James scored a season-high 42 points as Cleveland zoomed past Golden State.
Something had to give when the Cleveland Cavaliers hosted the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night. The Cavs had won 17 of their last 19 games to surge up the Eastern Conference standings. The Warriors entered with the best record in the NBA at 44-10. The game had the feel of an NBA Finals preview, and for the most part, it lived up to the hype.
Cleveland led by five points at the half, but started to create separation in the third quarter and had a relatively comfortable victory in hand by the fourth. Behind a brilliant performance from LeBron James, the Cavaliers came away with a 110-99 win.
James scored a season-high 42 points and added five assists and 11 rebounds in the win. James was aggressive from the start with 24 points in the first half, and he remained an efficient, unstoppable offensive force throughout the night.
Kyrie Irving was great, too. He finished with 24 points on the night, which included a 10-for-10 stretch from the free throw line.
Golden State got a solid effort off the bench from David Lee, who scored a team-high 19 points, but Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson could never get going. Curry finished with 18 points on 5-for-17 shooting while Thompson finished with 13 points on 5-for-13 shooting.
Here's three things we learned from the game:
1. LeBron James is forcing his way back into the MVP discussion
James has been tremendous since sitting for eight games in early January, and his stellar play has coincided with the Cavaliers' recent hot streak. He was at his best against Golden State, outdueling another leading MVP candidate in Steph Curry and leaving little doubt he's still the best player in the NBA.
MVP awards might not mean much to James at this point -- he already has four to his name. If Cleveland keeps charging up the East standings, though, it's going to be undeniable that James needs to be in the conversation.
2. The Warriors' defense fell apart for a night
Golden State entered the game No. 1 in defensive efficiency, but it became clear early that this would not be the type of night the Warriors have been accustomed to this season. Cleveland scored 32 in the first quarter and 61 in the first half behind a dynamic attack led by James.
Harrison Barnes and Andre Iguodala were no match for James, but he wasn't the only one doing the damage. Four other Cleveland players also scored in double figures, including 24 points from Kyrie Irving. With speed and shooting on the floor around James, Cleveland is awfully tough to defend and it just proven against the league's top defense.
3. The entire NBA should be terrified of the Cavs
This win puts the Cavs in the lead in the Central Division, a half game ahead of the Chicago Bulls. With Derrick Rose likely out for the rest of the regular season (if not out for the year entirely), Cleveland's path just got a little bit easier.
Up to this point in the season, the Atlanta Hawks have earned the right to be called the best team in the East. If Cleveland inevitably ends up in the NBA Finals, though, it won't surprise anyone.
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