Tuesday NBA Roundup: Cavaliers Can't Take Nights Off Against Improving East
In his latest NBA masterpiece, Sports Illustrated's Lee Jenkins profiled an older, wiser LeBron James, who, nonetheless, may be more prone than ever to fits of disgust:
"It is hard to tell which of these outbursts are caused by rage run rampant—"Competitive emotions," he calls them, "that I'm still working on"—and which are caused by his compulsion to inject that rage into others.
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Either way, James likely laid his rage thick on his teammates in the wake of the Cleveland Cavaliers' 97-85 loss to the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.
From start to finish, the Cavaliers looked lackadaisical and lethargic—like the "part-time pros" they were prior to James' return.
This, despite a three-day break following Saturday's nail-biting win over the Brooklyn Nets and a home-court advantage that had held during the regular season since April 10.
Washington raced out to a 10-0 lead, with John Wall (35 points, 10 assists, five steals) responsible for eight of those points by score or assist. Cleveland managed to tie the game by the middle of the first quarter but struggled to slow the lightning-quick Wizards from there on out.
The visitors sprinted back out to a 14-point lead by way of a 15-2 run in the second frame, expanded their advantage to a game-high 22 in the third and did enough down the stretch to fend off a Cavs squad that couldn't have thrown a beach ball into the Cuyahoga River if it had tried. Even though Quicken Loans Arena sits right on the river bank.
It wasn't just that Cleveland shot poorly—33.7 percent from the field, to be exact—but how it shot so poorly. The Cavaliers offense was stale and stagnant throughout. The ball barely moved on most possessions (15 assists on 28 baskets). When it did, it wound up in the Wizards' hands.
And Washington knew what to do with it, turning 19 Cleveland turnovers into 25 points.
Not that the Wizards needed any extra help. Kevin Love managed a mere eight points on 2-of-10 shooting. J.R. Smith knocked down three threes but misfired on eight more. Mo Williams and Matthew Dellavedova combined to shoot a respectable 10-of-19 from the field but were helpless to stop Wall from running roughshod at the Q.
While James had reason to rage at his running mates Tuesday night, he probably saved the harshest rebukes for himself. He finished the evening 8-of-20 from the floor, with more than twice as many turnovers (a season-high nine) as assists (four).
It would be one thing if the Cavaliers were just off with their shots. But this effort—or, more appropriately, lack thereof—was hardly becoming of a team with its sights set on the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Cleveland.com's Chris Haynes described the scene:
"With the Cavaliers disoriented, coach David Blatt was beside himself. They were so out of it that Williams was called for an eight-second violation for not getting the ball across the half-court line. That just doesn't happen often in this league.
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Certainly not with a dogged competitor like James cracking the whip. Trouble is, he's had to do so far more often this season than Cleveland's best-in-the-East 13-5 record would suggest.
After back-to-back losses to the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons in mid-November, James chastised his team for being "too relaxed and too nice" (via ESPN's Dave McMenamin). A week later, in the wake of a 103-99 loss to the Toronto Raptors, James called a players-only meeting to sort things out.
"It's all mindset," James said following that defeat (via McMenamin). "It comes from within. I've always had it; my upbringing had me like that. It's either you got it or you don't."
Once again, the Cavs didn't have it. They could be excused for that, what with Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert on the mend and Timofey Mozgov still far from 100 percent.
But in an Eastern Conference that looks much stronger than the sad consortium through which Cleveland cavorted to the 2015 Finals, James and Co. don't have nearly as much margin for error.
The Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat have both risen from last season's ashes to become stifling, star-studded challengers to King James' throne.
The Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks are still tremendously talented, even though that talent has performed unsteadily thus far. The Wizards, who'd lost four straight prior to their trip to the Rock and Roll Capital of the World, have yet to hit their stride but figure to do so at some point with Wall and the burgeoning Bradley Beal (18 points, nine rebounds, six assists) leading the way.
Still, those teams would be hard-pressed to push the Cavaliers when (or if) the reigning Eastern Conference champions get all their ducks in a row and start playing like the club that finished the 2014-15 campaign on a blistering 34-9 run.
There's no guarantee, though, that Cleveland will recapture that magic. There's no guarantee it'll be back in the Finals next spring.
That may have something to do with James' fall of discontent. As Jenkins wrote:
"Maybe James is racing because he doesn't know how many title shots he has left. Maybe it's because he wants to set an example for young teammates who can someday carry him when he can no longer carry them. Or maybe it's because of that team on his TV [the Golden State Warriors].
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By the looks of Cleveland's latest outing, James has every reason to keep poking and prodding. Fortunately for him and the Cavaliers, he has plenty of time to do so, with 64 regular-season games and a lengthy postseason run yet to come.
Kobe Bryant, Hometown Hero
If LeBron's surly disposition has anything to do with Kobe Bryant's impending retirement, he won't find much comfort in the Black Mamba's most recent attempt to turn back the hands of time.
Bryant's final trip to his hometown as a player started off well enough. Before tipoff, the Philadelphia 76ers regaled the Lower Merion High School product with a video tribute and a framed replica of his high school jersey—adorned with his current number (24) rather than the one he once wore (33)—presented by his prep coach, Gregg Downer, and Sixers legend Julius Erving.
Philly's homage appeared to get Bryant going early. He hit a trio of three-pointers in the opening 76 seconds of the game and scored the first 11 points for the Los Angeles Lakers.
That was about the last anyone saw of Classic Kobe at the Wells Fargo Center. Following a flashback-filled first quarter, Bryant totaled seven points on 2-of-16 shooting, including 1-of-10 from three, as the Lakers let an eight-point halftime lead slip away in a 103-91 defeat.
"I think he had some shots that were ill-advised," Los Angeles head coach Byron Scott said after watching Bryant finish 7-of-26 from the field and 4-of-17 from deep (via ESPN's Baxter Holmes).
Folks in Philly didn't seem to mind. The Sixers snagged their first win since March 25. The result snapped their 28-game losing streak—the longest in U.S. pro sports history—and staved off an NBA-record 0-19 start to the season.
As relieved as Philadelphia fans were to see their squad finally get on the board, they were even more excited to show Bryant their appreciation afterward.
Perhaps that will put a smile on Bron-Bron's face.
Brooklyn Plays Big to Beat Phoenix
The Sixers weren't the only terrible team to get some traction Tuesday. The Brooklyn Nets tasted victory for just the fifth time this season, courtesy of a nerve-racking 94-91 win over the Phoenix Suns.
The two teams traded blows for most of the night before Phoenix seemed to take control in the fourth quarter. T.J. Warren's jumper and Mirza Teletovic's three-pointer—Ronnie Price assisted on both—and a Eric Bledsoe's three (17 points, seven assists, four steals) gave the Suns a nine-point cushion with 10:41 to play.
From there, it was (almost) all Brooklyn ball at the Barclays Center. The Nets used a 12-2 run to regain the lead and another 10-4 run to fend off Phoenix for good.
Bledsoe and Brandon Knight (26 points, seven rebounds, four assists) had their way with Brooklyn's backcourt. But with Tyson Chandler sidelined by a bad hamstring for the third time in four games, Phoenix struggled to stop Brooklyn from scoring inside. Brook Lopez (23 points on 10-of-20 shooting) spearheaded an effort that saw the Nets outscore the Suns 50-34 in the paint and own the backboards by way of a 42-39 rebounding edge.
That sort of strong play on the interior may be just what Brooklyn needed to turn things around under Lionel Hollins. The Nets held their own inside during a two-point loss in Cleveland and won their big-man battles to beat the Detroit Pistons the very next day.
At least one famous NBA fan isn't too happy about any of this:
More Unlikely Magic Between Orlando and Minnesota
Rivalries are as rare in today's Association as they've ever been, but there might be a new one brewing between...the Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic?
These two teams are as far from natural foes as they come. One plays in the West, the other in the East. One's home is near the Great White North, while the other plays its games in the Sunshine State.
But put these young squads together on the same court and a gem of a game is bound to break out. Of their last four meetings, two have gone to overtime and a third (Tuesday's meeting in Minneapolis) was decided by a basket.
The Magic controlled the proceedings at the Target Center for most of the night on the way to a 96-93 win. They took a 54-41 lead at halftime and expanded their advantage to as many as 17 points midway through the third quarter.
The Wolves, though, weren't ready to give up so easily. Andrew Wiggins scored seven of his 27 points during a minute-long surge in the third. Zach LaVine added six of his 12 during a 13-6 Minnesota run in the fourth.
It wasn't enough to keep the Wolves from falling to 2-7 at home, but with all the young talent between these clubs, this could turn out to be a preview of the Finals...
The 2020 Finals, that is.
Big Spain Explodes in the Big Easy
Tuesday was supposed to be a big night for the New Orleans Pelicans. Tyreke Evans and Norris Cole were set to make their season debuts and, presumably, propel Anthony Davis and Co. back into the Western Conference playoff race.
Marc Gasol and the Memphis Grizzlies had other ideas. Gasol schooled Alexis Ajinca and the rest of New Orleans' bigs on the way to a career-high 38 points, bolstered by a perfect 16-of-16 performance at the free-throw line.
The All-Star center was due for a strong game. Over his previous five, he'd averaged 11.2 points on 40 percent shooting.
"It's been a tough week to 10 days as far as me playing and I wanted to take a different approach to the game, and it worked," Gasol said afterward, per the Associated Press (via ESPN). "I imposed a little bit my will. ... Instead of trying to get somebody else going or trying to read and see what was in front of me, I just went ahead and tried to be a little more aggressive."
Gasol didn't sacrifice his defensive excellence to fuel his offensive explosion. He helped the Grizzlies hold the Pelicans to 43.2 percent shooting, with Davis shooting 4-of-15 from the field.
The Brow still made his presence felt to the tune of 17 points, 14 rebounds and nine blocks. Evans, for his part, went for 20 points, 10 assists and five boards in his return.
But this night was all about Big Spain's even bigger performance, which kept the aging Grizzlies in the thick of things out West.
Mavs Keep Their Reclamation Project Rolling
Remember when the Dallas Mavericks were supposed to be bad this season? Remember how the Mavs were too banged-up, too old and too devoid of DeAndre Jordan to hold their own in the rough-and-tumble Western Conference?
Apparently, Dallas didn't get the memo. The Mavs fought back from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to force overtime and take down the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center, 115-112.
The last time Wesley Matthews played in Rip City, he wound up limping off the floor with a torn Achilles tendon. His return was far more fruitful: 18 points on 5-of-11 shooting in 40 minutes, without an injury.
Deron Williams, tossed onto the scrap heap by the Nets over the summer, looked like an All-Star again. He scored a season-high 30 points on sizzling 11-of-17 shooting to go along with eight assists, six rebounds and two blocks.
Zaza Pachulia, the man charged with filling the shoes Jordan never wore, came up huge with 14 points and a career-high-tying 21 rebounds.
Meanwhile, 37-year-old Dirk Nowitzki continued to fend off Father Time with 28 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Together, Dallas' collection of wily veterans stands at a respectable 11-8, good for fifth place in the Western Conference. And with Matthews and Chandler Parsons still on the mend, the Mavs could just be getting started.
Josh Martin covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.
