Kyrie Irving finishes with style in Cavs’ blowout of Wizards
The Cleveland Cavaliers’ mediocre start to the season is officially a thing of the past. Coming into Friday’s first post-break contest vs. the Washington Wizards having won 14 of 16 games, the Cavs have reestablished themselves as one of the most impressive teams in the East and a viable contender for the NBA title. A team that had previously looked unsure of how to fit its very talented pieces together now looks on its way to figuring it out.
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Their trip to D.C. only confirmed that impression. Cleveland controlled all four quarters on its way to a 127-89 blowout of Washington. The top highlight came courtesy of All-Star Kyrie Irving, who had to get fancy to finish this lay-up around John Wall:
Irving finished with 25 points (9-of-18 FG) and seven assists, but LeBron James was the Cavs’ top performer with 28 points (12-of-21 FG), six assists, and five rebounds in only 25 minutes. Three more Cavaliers joined them in double figures as the team shot 51.1 percent from the field.
The victory moved Cleveland a half-game ahead of Washington for the fourth spot in the East, and it now looks as if the surging Cavs are in prime position to gain homecourt advantage for at least one playoff series. For that matter, the conference’s playoff picture looks far more unsettled than it did only a few weeks ago. The second-place Toronto Raptors thumped the top-ranked Atlanta Hawks 105-80 at Philips Arena on Friday for their own impressive road rout. The Hawks still lead the Raptors by 5 1/2 games for first place, but that result suggests that there could be some changes before the regular season’s 82 games are done.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
