Cavaliers waste LeBron James' triple double, value of draft pick in 112-107 loss to Brooklyn
Updated: Oct. 26, 2017, 3:11 a.m. |
Published: Oct. 26, 2017, 2:11 a.m.
Joe Vardon, Cleveland.com
BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- The Cavaliers devalued one of their top assets Wednesday night by losing to the Brooklyn Nets.
Remember, the Cavs acquired Brooklyn's No. 1 draft pick in 2018 as part of the trade for Kyrie Irving, and the pick was supposed to be a key piece of the deal because it's supposed to be in the lottery.
Well, the Nets bested the Cavs 112-107, and through five games the two teams are both 3-2.
Too bad for the Nets that they don't have Cleveland's No. 1 pick next year.
"We're running around here worrying about getting the Brooklyn pick, they might want our pick," Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said.
LeBron James posted his 56th career triple double and became the franchise's all-time leader in games played. He finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists in 41 minutes, but he missed two free throws with 7.6 seconds left that could've tied the game.
The Nets led by as many as 14 in the fourth quarter and saw that lead disappear thanks to a 13-0 run for Cleveland over 31/2 minutes beginning at the 8:26 mark of the fourth.
Spencer Dinwiddie started in place of the injured D'Angelo Russell and scored 22 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter. Yes, the Nets were missing arguably their best player.
The Cavs were without Dwyane Wade (bruised left knee) and Derrick Rose (sprained left ankle). Cleveland gave up 17 3s for the third straight game -- all to what pundits consider bad teams (Orlando, Chicago, and the Nets). Two of those games ended in defeat.
Kyle Korver scored 22 points off the bench and Jeff Green added 18 points. Kevin Love finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds but shot 4-of-13 from the field.
Cleveland committed 21 turnovers for 24 points. James had eight turnovers and Love committed six.
J.R. Smith shot 1-of-9 for two points. Over his last four games, he's shooting 6-of-34. This was his second game starting instead of Wade.
"It hasn't been difficult, just a lot of guys are out, so when guys get back other guys go out," Lue said. "When we get everyone healthy it will be a better situation."
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Allen Crabbe scored 19 apiece for the Nets. DeMarre Carroll added 18 and former Cav Joe Harris contributed 11 points.
James passed Zydrunas Ilgauskas as the Cavs' all-time leader with 772 games. Maybe in honor of ol' Big Z (well, probably not), James spent some time playing center with the Cavs' second unit.
James shot 12-of-20 from the field.
"He can start at any position he wants to and it impacts us defensively," Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said. He starts at the 5, the 1. You do your scouting report for him because he moves around so much. I'm being a little sarcastic, obviously, but yeah, sure, it makes it difficult. At the end of the day, I always feel like he's the quarterback in every sense. So it doesn't change that much for us.
The Cavs blew a nine-point lead in the first quarter, trailed 26-23 when it was over and were down 55-52 at halftime. James registered 14 points, seven assists, and four rebounds in the opening half; Carroll also had 14 points. The Nets scored 13 points off Cleveland's 13 first-half turnovers.
"Why can't we get it up in the first quarter," Lue said. "Why does it always take our backs against the wall to come out and fight and scrap. But I don't know."
: The Cavs play at the New Orleans Hornets at 7 p.m. Saturday.