In their final home game before the NBA All-Star Game, the Cleveland Cavaliers gave their fans plenty to get pumped about in a 105-92 win against the visiting San Antonio Spurs.
Cleveland withstood an early flurry from the Spurs and battled back to finish the opening 12 minutes down by just a single point.
A returning Darius Garland took over the second quarter as he scored nine points in the frame and dished out a pair of assists. At the half, Cleveland found themselves up by nine points.
In the third quarter, Cleveland went up by as many as 23 points, but San Antonio stayed resilient, and the Cavaliers were up by 11 points entering the final quarter. San Antonio would get as close as seven points, but ultimately the Cavaliers withstood all the Spurs runs and wound up winning by 13.
After the opening quarter, Cleveland’s defense did a good job settling down against San Antonio. The Spurs shot just 38 percent from the floor and 24 percent from beyond the arc. Cleveland also forced 13 turnovers, and the Wine and Gold scored 18 points off those turnovers.
This game was also the first time Caris LeVert suited up for the Wine and Gold. In 28 minutes of game action, LeVert shot just 4-of-11 from the floor and scored 11 points.
It will take some time for LeVert to get acclimated to playing with his new teammates, but we saw glimpses of what his recent trade addition will do for the Cavaliers. He can create shots for himself and can also find teammates for open looks.
Overall, the Cavs enter the final three games before the All-Star break with a 34-21 record.
As for Wednesday night’s stud, his return to the lineup was a pleasant sight to see, and he picked up right where he left off.