Under new coach Tyronn Lue, the Cleveland Cavaliers are running and gunning. Heading into their game against the Indiana Pacers on Monday, the Cavaliers had scored at least 114 points in four games in a row -- all wins. They were right on track against the Pacers, too, scoring 60 in the first half. But then the offense halted.
The Cavaliers didn't buckle, though. Instead, they hunkered down on defense in the fourth quarter and overtime as Kyrie Irving took over in the extra frame to lead Cleveland past Indiana, 111-106.
While the new-look Cavaliers rightfully have the rest of their league shaking with an offense that's allowing Kevin Love to blossom alongside two of the most electric players in the league in Irving and LeBron James, Cleveland can still grind it out.
Irving led the way with 25 points -- including eight in overtime -- while James added 24 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. Love chipped in 19. But it was the defense -- which has struggled mightily at points this season -- that saved the Cavaliers in the fourth quarter when their offense stopped clicking.
George Hill led the Pacers with 23 points in the loss. Paul George had only 11 points but did hand out eight assists on a night the Pacers had a chance to halt the streaking Cavaliers.
Cleveland was unconscious in the first half, hitting 61.9 percent from the field to jump out to a 60-49 lead. The team was sprinting down the court and jumping into a fastbreak on every occasion.
The Pacers played tough defense in the third, though, challenging James and Irving in the lane and the shots stopped falling. The Cavaliers ended up shooting 50 percent on the night after the blistering start.
The Pacers' offense got going in the third, outscoring the Cavaliers 30-15 in the quarter to build a four-point lead. But like the Pacers, the Cavaliers' defense eventually found its groove.
They held the Pacers to just 17 points in the fourth and were able to handle the slow pace, even when their shots weren't dropping.
It's a style of play the Cavaliers should continue to remember. They beat the Pacers with Irving and tough team defense down the stretch -- that could be a winning formula in the playoffs, too. They were able to run the Spurs out of the gym on Saturday, but they nearly won the title last year by slowing down the Warriors.
The Cavaliers' biggest advantage this year is their versatility -- they can beat you on either side of the court.
3 other things we learned
Gordon Hayward and Jimmy Butler are two of the most exciting players in the league
Hayward wasn't going to let the Utah Jazz lose to the Chicago Bulls. Not only did he have 27 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, Hayward took over down the stretch. He hit the game-tying shot with less than five seconds to play that sent the game to overtime and then was phenomenal in the extra period, scoring eight points as the Jazz held the Bulls to only three OT points en route to a 105-96 win. Hayward hasn't made a big jump this season like many expected -- putting up stats very similar to his numbers from 2014-15 -- but he's still leading a Jazz team that's in the playoff race in the West. And he's doing it with electric plays.
Butler, meanwhile, had 26 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the loss, but he did everything he could -- aside from demanding the ball more in overtime -- to give the Bulls a chance.
Butler was hitting extremely tough shots, but didn't take a shot for the Bulls in the first three minutes of overtime. The Bulls have lost nine of 13 games and cannot find an identity on offense. They didn't make any strides on Monday.
The Grizzlies aren't letting the Pelicans back into the playoff race without a fight
Zach Randolph isn't done yet. Z-Bo put up a vintage performance with 22 points and 12 rebounds as the Grizzlies rolled over the Pelicans, 110-95, on Monday. Anthony Davis had 23 points and nine rebounds as the Pelicans fell to 18-29 on the season on the same night the Jazz and Kings both won to stay on pace with the Trail Blazers for the eighth spot in the Western Conference playoff race. The Grizzlies, meanwhile, continue to climb in the rankings. If the season ended today, they would be the fifth seed out West. At 29-20, they've won 11 of 14 games. Memphis took advantage of a favorable January schedule and is now in the thick of the West race. The Clippers are currently the No. 4 seed in the West. With the Grizzlies looking more and more dangerous, that playoff matchup would be a dream come true.
Russell Westbrook isn't going to let Draymond Green get all the triple-doubles
Westbrook had 17 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists as the Thunder coasted to an easy 114-98 win over the Washington Wizards. It was his seventh triple-double of the season. Green has nine this season. Westbrook isn't doing it as loudly as he did last season without Kevin Durant to share the court with, but he continues to put up absurd numbers. And unlike last year, his team is winning and in the playoff hunt. The Thunder continue to play in the shadow of the Warriors, Spurs and Cavaliers, however. They'll finally get a chance to prove themselves this Saturday when they head to Oakland to take on the Warriors.
Play of the night
so myles turner blocked the crap out of lebron pic.twitter.com/gNDEbklBLI
— James Herbert (@outsidethenba) February 2, 2016
Not many people get to block a LeBron James dunk. We salute you, Myles Turner.
3 fun things
Ersan Ilyasova's was going for his first dunk of the season. Instead, Thaddeus Young destroyed him.
Kevin Love finally made it into one of LeBron James' pictures!
Derrick Rose hit a wide-open three and decided it was a good idea to take a bow.
Scores
Cavaliers 111, Pacers 106 OT (Fear the Sword recap | Indy Cornrows recap)
Pistons 105, Nets 100 (Detroit Bad Boys recap | Nets Daily recap)
Grizzlies 110, Pelicans 95 (Grizzly Bear Blues recap | The Bird Writes recap)
Thunder 114, Wizards 98 (Welcome to Loud City recap | Bullets Forever recap)
Hawks 112, Mavericks 97 (Peachtree Hoops recap | Mavs Moneyball recap)
Spurs 107, Magic 92 (Pounding the Rock recap | Orlando Pinstriped Post recap)
Nuggets 112, Raptors 93 (Denver Stiffs recap | Raptors HQ recap)
Jazz 105, Bulls 96 OT (SLC Dunk recap | Blog a Bull recap)
Kings 111, Bucks 104 (Sactown Royalty recap | Brew Hoop recap)