RSS
Game 4: Cavs at Clippers
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (2-2) 108, LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (2-2) 101
Staples Center
Monday
Radio/TV: WTAM (1100 AM)/Fox Sports Ohio
WHAT HAPPENED: Cavs general manager Chris Grant had to have a huge smile on his face after this game. His two first-round picks, shooting guard Dion Waiters and center Tyler Zeller, each recorded season highs in the game and played extremely well.
We'll start with Waiters, who was unconscious with his 3-point shooting en route to a career-high 28 points. He was 7 of 11 from behind the arc. His 28 points were the most by a rookie this season. His outside shot looked good - perfect rotation and good elevation.
Give the Cavs credit. They recognized the hot hand, fed him the ball and Waiters kept shooting. He was 10 of 17 from the field.
In case you were wondering, his seven 3-pointers were just one off the Cavs' single-game record (8 by Danny Ferry in 1996, Wesley Person in 1998 and LeBron James in 2009).
The Cavs' starting backcourt was fantastic. Kyrie Irving outplayed Clippers All-Star Chris Paul, arguably the best point guard in the league.
Irving finished with 24 points, including a key 3-pointer with less than a minute to play. He dished out a game-high 10 assists, had three turnovers and a steal in 37 minutes. It was his first career 20-and-10 game.
Paul ended with 17 points, five rebounds and nine assists. He came into the game leading the league in assists with 13.5 per game.
Center Anderson Varejao battled All-Star Blake Griffin in the paint and had 15 points, a game-high 15 rebounds and one block. If one didn't know better, one would think Varejao was the two-time All-Star.
Griffin had a team-high 20 points, six rebounds, five assists and three blocks. He was 9 of 14 from the field. He really is a horse around the basket.
Cavs backup center Tyler Zeller had a career-high 15 points and seven rebounds. However, he caught an elbow under the eye and went to the locker room for an X-ray. It would be cruel if he broke a bone because he seems to be developing right before our eyes.
C.J. Miles also snapped out of his slump with 10 points, including 2 of 3 from behind the arc. He had been terrible in the first three games.
Cavs coach Byron Scott also thankfully pulled the plug on the Luke Walton experiment. The veteran never got off the bench. Samardo Samuels earned just 4 minutes in a backup role at power forward.
UP NEXT: The Cavs travel to Golden State to face the Warriors at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday at Oracle Arena.
STARTERS
SF Alonzo Gee (6-6, 219) vs. Caron Butler (6-7, 228)
PF Tristan Thompson (6-9, 235) vs. Blake Griffin (6-10, 251)
C Anderson Varejao (6-11, 260) vs. DeAndre Jordan (6-11, 265)
SG Dion Waiters (6-4, 221) vs. Willie Green (6-3, 201)
PG Kyrie Irving (6-3, 191) vs. Chris Paul (6-0, 175)
INACTIVE LIST
Cavs – F Luke Harangody, G Jeremy Pargo
Clippers - G Chauncey Billups, F Grant Hill, F Trey Thompkins
OFFICIALS
Staples Center
Monday
Radio/TV: WTAM (1100 AM)/Fox Sports Ohio
WHAT HAPPENED: Cavs general manager Chris Grant had to have a huge smile on his face after this game. His two first-round picks, shooting guard Dion Waiters and center Tyler Zeller, each recorded season highs in the game and played extremely well.
We'll start with Waiters, who was unconscious with his 3-point shooting en route to a career-high 28 points. He was 7 of 11 from behind the arc. His 28 points were the most by a rookie this season. His outside shot looked good - perfect rotation and good elevation.
Give the Cavs credit. They recognized the hot hand, fed him the ball and Waiters kept shooting. He was 10 of 17 from the field.
In case you were wondering, his seven 3-pointers were just one off the Cavs' single-game record (8 by Danny Ferry in 1996, Wesley Person in 1998 and LeBron James in 2009).
The Cavs' starting backcourt was fantastic. Kyrie Irving outplayed Clippers All-Star Chris Paul, arguably the best point guard in the league.
Irving finished with 24 points, including a key 3-pointer with less than a minute to play. He dished out a game-high 10 assists, had three turnovers and a steal in 37 minutes. It was his first career 20-and-10 game.
Paul ended with 17 points, five rebounds and nine assists. He came into the game leading the league in assists with 13.5 per game.
Center Anderson Varejao battled All-Star Blake Griffin in the paint and had 15 points, a game-high 15 rebounds and one block. If one didn't know better, one would think Varejao was the two-time All-Star.
Griffin had a team-high 20 points, six rebounds, five assists and three blocks. He was 9 of 14 from the field. He really is a horse around the basket.
Cavs backup center Tyler Zeller had a career-high 15 points and seven rebounds. However, he caught an elbow under the eye and went to the locker room for an X-ray. It would be cruel if he broke a bone because he seems to be developing right before our eyes.
C.J. Miles also snapped out of his slump with 10 points, including 2 of 3 from behind the arc. He had been terrible in the first three games.
Cavs coach Byron Scott also thankfully pulled the plug on the Luke Walton experiment. The veteran never got off the bench. Samardo Samuels earned just 4 minutes in a backup role at power forward.
UP NEXT: The Cavs travel to Golden State to face the Warriors at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday at Oracle Arena.
STARTERS
SF Alonzo Gee (6-6, 219) vs. Caron Butler (6-7, 228)
PF Tristan Thompson (6-9, 235) vs. Blake Griffin (6-10, 251)
C Anderson Varejao (6-11, 260) vs. DeAndre Jordan (6-11, 265)
SG Dion Waiters (6-4, 221) vs. Willie Green (6-3, 201)
PG Kyrie Irving (6-3, 191) vs. Chris Paul (6-0, 175)
INACTIVE LIST
Cavs – F Luke Harangody, G Jeremy Pargo
Clippers - G Chauncey Billups, F Grant Hill, F Trey Thompkins
OFFICIALS
| Bennett Salvatore | , David Jones, | JT Orr |
posted by News-Herald Blogs at
11:05 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home