All of the sudden, Kevin Love is starting to look like an MVP-candidate again.
Love scored a game-high 25 points with 11 rebounds Saturday, leading the Cavaliers to a 109-97 home win against the Hawks. Around this time last year, Love was upset with his role in Cleveland and was not-so-subtly searching for a way out of town.
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Saturday's double-double is already Love's eighth of the season. In contrast, Love didn't reach his eighth double-double until December last season, and it took a mini-hot streak to get there.
LeBron James had a big game as well, helping the short-handed Cavaliers move to 10-3. James finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. He also cost him team a silly technical foul. Mo Williams, Timofey Mozgov, Iman Shumpert and Kyrie Irving were all out for the matchup.
Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer made headlines for the wrong reasons when he was ejected for making contact with an official. Budenholzer was arguing a call and was given a technical foul then bumped referee Ben Taylor. Taylor, of course, quickly tossed the Hawks head coach.
Here's more of Saturday's NBA action:
Pacers continue hot streak in Bucks rout:
After starting the season with three straight loses, the Pacers (8-5) have bounced back to become one of the most consistent and well-rounded teams in the league. Indiana's range of talent was on full display during Saturday's 123-86 win against the Bucks, as the Pacers finished with six players in double figures. C.J. Miles led the way with a season-high 21 points while Paul George and Jordan Hill added 20 apiece. On the other hand, the Bucks (5-8) have now lost five of their last six games and continue to struggle on offense (26th in the league scoring 96.9 points a game).
The 76ers remained defeated:
It looked, for a while, like the 76ers (0-14) were finally going to get their first win of the season Saturday. Philadelphia led the Heat by 15 points at halftime, but Miami came roaring back in the second half, and now the 76ers are four losses away from tying the worst start in NBA history. The 2009-10 New Jersey Nets currently hold that mark at 0-18 and won just 12 games that season.
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Highlights:
Rajon Rondo continues to find open players. This time, he found shooting guard Ben McLemore for an emphatic slam.
Watching @RajonRondo pass is fun...especially when it leads to @BenMcLemore taking flight. https://t.co/0uCDwOPRlY
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) November 21, 2015 Andre Drummond scored two of his eight points on a monster slam, but the fourth-year center finished the game without recording a double-double for the first time all season. The Pistons lost 97-95 to the Wizards.
Feathery touch pass by Marcus Morris & a hostile flush by Andre Drummond on NBATV! #NBAVine https://t.co/KFX3ouKflr
— NBA (@NBA) November 22, 2015Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis showcased some slick moves in the paint during New York's 107-102 win against the Rockets. Porzingis finished the game with 24 points and 14 rebounds.
Kristaps Porzingis in a win over the Rockets... 24 points 14 rebounds 7 blocks And these ambidextrous hook shots: https://t.co/JLsvOFOKHL
— ESPN (@espn) November 22, 2015Stud of the night:
Kings center DeMarcus Cousins returned to the court in impressive fashion after serving a one-game suspension for elbowing Hawks center Al Horford earlier this week. "Boogie" scored a game-high 29 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a 97-91 win against the Magic. Cousins went 13 for 15 from the free throw line and mixed in six assists.
Dud of the night:
Rockets point guard Ty Lawson turned in another dismal performance during Houston's loss against the Knicks. The veteran floor general was held scoreless off the bench in 16 minutes of action. Lawson also had twice as many turnovers (four) as assists (two).
What's Next:
Raptors (8-6) at Clippers (6-6) 3:30 p.m. — Toronto boasts one of the more underrated rosters in the NBA, but the loss of center Jonas Valančiūnas was a big blow. The Clippers are starting to get healthy, so this should be a high-flying, entertaining game.
Mavericks (9-4) at Thunder (7-6) 7:00 p.m. — Oklahoma City has underperformed as injuries have slowed the team early on. Dallas, on the other hand, has been one of the league's pleasant surprises thus far.
Warriors (14-0) at Nuggets (6-7) 8:00 p.m. — Golden State is just one win away from tying an NBA record with a 15-0 start. Only two other teams have accomplished that feat. Denver has lost three of its last four and was defeated by the Warriors two week ago.