CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (2-3) 110, DENVER NUGGETS (1-4) 101
Pepsi Center
Friday
Radio: WTAM-AM 1100, WMMS-FM 100.7, La Mega-FM 97.7
TV: ESPN, Fox Sports Ohio

QUICK SHOTS: 1. Cavaliers forward LeBron James disputed an ESPN.com report saying that he bickered with Kyrie Irving. Irving responded to his 34-point, zero-assist game in Utah with 12 points and six assists against Denver. The Cavaliers dished out 25 assists vs. the Nuggets after having just six vs. Utah. That's more like it. James had a season-high 11 assists.

2. The Cavaliers averted an 0-3 West Coast trip by handling the Nuggets in the last game of the trip. It would have been terribly embarrassing to go 0-3 on the West Coast trip. If you count the Chicago game, they were 2-2 on the 4-game trip. That's acceptable for most teams. Much more is expected out of the Cavaliers, of course.

3. Guard Dion Waiters had his best game off the bench with 17 points, two rebounds, two steals and one assist in 24 minutes.

4. The Cavaliers were competitive on the boards, which should be the case every night. They tied with Denver with 42 rebounds. Kevin Love had 8 boards, while James and Anderson Varejao each had seven.

5. The Cavaliers came into the game leading the NBA in free-throw shooting. They were 24 of 33 vs. Denver.

6. The Cavaliers tried unsuccessfully to pry Nuggets center Timofey Mozgov loose from the Nuggets in a trade. The Russian big man would have looked good on the Cavaliers roster that utilizes power forwards masquerading as centers. He's 7-1, 250. The Cavaliers could use a 7-footer. I don't know where they are going to find him.

7. If you were wondering where Alonzo Gee and J.J. Hickson ended up, it would be with the Nuggets. Hickson is serving a five-game suspension for a failed drug test. Gee is a bench player for Denver. The Cavaliers traded Gee in the offseason and he took a tour around the league before landing in Colorado. Great guy, by the way.

8. Guard Will Cherry made his NBA debut tonight. He's more of a shoot-first point guard rather than a distributor. Coach David Blatt might as well see what he can do with backup Matthew Dellavedova sidelined for at least a month with a sprained MCL. Cherry didn't score.

UP NEXT: vs. New Orleans, Quicken Loans Arena, 7 p.m. Monday

STARTERS

SF LeBron James (6-8, 250) vs. Wilson Chandler (6-8, 225)

PF Kevin Love (6-10, 243) vs. Kenneth Faried (6-8, 228)
C Anderson Varejao (6-11, 267) vs. Timofey Mozgov (7-1, 250)

SG Shawn Marion (6-7, 228) vs. Arron Afflalo (6-4, 213)

PG Kyrie Irving (6-3, 193) vs. Nate Robinson (5-9, 195)

INACTIVE LIST

Cavs - F/C Lou Amundson, G Matthew Dellavedova
Nuggets - G Ty Lawson, G Gary Harris
OFFICIALS

Derrick Stafford, Leroy Richardson, Scott Twardoski