Cavaliers destroy Pistons 128-96
BY STONE LEXINGTON
CAVALIERS BEAT WRITER
March hasn’t been the kindest month to the Cleveland Cavaliers this year. After a productive 9-2 record in February, the Cavs entered Tuesday’s matchup with the Detroit Pistons having lost five of their last seven games.
“No,” Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue said when asked if he was concerned about how his team has played this month. “We had some tough games this month with Boston and Houston. For me, defensively in both of those games, I liked the way we played and that’s one thing we’ve been talking about.
“Sometimes, your record is worse than what your team is. I’m not worried at all. To be able to hold down the fort the way we’ve done it so far and still being the No. 1 seed with a two or three game lead, I feel great and confident where we’re at. And now, our guys are starting to get healthy and come back, and we’re gonna takeoff.”
The Cavs didn’t exactly “takeoff” toward the end of last season, but they righted the ship when the playoffs began by winning their first 10 games in the postseason en route to their first championship in franchise history. Naturally, they’re hoping they can repeat last season’s success in the playoffs, but the top priority for the Cavs at this point in the season is getting everyone healthy.
Tuesday night, the Cavs didn’t need a complete roster to handle the Pistons. After jumping out to a blazing start, the Cavs cruised to a 128-96 victory in Quicken Loans Arena.
“I thought the ball movement was great,” Lue said. “I thought we played with pace because we got stops and was able to get out and run and get shots in transition.”
After the Cavs took a 104-70 lead into the fourth quarter, neither LeBron James nor Kyrie Irving played in the final period. Through three quarters, James recored his 10th triple-double of the season with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists. Irving finished with 26 points and six assists.
Several other Cavaliers, though, also had standout performances against Detroit. Iman Shumpert scored a season-high 18 points and Richard Jefferson chipped-in 16 points, while Deron Williams went a perfect 6-for-6 form the field for 13 points. In just his fourth game back from a broken hand, J.R. Smith finished with 12 points and five rebounds.
To say the Cavs were on fire in the first half would be an understatement. In the first quarter alone, Cleveland made 17 of its 20 shots, good for 85 percent from the field. By the time Irving, who scored 15 points in the first, closed the quarter with his third three-pointer, Cleveland took a commanding 44-26 lead into the second.
When Cavs forward Derrick Williams drained a three-pointer with 9:08 remaining in the second quarter, the Cavs took a 57-31 lead. Williams’ trey pushed the Cavs to 10-for-10 from beyond the arc at that point and 22-of-25 from the field overall (88 percent). Cleveland led 74-48 at halftime after shooting 69 percent from the field in the half and never looked back.
“It’s been a while since we’ve actually come out and put a team away in the third quarter where guys are able to sit in the fourth quarter,” Lue said. “It was good. Defensively, we’re continuing to get better.”
The Cavs have rarely had their roster at full strength this season. Smith and Kevin Love have missed significant time this season, and while Smith has returned to the Cavs lineup, Cleveland general manager David Griffin said Love could return as soon as Cleveland’s upcoming road trip begins on Saturday.
New players have also joined the roster. The Cavs added Derrick Williams in early February and signed Deron Williams later in the month after he cleared waivers following a release from the Dallas Mavericks.
Cleveland added another former Maverick in Andrew Bogut on March 2, but Bogut lasted less than a minute in a Cavs uniform due to a broken leg on March 6 against Miami.
“It was a big loss,” Griffin said. “It was somebody that we really thought was going to be focal for us defensively. The fact that Andrew can screen and pass as well as he does really worked well with our offense.”
Consequently, Cleveland released Bogut and replaced him on Monday with troubled big man Larry Sanders, who hasn’t played in the NBA since the 2014-15 season because of substance abuse, anxiety and depression issues.
“We talked at length about everything that he had been through and what he had done over the last couple of years, and how he had identified the issues he was having in the past and what he’s done to work on them,” Griffin said. “He’s very cognizant of the mistakes he had made. He’s very aware of things he learned about himself that he didn’t know, and he started acting on those things and he knew exactly what he needed to do because he sought help.
“We’re excited about the possibility that this could be a good fit for him. We are not in a situation where we need him to save us.”
Sanders isn’t expected to play a significant role in Cleveland and will most likely be called upon to spell workhorse Tristan Thompson during stretches of certain games. While the 6-foot-11 Sanders has shown flashes of being a high-level defender in the league, he hasn’t necessarily lived up to his status as the 15th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft.
But a fresh start in Cleveland could be exactly what Sanders needs. Sanders said he and the Cavs mutually agreed that it would be best if he gets his legs back underneath him for NBA action with a stint in the Developmental League for Cleveland’s affiliate, the Canton Charge.
“We talked to Larry in the beginning about the possibility of using the D-League, and he was excited about that,” Griffin said. “We have a plan in place now where he’s gonna spend probably two weeks there on and off.”
Sanders spoke with the media prior to the game with Detroit about getting his feet wet in the NBA again.
“It’s a great idea,” Sanders said about playing in the D-League. “For me not playing in two years, I’m excited about going down there and getting my legs back and get some good minutes in and get myself back to prime shape.”
Players that experience the troubles that Sanders has aren’t often afforded second chances to rejoin the league. But considering Sanders’ age, 28, and his upside, the big man will have the opportunity to compete for a championship this season.
“I knew I needed space,” Sanders said. “I knew I needed time away to focus on myself. When I left, if I felt like I was ready to come back, I would. And now is the time.”
Sanders added, “I feel like I come back a little more mature, a little more stable and a little more just ready to perform.”
Sanders said the only basketball he played while he was away from the league was a little recreational ball and pickup games with his friends.
“Just time to focus on myself,” Sanders said. “I was out in L.A. with my family, just did some good work. I feel confident about coming back to the game, thankful that the Cavs and LeBron supported me and my decision and gave me this opportunity.”
Sanders wasn’t supposed to play Tuesday night, but the contest was so out of hand, he played the final two minutes of the game. He went 0-for-1 from the field, missing a six-foot hook shot and committed two fouls.
The Cavs host the Utah Jazz on Thursday before taking off for a four-game road trip that starts with two games in Los Angeles. Cleveland lost it’s only meeting with the Jazz this season, a 100-92 defeat in Utah on Jan. 10.
POSTED 03/14/2017 22:08
Lake County Sentinel
Photo by Greg Goth
