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Cavs win puts monkey off their back

Love had 21 points and 11 rebounds in Saturday’s win against the San Antonio Spurs. When the Cavs chose to hire Tyron Lue a couple weeks ago, the offense looks faster and more hungry. Reserve center Bismack Biyombo scored 12 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked three shots. Sure it helps that you have two of the best players on the planet and some other talented players and you’re the coach of the leading team in the Eastern Conference. That was frequently a missing component over the past season and a half, sometimes creating friction.

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In a report by Nick Eilerson for the Washington Post, the San Antonio Spurs’ Gregg Popovich, the Dallas Mavericks’ Rick Carlisle, and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Byron Scott were the ones who were most vocal about their opinions. They also scored 66 in the first half of Friday’s win at the Detroit Pistons.

Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard scored 24 points and Aldridge added 15. In the past week they have given up 120 and 117 points to the Warriors and Cavaliers respectively. I think coach (Tyronn) Lue has done a great job clearing the air with what he expects out of all of us, including Kev, and he’s a big focal point of our team.

That set off a turbulent week for the Cavs, who have been the target of sharp criticism by plenty of coaches besides Popovich.

LaMarcus Alridge produced a season’s best 28 points to inspire a 26th successive victory in front of their own fans. “We’re all just out there playing and making good reads and being good basketball players”. “But it doesn’t stop the season….” “And it was exactly what needed to happen. So that’s most important”.

The picture, and particularly the last hashtag, is a call back to a similar picture that was taken previous year, one that did not include Kevin Love and was cited as evidence that a rift existed between Love and LeBron James.

But in the six games since the coaching change, Love’s shooting 49 percent from the field, after shooting a dismal 37.1 percent in December and 41.7 percent for January.

“They pushed the ball”. “It was very healthy for the team”, another source said.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are in position to make it to the playoffs as a No. 1 seed and for them to be successful in the postseason, it will take a full team effort.

NOTES: F Tim Duncan has missed the Spurs’ last three games with a sore right knee. Cleveland’s streak of scoring at least 114 points ended after four games.

James didn’t know he had on the wrong shorts until someone told him during a timeout in the first quarter.

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Presto change-o…LeBron quickly remedied the situation while sitting on the bench in the first quarter.

Image via USA TODAY Sports  David Richard