Cavs march on as sluggish Spurs stunned
THE Cleveland Cavaliers extended their unbeaten start to the season with a battling victory over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday as San Antonio slumped to their first defeat of the campaign in an upset loss to the Utah Jazz.
Kyrie Irving scored 32 points and Kevin Love produced a defensive masterclass in the fourth quarter to see the Cavs home against the Rockets, who saw James Harden finish with 41 points in a virtuoso display.
Love, who conjured two steals and a blocked shot in the fourth quarter to kill off a Rockets rally, added 24 points, while LeBron James scored 19.
The victory means the reigning NBA champions are 4-0 for the first time since the start of the 2000-2001 season 16 years ago.
Love was pivotal in the win, revealing later he had worked hard at improving his defensive game.
“I don’t know what the stats say, but I’d bet you that statistically I’m not a bad defender, so to speak,” Love said. “I think I read defences relatively well. It’s just something I continue to try to get better at.”
Irving, meanwhile, took the opportunity to shine when James left the court midway through the second quarter before later returning for the second half.
‘Seal of approval
Irving (pictured, AFP) rounded off an impressive night’s work with a deep three-pointer, earning the seal of approval from James. “He’s special. He’s growing every day,” James said.
“He’s in the zone, he knows who he is and what he’s about. The sky’s the limit for him. He’s only [24]. He’s nowhere near to what he could be.”
While Cleveland marched on however, San Antonio’s dazzling early season form deserted them in their upset 106-91 loss to Utah.
George Hill scored 22 points to lead the fired up Jazz, who improved to 2-2, against a powerful San Antonio who had routed Golden State in their season-opener last week.
San Antonio’s Kawhi i Leonard topscored overall with 30 0 points. Veteran Spurs coach Gregg gg Popovich, meanwhile, slammed his team’s lack of aggression.
“I thought we started ed out pretty unaggressivelyy for whatever reason,” Popopovich told reporters.“They hey shot several uncontesteded shots. I think we followed ed them around so to speak, k, just reacted to theiri r offence.
“We got back in the game ame somewhere in the second econd quarter and the third when we were a bit more aggressivegressive and got into passing lanes. anes.
“But every time it wasas a one or two-point deal we’d d miss a shot or they’d make one or turn it over. Overall theyhey outplayed us. They executed ted fantastically for the entire 48 minutes – we were in and out ut in that regard.” In the late game, St Stephen Curry pocketed 28 poin points for Golden State against theth Portland Trail Blazers as th the Warriors recorded a third s straight win after last week week’s opening upset. Curry’s h haul in the 127-104 vic victory included a 23-po 23-point spree in the t hi rd quar t er. Kevin Du Durant added 20 point points while Ian Clark ca came off the bench to score 22. Elsewher Elsewhere there was another f r ust rat i ng defeat for in in-form New Orleans Pe Pelicans star Anthony Davis Davis. Davis, 23, w whose team was downed 117 117-113 by the Milwaukee Bucks,Buc added another 35 pointspo to set alongside his 50-point50 and 45-point efforts lastla week but it was to no avail.