Wrap-Up — After winning five straight games with a high-powered offensive attack – averaging over 114 points per contest over the streak – the Wine and Gold returned to their defensive roots to get back into the win column on Saturday.
After Wednesday night’s clunker in Charlotte and Friday’s heartbreaker at The Q, the Cavaliers needed to right the ship as they head into the All-Star Break – and they did exactly that, avenging an early-season loss and dropping the Pelicans, 99-84, on Saturday night in Cleveland.
With one third of the Big Three on the shelf – (Kevin Love was out after suffering a left quad contusion the previous evening – the Big Two of Kyrie Irving and LeBron James did most of the heavy lifting on the offensive end.
Kyrie topped the 20-point mark for the fifth time in his last six outings – finishing with a game-high 29 points, going 11-for-21 from the floor to go with four boards and a pair of steals.
James made sure that the Cavaliers didn’t suffer another third quarter letdown – netting 10 of his 27 points in the third and the Wine and Gold kept the Pelicans at bay through the second half. LeBron led both teams with eight assists, adding three boards and a steal.
One game after blowing a 15-point lead to Boston, the Cavaliers one again rain their edge to 15 before intermission on Saturday. But a comeback wasn’t in the cards for New Orleans, who led the game just once – on Anthony Davis’ jumper less than 90 seconds into the affair. Cleveland took the lead on the first of J.R. Smith’s six three pointers and didn’t trail at any point during the remainder of the game.
Smith was the third Cavalier starter to tally double-figures, finishing with 20 points – going 7-of-18 from the floor, 6-of-16 from long-range. It was the fifth time this season that Swish has connected on six more triples and the 10th connective games with at least two treys.
Tristan Thompson had an odd stat line on Saturday night – leading both teams with 15 boards without scoring a single point.
With Love missing Saturday’s contest – and Matthew Dellavedova sitting his third straight with a sore left hamstring – the Cavaliers got some good, if not unexpected, support from their second unit.
Anderson Varejao came off Cleveland’s bench to contribute 10 boards, two points, three assists, two steals and a pair of blocked shots in 28 minutes of action.
Norris Cole, who had his number retired at Cleveland State University earlier in the day, led New Orleans with a career-high 26 points, going 10-for-19 from the floor and adding a team-high five assists in the loss.
Neither team shot the ball particularly well – the Cavaliers shot 43 percent from the floor; New Orleans, 39 percent. The Cavaliers were perfect from the stripe, but attempted just seven free throws. Each team had just two fastbreak points on the night.
Turning Point — With the sting of Friday night’s difficult loss to the Celtics still fresh in their minds – blowing a 15-point first half lead and a 10-point advantage in the fourth – the Wine and Gold were determined not to suffer a similar fate on Saturday.
Like Boston, the Pelicans chipped away through the second half and with less than two minutes expired in the fourth, Jrue Holiday’s jumper got the Pelicans to within four – 78-74.
But Richard Jefferson’s trey gave Cleveland a seven-point edge and LeBron and Kyrie each hit back-to-back jumpers – Irving’s second putting the Cavaliers up 10 – and they were able to ward off Anthony Davis’ late push, eventually holding New Orleans scoreless over the final 4:19 and snapping their two-game skein.
By the Numbers – .888 … Cavaliers’ record against Western Conference teams at The Q so far this season – winning 16 of their last 17 against visiting Western foes.
Quotable – Coach Tyronn Lue, on Anderson Varejao’s contribution on Saturday …
“We need Andy. Like we said earlier this season, he’s a big part of what we’re trying to do. If guys go down, if we need energy, Andy has always stepped up and been ready. The way he played tonight, I have to step up and find him some minutes somewhere. That was great for us. It was great for Andy and I’m happy for him.”
Up Next – After getting back in the win column on Saturday night, the Cavaliers continue their homestand heading into the All-Star Break this week. On Monday night, they welcome DeMarcus Cousins and the slumping Kings to The Q. On Wednesday night, the Wine and Gold close out the first half in style, welcoming Kobe Bryant to Cleveland for the final time as a Laker. After that, the Cavaliers pause for All-Star Weekend and the mid-season classic itself on Sunday. The squad gets back to work the following Thursday when the Bulls return to the North Coast.
