James leads Cavs past Timberwolves for Lue’s first win

Lue replaced David Blatt, who was sacked Friday despite the Cavs (31-12) owning the best record in the Eastern Conference. Zach LaVine scored 21 points while Andrew Wiggins added 20. But James sealed the win with a pair of free throws at the other end. And if you do, you’ve got to come out. He now has his first win as an National Basketball Association coach. “What do you guys want me to do? I’m not that far off. I can get there in less than a week”, said James of Lue’s comments.

“People get it so misconstrued because I’m a smart basketball player and I’ve voiced my opinion about certain things, which I did when I was here my first stint with Paul Silas and Mike Brown”.

On the season, the Minnesota Timberwolves average 99.0 points, 42.3 rebounds and 21.8 assists per game.

Though the Cavs held off the Timberwolves by final score of 114-107- a feat not quite fit for a beer-filled celebration- the win was a big one, especially for a man who endured a whirlwind of a weekend.

The Cavaliers struggled with the Timberwolves before going on a spurt that began late in the third quarter and carried over into the fourth.

A turnaround baseline jumper by Wiggins over James cut the Wolves’ deficit to 106-102 in the final minute, but the Cavs made just enough baskets to survive. “The tools are all there”.

The Minnesota Timberwolves traded Love to the Cavaliers before the 2014-15 season and he re-upped with Cleveland before this season, signing a five-year, $112 million contract.

The most recent comments came from Heat part-owner Raanan Katz, who told an Israeli sports radio show that James tried to get rid of Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra. Still, they had 99 possessions – nine higher than Saturday’s loss to the Bulls and the highest figure overall since a win at Denver last month when they also had 99 possessions.

Lue wants the Cavaliers to play at a faster tempo with the hope it will open up the floor and result in more opportunities for easy baskets.

The Cavs committed eight turnovers in the game’s first 14 minutes and ended the night with 15. “At times, playing fast, (Love) can get lost on offense”, Lue said. “We just gotta get Timo playing with more confidence”. Matthew Dellavedova had 18 points, seven assists and four rebounds during Australia Day at the Q. He even broke out a pair of old green and gold sneakers he typically wears for the Australian national team to commemorate the day.

Cleveland Cavaliers’ Tristan Thompson, left, from Canada, and Minnesota Timberwolves’ Ricky Rubio, from Spain, battle for a loose ball in the second half of an NBA basketball game Monday, Jan. 25, 2016, in Cleveland. I needed one after going up and down and getting rebounds, but as we continue to get better and progress, our pace will get better. Should the Cleveland Cavaliers drop a few games here and there without Varejao to ensure that he will be healthy for the playoffs, is a trade-off I would take. He is considered day-to-day…. Archie Goodwin scored a season-high 26 points for the Suns, who trailed by as many as 19 points in the second half before their rally fell short. There are suddenly plenty of issues for this team to work through, yet they remain atop the East. The decision to fire Blatt remains highly controversial, however.