LeBron James, New-Look Cavaliers Crushed by LaMarcus Aldridge, Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs (36-25) snapped a four-game losing streak and defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers, 110-94, at Quicken Loans Arena on Sunday afternoon.
The win handed the Spurs a season sweep of the Cavaliers (35-24), who have lost two of their last three games.
LaMarcus Aldridge spearheaded the victorious effort with a team-high 27 points (9-of-20 shooting) and six rebounds.
Danny Green was also superb as he dropped 22 points off the bench against the team that selected him 46th overall in the 2009 NBA draft.
San Antonio also returned to form defensively—at least for one day.
Although the Spurs entered the cross-conference clash allowing a 22nd-ranked 110.8 points per 100 possessions in February, according to NBA.com, they locked up the Cavaliers' fifth-ranked offense to the tune of 41.8 percent shooting from the field, including 8-of-34 from three.
The Cavaliers are now shooting a combined 27-of-98 (27.6 percent) on long-range looks in three games since the All-Star break.
Absent a rhythm, Cleveland leaned on LeBron James to keep the offense afloat.
In 40 minutes, James put up a game-high 33 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists as he flirted with his 12th triple-double of the season.
By comparison, Cleveland's four other starters combined for 14 points while only one (Tristan Thompson) boasted at least two made field goals.
Jordan Clarkson (17 points) and Jeff Green (14 points) provided steady buckets off the bench, but those contributions were hardly enough to keep pace against a Spurs squad that fielded seven double-figure scorers.
Speaking of San Antonio's balance, Bryn Forbes and Dejounte Murray both came through on a day when Tony Parker was held scoreless and Manu Ginobili was sidelined because of a bruised sternum.
Forbes chipped in 12 points off the pine, while San Antonio's ascendant floor general piled up 13 points, nine boards, five dimes, four steals and three blocks in a performance that showcased his rapid evolution on both ends of the floor.
The Spurs will return home Wednesday for a showdown against the New Orleans Pelicans after spending more than two weeks on the road. The Cavaliers will also be home Tuesday when they host the Brooklyn Nets.
