After surgery in June, Irving returned to Cleveland’s lineup December 20.
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Washington had a chance to tie it with the third-quarter clock running out, Kevin Love stole the ball from Wall and Smith hit a buzzer-beating 3 to give the Cavs some breathing room. The Washington Wizards have split their last 10 home games. That’s a very fair statement but tonight it was Irving who proved his worthiness of an All-Star bid.
What Cleveland can do which Toronto can’t is switch to small from big and not lose anything in the exchange.
Irving scored a season-high 25 points while adding eight assists and six rebounds, and forward LeBron James had 20 points and seven assists while sitting out the fourth quarter on a night when all five Cavs starters scored in double figures. “And from that point on, we became good friends, and I’m good friends with Devon”. Playing without Kris Humphries, DeJuan Blair and Drew Gooden, Washington lost its second straight game.
Both teams shot over 53 percent from the field. Washington made 14 of 24 three-pointers, but only 17 of 27 from the free-throw line.
James had 10 rebounds, and J.R. Smith scored 25 points for Cleveland.
James led the way for the Cavaliers with 14 points in the third quarter, which matched the 14 Temple chipped in for the Wizards.
Brandon Knight added 18 points and seven assists for the Suns.
Duncan, who in his last game at home was held scoreless for the first time in his 18-year National Basketball Association career, made San Antonio’s first basket and had eight points in the first quarter.
“He’s much better than an All-Star”, forward LeBron James said. “He was hitting some tough, tough shots”. “That man was naked”, James said. “When I’m able to play like that and get other guys shots and be aggressive, (that’s what matters)”.
Wall led all scorers with 35 points in Washington’s win at Cleveland.
With fifteen wins to their name so far this season the Wizards are a fair way further down the Eastern Conference table in twelfth.
James, who hinted after the Raptors game that an MVP trophy could be in Irving’s future, continued Wednesday to change the conversation around the fifth-year guard. F Anthony Bennett, selected by Cleveland with the No. 1 pick in the 2013 draft, was inactive and has appeared in only 10 games, averaging 1.9 points.
“I think we’re still ahead of the curve with Kyrie right now”, Blatt said. “It’s just always a great matchup with him and the Wizards”.
The Wizards reached the Eastern Conference semifinals in each of the past two seasons. Our team must find another gear late in games, because recently they have been sputtering.
This was a game the Cavaliers really wanted, and they turned to their brightest stars to make sure it happened. “We just take it one game at a time”. They’re just unbelievable. I know my mom and my wife will be a little bit jealous, but they got to take a backseat to those two.
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Pistons 99, Celtics 94: Reggie Jackson 24 points, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope finished with 20 and Detroit beat Boston. Tonight’s matchup between the Washington Wizards and the Cleveland Cavaliers is one of them. Blatt didn’t have plans for anything like that as his team opened a six-game road swing.
