Wanna talk about jumping out of the gates fast, that’s exactly what the Cavaliers did Sunday night on their way to a dominating 114-89 win over the L.A. Clippers.
The Cavs blew this one open in an instant as the lead went from 9-7 to 30-11 in only three minutes. During this span Cleveland hit 3 pointers on an amazing 7 consecutive possessions.
The team was in an absolute zone but no one more than LeBron James. He hit 5 3’s in the opening period, each one further out than the one before. The great thing is that it wasn’t the one-on-five LeBron show.
All the 3’s came from excellent ball movement, feeding Shaq in the post and letting him kick-out to the open man. The Cavs hit on a total of 11/13 from downtown and a staggering 16/21 overall in the first quarter,ending in a 46-20 lead and the route was on.
The 11 3’s ties an NBA record for most in any quarter. James 23 first quarter points marks the fourth time this year that the King has gone over 20 in a quarter. The 46 first quarter points also ties a franchise mark for most in any quarter.
The Cavaliers could have not scored a single point in the second quarter and still would have held a halftime lead as they went to the break with a 67-39 edge. The Clippers never got to within single digits as the Cavs dominated the entire game.
It was an impressive all around performance as James led 6 Cavaliers in double figures with 32 points. Shaq becoming “Mr. Consistent” added another double double with 16 points and 12 boards. “Boobie” Gibson dropped in 14, Jamario Moon and Jawad Williams each had 12, and Anderson Varejao had 11. The Cavs are now on their season best 8 game win streak and the 25 point margin of victory ties their season best.
To think the Cavs hold the NBA’s best record at 38-11, and they’re currently missing two starters is an absolute tribute to their depth and the great job Mike Brown and the rest of the Cavalier coaching staff do on a day-to-day basis.