Cavs Leave Fans Happy

(AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

The Cleveland Cavaliers picked up their first home win of the season, beating the New Orleans Pelicans 118-111, marking the team’s first win streak of the season.

The key matchup of this game featured the NBA’s best player in Lebron James versus the player who many see as the next best player in the league, Anthony Davis. While both these all-stars put up their typical all-star numbers, it was the teammates of these two that made the most noise in the Quicken Loans Arena.

The first half belonged to Ryan Anderson. Coming off the bench, he came in the game shooting lights out knocking down five three-pointers. The Pelicans entered halftime up 56-51 in large due to Anderson’s 23 first half points.

Second half, it was all about the Cavaliers Big Three. While Lebron went on to mess around and get a triple double, it was Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love who seemed to make all the shots that got fans up out their seat Monday evening.

For the game, Irving and Love combined to go 10-for-16 from deep and connected on seven treys in the second half. Coupled with Lebron’s 17 free throw attempts for the game, the Cavs were just too much for the Pelicans at home.

Three Things

1. Lebron lead and Kyrie Irving followed suite

Lebron was in attack mode the entire night, evident by his 17 free throw attempts. By attacking the basket, he got his teammates involved and made the game easier for others. Also in attack mode was Kyrie Irving. Criticized against Utah for his lack of passing, Irving played with poise, getting his teammates involved and while taking shots within the rhythm of the game, finishing the game shooting over 50 percent from the field.

2. In David Blatt we trust?

While it’s early and the Cavs are still trying to figure things out, keep an eye out on how many minutes the Big Three play down the road. Lebron James and Kyrie Irving are leading the league in minutes played per game, with Kevin Love rounding out the top five in that statistic. Not an encouraging sign after many media members pointed out last year Lebron looked gassed for the first time in his life. And while Irving and Love both have youth on their side, neither have played into the months of May and June, so all the mileage could eventually play a factor. Blatt and Cavs fans must remember the season is a marathon and not a sprint.

3. Cavs must address bench play

So far this Cavs bench stinks, no other way to put it. Coming into the game they ranked 29^th in the league in bench points scored and on average get outscored by 13.8 points per game. Against the Pelicans, the Cavs bench was outscored 44-16. Now while a team with Love, Irving, and James shouldn’t have to rely on its bench to outscore teams, it can use a boost, particularly on the nights one or two the stars are struggling. Hopefully Dion Waiters and Matthew Dellavedova can provide that spark once back healthy, and the bench as a whole can cut down into some of the minutes the Big Three are playing.

Statline of the night: Lebron James. 32 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, 9-for-17 from the field and 13-for-17 from the free throw line.

While other players may have made bigger noise Monday night, make no mistake that James was still the best player on the floor. Lebron looked at ease on the court, letting the game come to him all while posting a monster statline relatively quietly.

What is next: November 14, on the road against the Boston Celtics, 7:30 p.m. EST.