Raptors star swingman DeMar DeRozan was sidelined by a groin injury for both of those contests. He scored 20 in Toronto's 110-93 win against Cleveland back in November, the last time James and Co. actually lost a game.
Still, the Cavaliers are making an undeniable statement. Though their eight-game streak hasn't included any games against Western Conference competition, it has involved two wins over the Raptors, a 113-87 dismantling of the Washington Wizards and a much narrower 111-108 outing against the up-and-coming Milwaukee Bucks.
"I feel really good with where I am, but I feel even greater as far as where our team is right now," James told reporters after beating Toronto earlier this month.
Cleveland's title case is hardly closed, but this is a start.
Tuesday night's margin of victory may not scream dominance, but holding the Raptors' high-powered offense to just 13 fourth-quarter points was an important sign of progress. There's never been much doubt that Cleveland's offense would be among the league's best, but there have certainly been legitimate questions about this team's ability to get stops.
The Cavaliers are starting to put those questions to rest, offering real hope that they're the kind of two-way team that could survive one gritty playoff series after another.
As ESPN Insider Kevin Pelton put it after Cleveland won its sixth straight contest earlier this month (subscription required):
"The groundwork for the Cavaliers' winning streak was actually laid during the four-game losing streak that preceded it. While the offense continued to struggle with defining roles during that stretch, cracking 1.0 points per possession just once in the four losses, the defense was showing signs of progress.
The first seven games of the season saw the Cavaliers ranked among the league's worst defenses on a per-possession basis, but they have allowed opponents to exceed their season average for offensive rating just three times in the past 11 games.
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It's an encouraging trend for a club that's short on rim protection and defensive pedigree. Sometimes adding a four-time MVP to the mix will do that kind of thing.
This team is still experimenting and still finding itself. Irving had 37 points in this month's win over the New York Knicks, only to take an entirely different approach Tuesday night. Star power forward Kevin Love is adjusting to life as a second or third option.
Put in that perspective, this season's 13-7 start isn't so bad. And by the looks of it, what happens next should be even better.
Around the Association
KD Already Looking Like Himself
Reigning MVP Kevin Durant had his most complete game since returning from a fractured foot on Dec. 2, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to its first three-game winning streak of the season with a 114-101 drubbing of the Milwaukee Bucks.
The four-time scoring champion tallied 23 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, efficiently making seven of 11 field-goal attempts in the process. Though teammate Russell Westbrook—himself just five games removed from a hand injury that sidelined him for 14 games—led all scorers with 28 points, Durant’s continued return to form gives OKC hope of a quick turnaround.
With at least 23 points in three of his first four games, the 26-year-old appears to be well on his way to the consistent excellence we’ve come to expect. Now 8-13 after an injury-decimated November, OKC may be on its way as well.
Jazz End Nine-Game Losing Streak by Beating Reigning Champs, Pop Ejected
Point guard Tony Parker sat with a strained left hamstring, and the now-6-16 Utah Jazz took advantage. Tuesday’s 100-96 win against the San Antonio Spurs ended Utah’s nine-game losing streak and marks the team’s most compelling victory since a 118-91 romp over the Phoenix Suns back on Nov. 1.
Though shorthanded in the backcourt with backup point guard Patty Mills still recovering from shoulder surgery, San Antonio still represented a stiff test for the young Jazz. At age 38, Tim Duncan tallied 23 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks and three steals.
But the Spurs only made four of their 20 three-point attempts while allowing Utah to make 50 percent of its field-goal tries—bad signs for a team known for its three-and-D prowess.
Frustrated by an official’s call late in the third quarter, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich drew two quick technical fouls with a fiery outburst and was summarily ejected. Suffice it to say, he didn’t miss much.
Miami Ends Four-Game Skid Against Suns
The Miami Heat clearly miss the four-time MVP who led the way to those four straight appearances in the NBA Finals. Among other things that come in fours, the club's most recent losing streak plunged Miami's record below .500 and symbolized just how far removed the Heat are from a title conversation they had dominated not long ago.
The Phoenix Suns now find themselves amid a slide of their own, losing their third straight after an impressive 12-8 start.
Knicks, Pistons Experiencing Sixers-Like Futility
Miami's win will ease the pain of losing four in a row, but Heat fans will take even more solace in the plights of the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons. Things could be much, much worse.
The Knicks have now lost nine straight after falling 104-93 to the New Orleans Pelicans, giving them the league's third-worst record at 4-19. Detroit is even worse off, losing 13 consecutive contests en route to a 3-19 record.
After losing their first 17 games of the season, the Philadelphia 76ers remain the NBA's worst team at 2-18. At this rate, however, they may soon have some serious competition.
Offense Aside, Can Mavs Hang With Contenders?
The Dallas Mavericks' 114-105 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies was a painful reminder that even the league's most efficient offense can't outscore everyone. In fact, that offense has already come up short against the West's best on several occasions, as Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News pointed out:
They may be a solid 16-7 so far this season, but the Mavs will have something to prove until they collect some quality wins on which to hang their hats. Outside of relatively narrow victories against the Raptors and Wizards, few of Dallas' 16 wins are worth getting especially excited about.
Lakers Enjoy Win, Kobe Draws Closer to MJ
The Los Angeles Lakers claimed just their sixth win of the season with a tightly contested 98-95 victory over the much-improved Sacramento Kings. But in what seems so far to be an otherwise lost season, Kobe Bryant is still the big story here.
He led all scorers with 32 points and now finds himself within a game or two of passing Michael Jordan on the all-time scoring list, per Lakers Nation:
"He's a special player, no doubt about it," head coach Byron Scott told reporters after the game. "I get a chance now to see him on a day-to-day basis, and I just shake my head."
Who can blame him?
