The Cavaliers proved on Friday why they were able to win the NBA Championship last season when they fought off the Raptors 94-91 at Air Canada Centre.
Kyrie Irving, who led the team with 26 points, drained a clutch 3-pointer with just .44 seconds remaining to give Cleveland a 3-point lead. He also added six rebounds and six assists.
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Neither team scored another basket after Irving's 26-footer, which gave the Cavs yet another close win against their new Eastern Conference rivals. Toronto played the Cavs tough in the conference finals last season, and it appears the two teams are destined to meet in future postseason matchups.
LeBron James was steady for Cleveland, scoring 21 points with eight rebounds and seven assists. Kevin Love (18 points, 10 rebounds) and Tristan Thompson (11 points, 10 rebounds) both added double-doubles.
James doesn't have to do as much on this team, which is good as he braces for the end of his prime. Still one of the best two-way players in the NBA, James is capable of breaking a team down if he has to.
Studs of the Night
Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook put up his first triple-double of the season in impressive fashion. The five-time NBA All-Star scored 51 points with 13 rebounds and 10 assists, becoming the first person to record a 50-point triple-double since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 41 years ago.
What's more, Westbrook's fearless effort helped the Thunder come from behind to beat the Suns 113-110 in overtime.
Russell Westbrook's 51 points are tied for 3rd-most in a triple-double pic.twitter.com/WXVNNWI1he
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 29, 2016
Anthony Davis added to his magnificent start to the season by pouring in 45 points while hauling in 17 rebounds in a 122-114 overtime loss against the Warriors. The Pelicans forward became the first player to score at least 90 points in his first two games since Michael Jordan accomplished the feat in the 1986-87 season (91).
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Dud of the Night
The Magic's trio of Serge Ibaka, Evan Fournier and Nikola Vucevic struggled to find any sort of form in Friday's 108-82 loss against the Pistons. Ibaka, who was sent to Orlando for Victor Oladipo, scored just 4 points with three rebounds.
Vucevic grabbed 14 rebounds, but scored just 7 points on 3-of-12 shooting. Fournier completed the woeful night by scoring just 8 points on 4-of-12 shooting and failing to hit any of his four 3-point attempts.
Highlight
It's defense like this that led to the 103-94 Pacers upset by the Nets on the road.
Booker hits the spin cycle for the powerful SLAM! #NBAVine https://t.co/8IGUeNQA6q
— NBA (@NBA) October 29, 2016
Jeremy Lin led the Nets with a near triple-double, finishing with 21 points, nine assists and nine rebounds. Brook Lopez added 25 points.
What's Next
Celtics (1-1) at Hornets (2-0), 7 p.m. ET — The Hornets got off to an impressive start that featured four bench players scoring double-digit points in Friday's come-from-behind win over the Heat. Boston hasn't quite settled into the new season, but Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder have been excellent thus far.