The Cavaliers have had no problem putting up points this year and, even during their recent rough patch, have averaged over 118 points per game over their last five games.
On Sunday, against one of the most explosive players in recent memory, the Wine and Gold got defensive, holding the Thunder to 37 percent shooting and their superstar guard, Russell Westbrook, to 7-for-26 shooting – winning their second straight, 107-91, on a snowy afternoon at The Q.
Both teams got off to a sluggish start, but the Wine and Gold heated up in the second quarter – notching 37 points in the period and giving themselves some breathing room early in the second half. The Thunder got within a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, but the Cavs pulled away down the stretch to ice their second straight win.
Kyrie Irving and LeBron James combined for 54 points – each notching a double-double in the Cleveland’s fifth straight win over OKC. But it was Tristan Thompson and Iman Shumpert’s play on both ends that helped sealed the deal.
Thompson notched a season-high 19 points, going 7-for15 from the floor and 5-of-5 from the stripe – adding 12 boards, six off the offensive glass, and leading both teams with four blocked shots and four steals.
Shumpert had the unenviable task of guarding Westbrook – the league’s leading MVP candidate who’s hoping to become the first player to average a triple-double since 1961-62. The mercurial ninth-year guard – and the league’s leading scorer – did manage to notch his NBA-best 24th trifecta on Sunday afternoon, but Shump made him work for it.
On the afternoon, Westbrook finished with 20 points, 12 boards and 10 assists. But he missed 19 of his 26 shot attempts, including a 1-for-6 mark from beyond the arc.
Shump had no such problem from long-range – going 5-of-8 from deep, 5-of-11 overall from the floor, adding three boards and a steal. Since being re-inserted in the starting lineup on January 13, the former Georgia Tech standout is 25-of-48 from long-distance.
Kyrie led both teams with 29 points and dished out a team-best 10 assists in the win – going 12-for-22 from the floor, adding three boards and a steal. Over his last four games, the sixth-year guard is averaging 31.5 points per.
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