Cleveland Cavaliers Get Easy Win Over Nuggets

The Cleveland Cavaliers got a much-needed win against the Denver Nuggets on Monday after a tough road trip.

Finally the Cleveland Cavaliers got that “laugher” win that they haven’t had in a while.

They were finally having fun out there and playing like they are capable of in every game. Obviously, they should be expected to defeat a young, struggling Denver Nuggets team, but lately, “feel good” wins have been hard to come by. The Cavaliers played solid defense, holding the Nuggets to 40 percent shooting.

They also forced 16 turnovers, most of them coming in the third and fourth quarters.

It was an all-around great win for the Cavaliers, and one that they needed to get back on track and finish out the season on the way to the playoffs. However, something that stuck out to me is that Kyrie Irving, a.k.a. Mr. Fourth Quarter, didn’t play a minute of it. He was benched for Matthew Dellavedova and it seemed like the team played at a faster pace and as a unit–and it showed.

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Dellavedova played a minute less than Irving at 23 minutes, but he had seven assists compared to Irving’s three. Passing has been the biggest issue for Irving all year. The reason is due to his reliance on isolation basketball instead of getting others involved. Surprisingly, he is ranked 22nd in the NBA in playing ISO.

He relies on it 89.7 percent of the time, which is high on a team as talented as the Cavaliers, and with him as a point guard. At times, I think he believe he’s still playing in the pre-LeBron James era and still has to do it all.

I’ve even made a suggestion that maybe he should get in touch with Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder and see what he has done to become a better passer while also being impactful on the offensive end. Westbrook went from 8.6 assists per game last year to 10.4 this season.

Sometimes hearing how you can improve from an outside source works better than comprehending it from coaches or teammates.

I’m not saying that Irving’s passing is the reason the Cavaliers have looked lethargic at times–just as they did Monday in the first half against the Nuggets, but it should be improved.

Wait, I’m supposed to be positive and talk about this win right?

While officially clinching the Central Division title, James had the biggest night of  all. He posted his second triple-double of the year (33-11-11) and the 41st of his career. According to ESPN, he is now tied for third-most in the last 30 seasons.

But the most interesting part of the game was the battle he had with Jusuf Nurkic. In the second quarter, James was going for a layup and Nurkic proceeded to block his shot and stare him down while laughing. However, on the third possession, James got a transition layup right in the face of Nurkic. I think it’s safe to say that Nurkic won’t be taunting him again anytime soon.

Kenneth Faried didn’t play in this game, but he wouldn’t of made any difference. The Cavaliers played great transition offense and defense, and had excellent ball movement throughout the second half. I believe that the quote at halftime by Channing Frye, who started for an ill Kevin Love Monday–is what got things going.

During the interview with Allie Clifton of FOX Sports, he mentioned how he felt like a “loser” and hadn’t won much referring back to his time with the Orlando Magic. He also mentioned how they have to quit giving up leads to teams. Well, it definitely worked and the Cavaliers were finally on the winning end of a 33-point victory instead of the latter.

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They just proved how dominant they can be when everybody is on the same page and not overthinking things.