Cleveland, OH (92.3 The Fan) – The Cavaliers beat the Grizzlies 112-107 on Saturday night.
Kevin Love led the way with 32 points and 12 rebounds. He had ten points in the fourth quarter, which helped the Cavaliers steal the momentum Memphis gained. The Cavs have won back-to-back games for the third time this season. Their 3-1 on their current homestand.
Cleveland led by as many as 18 in the first half, but the Grizzlies clawed their way back. Joakim Noah fed off the boos from the crowd and helped Memphis hang around. The Cavaliers shot 26 percent from the field in the third quarter, which was a huge reason why the Grizzlies were able to get back into the game.
The Cavaliers are arguably playing their best ball of the season. Collin Sexton finished with 20 points, six rebounds and five assists. Ante Zizic finished with 18 points and seven rebounds.
Ante Up
Zizic has 33 points and 19 rebounds in his last two games. The 22-year-old is playing great. What happens when Tristan Thompson is healthy? That's a big question Larry Drew and the rest of the coaching staff will have to answer over the next few weeks.
You Gotta Love It
Love looked great tonight. He's playing like a healthy five-time All-Star should. He dominated in the post, drew fouls and made six threes. Plenty of people have been critical of the $120 million extension he signed last summer, but most NBA franchises would welcome him with open arms if he continues to play like he did tonight. Love didn't finish the game due to a minutes restriction, but he still had 10 points in the fourth quarter.
"I feel like a big part of my life and my identity is taken away when the game is taken away from me," Love said. "I feel really good and really fortunate just to be out there. I wanted to get out there with these guys as quickly as possible, while also making sure that my foot was right."
All Smiles
It seemed like every member of the Cavaliers was smiling ear-to-ear following the win. Cedi Osman said it was the most confident he felt in his career. He scored five huge points down the stretch after Love was taken out in the fourth quarter. Sexton made a big three as well.
"Both guys played with a lot of composure," head coach Larry Drew said when asked about Osman and Sexton. "Going down the stretch it's important to maintain a rhythm and we didn't get sped up. Being in close games like that is very beneficial for both guys. I think the more that they're in those types of situations the more they will learn from it."
The Cavaliers are starting to feel like a team. They're getting along, playing harder than most 14-46 teams would and they're doing it because they're eager to prove themselves. Look up and down the roster and it's filled with players who need to show they belong or are hoping to prove they can still be what they were prior to injury.
“We have to prove something,” Marquese Chriss said at shootaround on Saturday morning. “Not only to other people, but to ourselves. We’re trying to continue to grow and develop each other and we’re still trying to win games. We’re trying to compete and make games fun and entertaining to watch. I think everybody on this team is hungry.”
The Cavs host Portland on Monday night at 7 p.m.
