King James Takes Over, Cavs Beat Nuggets 125 - 109
Mar 21, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Axel Toupane (6) defends Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) during the fourth quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs won 124-91. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Cleveland was too much for the Nuggets to handle
Coming off of a thrilling win against the New York Knicks, the short-handed Nuggets knew they would have their hands full against the Cleveland Cavaliers on the second day of a back-to-back.
Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets put up a fight, but the defending champions were simply too much to handle, as the Nuggets fell 125-109, to the Cavaliers.
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Things looked very promising early, but the Cavs eventually showed why they are the defending champions of the NBA.
The Nuggets being short-handed really came back to bite them in this game.
If they continue to play like this, Golden State will also run over them as well. Hopefully, the necessary adjustments will be made before Monday’s big match-up in Denver against the Warriors.
Jul 20, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; USA guard Kyrie Irving (10) tries to get by guard Gary Harris (40) during a practice at Mendenhall Center. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Dahl-USA TODAY Sports
Cleveland relied on their normal formula
It was the usual winning formula for the Cavaliers through the always-dangerous combination of LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.
One of them was on the court at all times, but when both were on the court, LeBron’s vision and passing and Kyrie’s scoring were simply too much to handle.
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The Cavaliers were only leading 59-55 at halftime, but LeBron and Kyrie blew the game wide open halfway through the third quarter.
LeBron and Kyrie scored 27 points each, but LeBron’s shooting was much more efficient and he dished out 12 assists as well.
That is correct, James and Irving combined for 54 points and 17 assists, great totals to have for a defending champion.
The third counterpart, Kevin Love, also had a solid game. He shot 45% from the field which resulted in 16 points for him. In the end, Cleveland was just the better team.
Mar 21, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone reacts during the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs won 124-91. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Terrible defense cost the Nuggets again
The Nuggets defense started to fade in the 2nd quarter, but it completely fell apart in the second half. Even with Wilson Chandler guarding LeBron, the Nuggets could not stop the 4-time MVP and he dominated the pace of the game whenever he was in.
Many people have been questioning LeBron’s workload this season, but on a night like tonight, it was easy to see why Head Coach Tyronn Lue hardly took him out of the game.
Going into tonight’s game, all eyes were on Jokic after his spectacular 40-point effort in Madison Square Gardens, but the Nuggets knew they couldn’t bank on Jokic as much as they had the night before.
Jokic turned in yet another double-double with 27 points and 13 rebounds, but the supporting cast could not get the job done tonight.
Even Mike Miller got some significant minutes in this contest, as it was very clear the Nuggets miss Faried, Gallinari and Mudiay in their lineup.
Jameer Nelson and Gary Harris turned in some strong performances, but it was not nearly enough against the dangerous Cavaliers. Nelson nearly notched a triple-double with 12 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. Harris added 16 points.
The Nuggets will need to rest up and regroup for a showdown in the Mile High city against the Golden State Warriors on Monday.
A pretty brutal two-game stretch for the good guys.
