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Cleveland Cavaliers Get Statement Win Against Clippers

By Jamyson Frierson

March 13, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) reacts after he draws a foul against the Los Angeles Clippers during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
March 13, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) reacts after he draws a foul against the Los Angeles Clippers during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Cavaliers got one of their most dominant wins of the season against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are back!

Well, they never left of course, but the win on Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers was one of their most dominant of the season under head coach Tyronn Lue. It was a game that was reminiscent of how the Cavaliers played last season from February to April where they went 25-9.

There was ball movement, transition offense and defense, and Kyrie Irving and LeBron James looked sharp playing together on the court.

So much for the “dissension theory” that some people were coming up with about the team.

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As usual, the Cavaliers started out slow and found themselves down 10 to the Clippers in the first quarter.  They got Kevin Love involved early and it worked, but nobody else was able to score besides James. However, the good thing is that the Clippers have been known for letting teams back into games–and that didn’t change on Sunday.

This was the first time in a while that I saw the Cavaliers get physical with an opposing team and actually frustrate them into turnovers and tough shots.

James was physical with Chris Paul all game long. He held Paul to only 5-for-11 shooting (45 percent) and only 3-of-6 from three point range (50 percent). He still ended up with 10 assists, but it wasn’t easy. When Paul is struggling, the Clippers become a one-dimensional shooting team and find it difficult to score points especially with Blake Griffin still out.

While the Cavaliers’ defense was improved for the game, the biggest story was their offense.

March 13, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith (5) shoots a basket against Los Angeles Clippers forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (12) during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
March 13, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith (5) shoots a basket against Los Angeles Clippers forward Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (12) during the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

They went 18-for-37 (49 percent) from three-point range, and six players were in double figures. But even better, the bench did their job. Channing Frye has been on fire since Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers. He is 10-for-14 (71 percent) from three-point range in two games combined.

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Just as I stated after the Cavaliers acquired Frye, with the defense worried about James, Irving and Love, if Frye goes to the perimeter or the top of the key, there is a high chance he will be wide open, and that is exactly how it’s been for him.

Irving only went 2-for-7 from three-point range, but he did his best Stephen Curry impersonation with both makes. He has been playing like the Irving of last season in the past few games. He’s shooting the ball and penetrating to the basket with more confidence, and most importantly, he’s getting his teammates involved instead of going Isolation and trying to make tough shots.

While Irving and Frye contributed, J.R. Smith is the one who stole the show. It might have been horrible defense from J.J. Redick and Jamal Crawford, or Smith just being in the zone, but he had one of his best shooting performances of the season. Smith went 6-for-9  from three-point range and was all over the place defensively.

I originally anointed Iman Shumpert as the “X-Factor” of the team, but with his struggles the title belongs to Smith. He is much improved on both ends of the floor this season, and his hustle and will to win has shown within every game.

With the win on Sunday, the Cavaliers have the best record in the Eastern Conference against the West at 11-1. This was the type of game they are going to have to play in order to win against teams like the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors potentially if they are lucky enough to make it to the NBA Finals.

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Solid defense with smart shots and ball movement as they did against the Clippers could be the answer. Either way, they looked quite impressive.

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