Kevin Love scores record 34 points in first quarter

The victory means Cleveland remain top of the Eastern Conference standings with an 11-2 record.

The Cavaliers, whose entire team will attend Saturday’s college football game between Ohio State and MI, didn’t let up.

This was the Cavs’ largest margin of victory this season. He made 12 of 20 shots, including 8 of 12 three-pointers. You do the math.

On Friday night, LeBron will lock up with one of the few bright spots for Dallas this season – Harrison Barnes – who’s averaging a career-best 21.2 ppg and who’s coming off a team-high 22-point effort in the Mavs’ Wednesday night loss to the Clippers.

Kyrie Irving finds Love early, and he puts the hosts up 5-2. The Pistons, who also got 17 points from Tobias Harris, are 6-2 at home and 1-7 on the road.

All of this, mind you, was in three quarters of work. It was 72-38 at halftime so, yeah, a running clock in the second half would’ve been fine for Carlisle.

Williams is part of a team which is doing the worst in this league (2 wins, 12 losses; nearly the reverse of the Cavs) and might be on the cards for a trade. The quality of offense in this game would be practically immeasurable were it not for these here box score observations.

Long-time Dallas Mavericks franchise player Dirk Nowitzki returned to the lineup after missing eight straight games to recover from right Achilles heel soreness.

Love made 11 of 14 field goal attempts, including a career-high eight three-pointers from 10 efforts all in the first, while he made his first six shots in total and was four from four from the free throw line. When two players combine for 48 points through two quarters, it’s safe to assume it’s going to be a big night for the offense. The Pacers failed to make a basket in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter.

The Cavs led by 20 after one, a reminder of how immediately this one turned hilarious, or ugly, depending on the side. LaMarcus Aldridge finished with 23 points and seven rebounds. The NBA’s leader in triple-doubles with five, Westbrook finished with 31 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in 33 minutes.

Love’s struggles to fit in with the team were most prominent in his first season with the team in 2014-2015 under then-head coach David Blatt.

His season high in points was 27.

Cavs forward Channing Frye did not play following the death of his father, Thomas, on Friday (AEDT). “I’m not trying to be nonchalant about it, but sometimes when you’re in it you don’t necessarily feel it”, Love said afterward.