Cavaliers begin longest road trip of season riding four-game winning streak

“But until we turn it on defensively, we’re kidding ourselves”.

On the season, the Cleveland Cavaliers average 99.8 points, 45.1 rebounds and 22.3 assists per game.

The Cavaliers used a 21-9 run late in the third quarter to finally open up some distance on the Raptors, who were led by Kyle Lowry’s 23 points.

Irving scored or directly assisted on 16 of the Cavaliers’ 32 fourth-quarter points, mixing up long-range shots and forays to the rim.

“It’s not our opponent”, said Cleveland small forward LeBron James, who had 29 points in 29 minutes despite playing with a cold. J.R. Smith took 17 shots last night, 14 from behind the 3 point line, for 24 points. He had 35 points, 10 assists and five steals as the Wizards (15-17) led wire to wire – holding Kevin Love and Timofey Mozgov to a combined eight points – in a 97-85 road win over the Irving-less Cavaliers.

Irving shot just 4-for-12 from the field – he was 0-for-4 on 3-pointers – but the offense flowed from the start and he finished with five assists.

“A team like that, the way they beat us last time I’m sure they feel like if they come out and play well early and get on top of us, they can get a lead and maybe coast to the end”, Skiles said. “Kyrie did wonderful things”.

In just his sixth game back from a broken left knee cap suffered in last year’s NBA Finals, Irving looked to be in mid-season form adding eight assists and six rebounds.

Kyrie Irving, who was cleared to play more minutes but ended up being needed for only 21, had 13 points, while Kevin Love had 10 points and 13 rebounds and Tristan Thompson had 10 points and 12 boards.

Then his surgically-repaired left knee took a blow Saturday night when he dove after a loose ball with the Cavs leading the Orlando Magic by 20. Both guys really got up for it.

“I don’t golf and I’ve never played baseball”, he said. “When the first one doesn’t go in, I feel like I’m going to make the next one”.

Kyrie Irving isn’t angry that John Wall questioned the validity of his All-Star votes.

“He’s special. He’s that special, man. He’s much better than an All-Star, ” James said. I didn’t even mind his aforementioned offensive goaltending because I liked seeing the aggression. “They know what they can be when they’re all healthy and playing together”, Cavaliers coach David Blatt told reporters of his star trio.

– Fun observation: At half, the Toronto broadcast showed the keys of the game, one of which was something like “Transition and Half-Court Baskets”. F Anthony Bennett, selected by Cleveland with the No. 1 pick in the 2013 draft, was inactive and has appeared in only 10 games, averaging 1.9 points. “He’s a talented young man who is just trying to get experience, but it’s been tough to get him time because of the minutes that are available”, Raptors coach Dwane Casey said…. “That was one of those moments we all talk about as athletes when you come back from surgery and you’re like, ‘That was the moment for me.’ That was the one”. “That’s what I said”.