The Cavs are finally looking like the Eastern contender we expected them to be.
OKLAHOMA CITY – On Tuesday night, LeBron and the Cavs stunned the Thunder 120-112 in OKC. James led the Cavs with 37 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists. The Cavs’ bench went off for 51 points, outscoring the Thunder’s bench by 20. Clarkson and Hood had 14 points each for Cleveland. Nance added 13 points and Green scored 10.
James said the new players are starting to fit in, and he hopes the team doesn’t lose momentum over the All-Star break.
“We continue to help each other out even when it doesn’t look like it’s going great for us. We figure it out on the fly. The worst thing right now is us going into the break,” James said, which begins on Friday.
While the game against the Thunder was only the second game for the new-look Cavs, Cleveland was able to compete at an exceptionally high level in both contests — and against contending teams, no less, in Boston and OKC. The Cavs have scored 120+ on these top defensive teams and have shown offensive versatility as well.
Kevin Love (photo, reativesouls.com)
There is a fly in the ointment, though. Kevin Love is still injured and will undergo non-surgical treatments in the rehabilitation process to repair the injury. He’s expected to miss out at least 8 weeks.
Love, who’s averaging 17.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists with 40.4% 3-point average this season, will fit in perfectly with the Cavs’ new offense structure. Why? The team is now shooting more threes, playing transition basketball more frequently, and showing greater ball movement.
The Cavs are finally looking like the Eastern contender we expected them to be.
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Updated data as of Feb. 15. Sources: MSN.com, Basketball-Reference.com
