Tristan's big homecoming game gives Cavs their sixth straight

(Photo by Dave Sandford/NBAE via Getty Images)

In a season themed by homecoming, it was Tristan Thompson who showed up big in his hometown of Toronto, scoring 21 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in the Cleveland Cavaliers victory over the Toronto Raptors, 105-91.

Thompson, a Toronto native, played big when the Cavaliers needed it most. With the Raptors trying to make a comeback in the fourth quarter, it was Thompson and LeBron James whom worked the two-man game. The biggest play between the two was when the Cavaliers were clinging to an 8-point lead with just over four minutes left in the game. James, who had been controlling the point guard duties. James drove right, warranted a double-team and then threw a lob to Thompson, who would finish with a slam and the exclamation on the Cavaliers night.

Tonight's win gave the Cavaliers their sixth straight, but more importantly, it showed that Cleveland does in fact have a bench that's alive. After being out-scored by the Raptors 51-19 in their last meeting, it was the Cavaliers who get the better of the benches, out-scoring Toronto's bench 33-25. James Jones, who played in his fourth game of the season tonight, had eight points, all coming in the second quarter. Those were some big points though, as they helped eliminate a Toronto comeback that haunted the Cavaliers in their first match-up.

Oh, and let's not forget about LeBron. 24 points, 13 assists and 7 rebounds was as classical of a LeBron performance as you will find. But it was not his stat-line that was LeBron-esque, it was the way he finished the game. He kept his teammates involved and scored when he needed to, a big reason the Cavaliers were able to out-score the Raptors 54-47 in the second half.

Six straight victories match their longest since LeBron last graced a Cavalier uniform. With the team rolling, how many games can they extend it to? A tough road lies ahead, but if they can escape from this upcoming stretch unscathed, a dominate hot streak could be in the making.

Three Things:

1. Hello defense my old friend.

Would you look at? The Cavaliers not only held a top-tiered defense to 91 points and 40 percent shooting, but did it in their own building. We've raved and raved and raved about the improvements of the Cavaliers defense, and tonight was a great sign of that, especially from LeBron, who nabbed four steals and held Terrance Ross and James Johnson to a combined 11 points on 4-of-16 shooting. For the (enter number)th time this season, we'll say how good the offense is and how good the defense needs to be for the Cavaliers to be contenders. Tonight could be our first glimpse of what a peak Cavaliers team could, considering how well the defense played.

2. Welcome to the rotation, Mr. Jones.

Including tonight, Jones has played in four games this season, but tonight was different from those first three games. Filling in for Mike Miller, who was diagnosed with a concussion after last night's game against the New York Knicks, James hit two 3-pointers and finished plus-two when he was on the court. For a team desperately looking for guys to contribute off the bench, any performance like tonight will help your cause. But more than that, LeBron has vouched for a guy like Miller to get more minutes, meaning we might see him express the same thought about Jones.

3. LeBron is the best point guard in the league.

For the third straight game, and the fifth time in seven games, James had 10 assists. It doesn't matter what his height is or what his listed position is for All-Star balloting, he is a point guard, through and through. His vision is second to none and makes passes only he can make. For example, when he was on a two-on-one fast break with Thompson, James whipped a perfect no-look pass after fumbling the outlet, with Thompson finishing with a dunk. Although Kyrie is considered the point guard, the best decision head coach David Blatt made so far this season was when he put the ball in LeBron's hand to run the offense.

Statline of the night:

Tristan Thompson: 21 points, 15 rebounds (9 offensive), 2 assists, 8-of-13 shooting.

It's pretty obvious the Cavaliers don't win this game without Thompson, but it's more than just the stats that show that. Thompson's (surprise) ability to finish around the rim allowed LeBron and Kyrie to get to paint and either score or dish it off to Thompson.

What's next:

Dec. 8, on the road against the Brooklyn Nets, 7:30 p.m.