[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’Resurgent Cavs, LeBron outshines Sun, 118-103′ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”][/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=’#0a0a0a’]
Saturday, January 21, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_image src=’http://www.panaynews.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/sports-LeBron-1-194×300.jpg’ attachment=’93670′ attachment_size=’medium’ align=’center’ styling=” hover=” link=” target=” caption=’yes’ font_size=’12’ appearance=’on-hover’ overlay_opacity=’0.4′ overlay_color=’#000000′ overlay_text_color=’#ffffff’ animation=’no-animation’]
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) slams down past the defense of Phoenix Suns forward Dragan Bender (35) at Quicken Loans Arena on Thursday.THE PLAIN DEALER
[/av_image]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=’#0a0a0a’]
CLEVELAND – Before their first home game following a long trip that ended with a miserable thud at Golden State, Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue showed his team video clips to remind them who they are.
The message?
”Do that,” LeBron James said.
Kyrie Irving scored 26 points, James, his All-Star teammate, had 21 points and 15 assists, and Cleveland looked more like an NBA champion in a 118-103 win over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night.
The Cavs were back in Quicken Loans Arena following a six-game road swing (their longest of the season) that concluded with an embarrassing 35-point loss to the Warriors. But on their home floor, they had better offensive balance, ball movement and defense while improving to 30-11 – the same record Cleveland had at the halfway point of its 2016 NBA title season.
Channing Frye scored 18, Iman Shumpert 17 and James Jones 14 while filling in for star forward Kevin Love, still bothered by back spasms.
”Coming off our road trip we just weren’t playing Cavalier basketball,” said James, ”and getting the ball popping from one side to the other. It was good to get back to the way we’ve been playing for most of the season.”
Tyson Chandler had 22 points and 16 rebounds, but the Suns lost for the fourth time in five games.
Phoenix closed within 12 in the fourth, but was unable to get any closer.
While trying to integrate newly acquired Kyle Korver into their rotation on the road, the Cavs got into some bad habits as they forced passes to one of the league’s best shooters.
A couple of practices seem to have helped as Korver made a pair of 3-pointers in the second quarter of his home debut to help Cleveland open a 21-point lead. (AP)
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
