Cavs Rebound From Early Deficit to Destroy the Nets

(Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)

One thing that all great teams seemingly possess is the ability to turn on the switch at any point in the game. These teams don't rely on a solid 48 minutes of basketball, but instead 35-plus minutes of pure domination.

Tonight, that was exactly what the Cleveland Cavaliers did against the Brooklyn Nets in a blowout 117-92 home victory.

Things definitely did not start out the way they ended, with the Cavs trailing by as many as 13 in the middle of the first quarter. The offensive was sluggish and the defense was not any better, allowing easy basket after easy basket to the Nets. Basically, this looked like the Cavs from December, minus Dion Waiters chucking up step-back 18-footers.

However, with 5:10 left in the first quarter, the Cavs finally woke up and suddenly looked like the team that has annihilated teams from the the past two months. For the final 41:10 of the game, the Cavs would outscore the Nets 108-70.

Unlike the previous three games, it was more than just one or two players taking over the game, but instead an overall team effort, with seven players scoring in double figures. Part of that team effort was the incredible ball movement that Cavs played in their dominating stretch, assisting on 32 of their 45 field goals.

That willingness to move the ball was the main difference before and after the switch was turned on. Although isolation is one of the strong suits of the Cavs, it was a reason their offense stalled on too many possessions based on LeBron James' inability to hit shots that he normally would connect on. When the Cavs began their run, it started with James finding J.R. Smith four straight times around the three-point line, leading to four straight three's for Smith.

Once James was able to establish his unselfish play, it trickled down to Kyrie Irving and the rest of the Cavs. Irving would finish a team-high 10 assists, including a few drive-and-dishes to Timofey Mozov.

By the middle of the third quarter, the game was out of reach, allowing David Blatt to sit his starters for a majority of the final quarter in route to the Cavs' 14th straight home victory.

Three Things:

1. Kyrie Irving is a point guard. 

You don't need to be reminded of this, but for some reason this question seems to fly up out of nowhere when there isn't much to talk about (also; Kevin Love's body language). William Bohl of Fear the Sword wrote an article about this exact problem, looking at how Irving's numbers compare to some of the other point guards in the league (spoiler alert: they are good). One of the things that I seem to notice about Irving and his raw assist numbers are that he tends to be more passive when his shot isn't falling. Take tonight for an example: he didn't necessarily struggle from the field (5-of-10 shooting), but he definitely was not lighting the scoreboard up as he did in San Antonio or Orlando. In that case, he had multiple drive and dishes to Mozgov when the defense was collapsing on him. Irving would finish with 10 assists and all was seemingly well with the twittersphere. My two cents on Irving and his assist numbers are this: if you can score as well he does, why is there a need to pass? The way he's been playing this year, why would he sacrifice would he does well (score) in order to impress people that are too concerned with an overrated stat? So for Irving, if it ain't broke, why the hell would he fix it?

2. J.R. Smith's heat checks are amazing.

OK, they weren't really heat checks, but instead it was just Smith being wide open and capitalizing on opportunity by hitting a three-pointer. But he did hit four straight in the second quarter and was a part of a stretch that would put the Cavs up by double-digits in the middle of the second quarter. Of course, Smith is known for the occasional heat check and when he attempts it, it is one of the most glorious things to watch. It's kind of a bummer that being on a good Cavs team has deviated him away from his normal shenanigans, so any time he gets hot (like he did tonight), there's a chance he will try some exotic shot that only he thinks will go in. 

3. How soon will the Cavs begin to sit LeBron for the playoffs?

We already saw Love sit a few games for rest, whether you want to believe that is was for that or not, begging the question of when do the Cavs start sitting LeBron? The Cavs currently sit two games ahead of both Chicago and Toronto (holding the tiebreaker over both of them) with 12 games left. The Cavs schedule the rest of the way out is fairly soft, with their only tough game coming against Memphis on the road. This thought all depends on how early they can clinch the No. 2 seed. It's a very premature question, but my guess would be Mar. 29 when the Cavs take on the Philadelphia 76ers at home.

Statline of the Game:

Kyrie Irving: 12 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 turnover, 5-of-10 shooting.

This really could have went to anyone, but I felt like Irving had the most complete game out of any Cavs player tonight. He didn't force any shots, found open teammates and only had one turnover. Tonight showed that Irving is more than just a scorer, showcasing his passing ability and picking his spots to score, something a "true" point guard does (if that even means anything).

What's Next:

Mar. 20, at home against the Indiana Pacers, 7:30 p.m.