by The Cleveland Cavaliers used a 14-0 2nd half surge to win their 8th straight game in a 114-100 win of the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday afternoon.
The Lakers got off to a fast start in the first quarter jumping out to a quick 7-0 lead against the sluggish Cavs in their first game of a back to back. Russell Westbrook had an outstanding first quarter off the bench shooting 83% from the field for 12 points. He added 4 assists and 2 steals as well. Following a quick dish from Westbrook to Davis the Lakers opened up a 21-9 advantage with 5:30 remaining in the first quarter.
Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland returned to action after a one game absence due to ankle and knee injuries. And their impact was felt immediately. The Cavs two headed monster would keep the Cavs close throughout the first quarter as the Lakers would continue their hot shooting finishing the quarter at 63%. After leading by as many as 12 points the lead was cut down to 6 (36-30) to end the first quarter.
The 2nd quarter saw the Lakers continuing to get into the paint and score which is something the Cavs thus far this season have been able to limit thanks to Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. Mobley and Allen would both pick up their 3rd personal fouls forcing them to watch from the bench for the remainder of the half. With the two on the bench, Anthony Davis had a solid first half for the Lakers finishing with 17 points.
The Cavs shot 23 free throws in the first half with Mitchell and Garland going 15-15 from the line. The duo combined for 42 of the team’s 58 first half points as the rest of the team shot a struggling 4-22 from the field. Facing the same deficit as they did following the 1st quarter, the Cavs would have to tighten up their defense effort and chip in to give their two stars help to keep the win streak alive.
The 3rd quarter saw the J.B. Bickerstaff led Cavaliers make adjustments on the defensive end that would prove to be pivotal to victory. Middle penetration would be limited, which forced more shots from the perimeter. This is not exactly the Lakers strong suit as they rank last in the NBA in shooting from distance.
Once the defensive intensity picked up the points started to add up and the lead grew for the Cavaliers who obtained their first lead of the night on a Jarrett Allen dunk from Caris LeVert. There would be lead changes several times throughout the quarter until the Cavs used a big run to prematurely put the Lakers away. Cedi Osman nailed a 3 to knot the score at 80. This bucket would start a big 14-0 run that carried into the 4th quarter.
The Cavs began firing on all cylinders, a key moment that helped this big run was Anthony Davis picking up his 4th foul on a double foul with Jarrett Allen halfway through the 3rd quarter. Davis was all but taken out of this game on both ends following this play as he only attempted 2 2nd half field goal attempts. The Cavs ran away with their 8th straight win by a final score of 114-100 from Los Angeles.
Donovan Mitchell would finish with a game high 33 points to go along with 5 assists. Darius Garland would finish with 24 points and Jarrett Allen recorded another double with 16 points and 11 assists. Lebron James led the Lakers in scoring with 27 points while Davis (19 points, 12 rebounds) and Westbrook (19 points, 10 assists) both recorded double doubles in a losing effort.
The Cavs will stay in the same arena and face the Los Angeles Clippers tomorrow night. As for the 2-7 Lakers they’ll travel to Utah for a meeting with the Jazz tomorrow night.
