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Cleveland Cavaliers: Top 10 moments of the 2018-19 NBA season

By Tony Pesta

CLEVELAND, OHIO - MARCH 22: Larry Nance Jr. #22 celebrates with Tristan Thompson #13 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half against the LA Clippers at Quicken Loans Arena on March 22, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Clippers defeated the Cavaliers 110-108. User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MARCH 22: Larry Nance Jr. #22 celebrates with Tristan Thompson #13 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half against the LA Clippers at Quicken Loans Arena on March 22, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Clippers defeated the Cavaliers 110-108. User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Chris Elise/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Chris Elise/NBAE via Getty Images) /

5. Cavaliers earn a hard-fought win over the Los Angeles Lakers

It’s time to talk about LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers again. While of course, it was great to see James return to Cleveland and play in front of the Cavaliers crowd, there is nothing the fans wanted more than for the Cavs to defeat the Lakers.

Sadly, this didn’t happen in their first meeting with L.A. However, the Cavs would get a second chance to topple the Lakers, this time in front of the Staples Center crowd. To make things better, James would be missing this game.

With James sidelined by the groin injury he suffered on Christmas, this gave Cleveland the opportunity to prove that James made a mistake leaving. A win over the Lakers was a great chance to send a message to LBJ that the squad he left was still resilient and ready to compete.

Tristan Thompson and Alec Burks responded to this challenge big time. TT posted 15 points and 14 rebounds, while Burks chipped in with 17 points and 13 rebounds of his own. Cedi Osman led the team in scoring with 20 points, while Rodney Hood dropped 18 and Collin Sexton poured in 17.

The Cavaliers finished with their entire starting lineup scoring at least 15 points. This was the only time all season that the team accomplished this feat. As a result, the Cavaliers escaped L.A. with a 101-95 victory.

This win obviously didn’t bring James back to The Land, but it did make fans feel a little bit better about their team. The fact that the Lakers failed to make the playoffs was just the icing on the cake for Cleveland fans.

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