When Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue decided to rest LeBron James on Wednesday, everyone zeroed in on Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love as the Cavs prepared to take on the Mavericks.
Things looked good from the start for Cleveland, as the Cavs took a six-point halftime lead. They pulled away in the third quarter, outscoring the Mavs by 10 points, before Dallas made a game of it in the fourth quarter. James helplessly watched his team begin to collapse. Luckily for Cavs fans, Irving came to play.
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The former Duke star scored a game-high 33 points, helping Cleveland hold on for a 99-98 win. Love also looked good, scoring 23 points and grabbing 18 rebounds.
"Honestly, it was a personal challenge," said Irving, who was aware the Cavs are just 4-12 in games without James the past two seasons, via NBA.com. "We know what the record is. I know I took it personally and I have to lead the team whether he's in or out."
A game like this bodes well for Cleveland's supporting cast, even if it faltered near the end. Channing Frye stepped up and scored 14 points on seven shots, while Matthew Dellavedova scored eight points and dished out seven assists.
Love felt like the team played with good aggression Wednesday, something he said teams think they lack when James is out of the lineup.
"It's a learning experience for us," he said. "It's a chance for us to grow. I think that teams look at when `Bron is out and think, 'This is a game we can grab,'" Love said. "Or, 'We hit them in the head and they'll lay down.' Tonight we didn't do that. We came out aggressive."
Dirk Nowitzki and David Lee led the Mavs with 20 points apiece.
Highlights
Isaiah Thomas gets to the hole quickly:
IT is a BLUR on @ESPN ! #NBARapidReplay #OKCatBOS https://t.co/AizBjMAf5t
— NBA (@NBA) March 16, 2016
Dion Waiters from deep:
Dion pulls up from DEEP on @ESPN ! #NBARapidReplay #OKCatBOS https://t.co/CxDc6zgT44
— NBA (@NBA) March 16, 2016
Derrick Rose drives through the lane:
D🌹 finessin' on #NBALeaguePass ! #NBAVine https://t.co/vBwwMDyRaD
— NBA (@NBA) March 17, 2016
Stud of the Night
Clippers center DeAndre Jordan was literally perfect in his team's 122-106 victory over the Rockets. Jordan finished the game with 23 points on 8-of-8 shooting and hauled in 16 rebounds. He has recorded double-digit rebounds in 23 of his last 24 games.
Dud of the Night
Celtics guard Marcus Smart moved into the starting lineup after Jae Crowder went down with an ankle injury — one that will keep him out of action for the next six weeks. Smart did not take advantage of the opportunity, finishing with two points on 1-of-10 shooting in 22 minutes in the Celts' 130-109 loss to the Thunder.
A look ahead
Raptors (45-21) at Pacers (36-31), 7 p.m. ET: Toronto has won four of its last five games as guard DeMar DeRozan continues to shine. Indiana, which has won three of its last four games, is seventh in the Eastern Conference standings.
Hornets (38-29) at Heat (39-28), 7:30 p.m. ET: The Hornets got back in the win column Wednesday after the Mavs snapped their seven-game winning streak. They now face a Heat team that's struggling to find consistency.