The talk leading up to the Cleveland Cavaliers’ game against the Houston Rockets centered on two trades the Cavs made in the span of three days. Excitement built with new shooting guard J.R. Smith making his wine and gold debut.
But the Rockets were a rude guest on Wednesday night, beating the Cavs, 105-93.
It was a back-and-forth game between the two teams, one that featured 14 lead changes and nine ties, but the Rockets started to pull away in the fourth quarter, even with leading scorer James Harden on the bench for the first eight minutes. Houston outscored Cleveland, 32-19, in the final period.
Kyrie Irving, who sat out Monday’s loss against Philadelphia with a back injury, looked rested and healthy. He scored 23 points in the first half as the Cavs trailed by one at the break, 49-48.
Irving carried the blistering start into the second half, scoring 11 points in the third quarter, upping his total to 34. That’s when Kevin Love started to make it a two-man show. After scoring two points, both free throws, in the first half, Love erupted for 11 points on 5-of-8 from the field in the third.
But neither player could keep pace with the offensively-charged Rockets late. Irving scored four points, going 1-of-6 from the field in the fourth quarter. Love scored four, hitting one of his four shots.
Meanwhile, the Rockets used a balanced attack, having seven players finish in double figures, led by Harden, who overcame a tough shooting night (6-of-18) to lead the Rockets with 21 points.
The arrival of Timofey Mozgov, a 7-footer acquired from Denver on Wednesday night, can’t come soon enough for the Cavs. Without a rim protector, they once again showed little resistance in the paint as Houston scored 46 points inside. The Rockets also outrebounded the Cavs, 50-37, and had 24 second-chance points.
Dwight Howard inflicted most of the damage in the paint, scoring 17 points and grabbing 19 rebounds. Newly acquired Josh Smith added 16 points off the bench as Houston shot 45 percent from the floor.
Irving finished with 38 points on 15-of-26 shooting for the Cavaliers. Love added 17 points. Tristan Thompson overcame a rough first half, dealing with foul trouble, to finish with 11 points and six rebounds. The Cavs shot 41 percent from the field.
The Cavs, 19-17, have now lost three straight, and are 1-6 this season without LeBron James, who missed his sixth straight game with knee and back injuries.
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