Heat F LeBron James dominates Cavs again
CLEVELAND - On a night when Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving struggled, Miami Heat forward LeBron James couldn't have been better.
James led all scorers with 28 points and added eight rebounds, eight assists and three steals in the Heat's 95-84 victory over the Cavs before 20,562 at Quicken Loans Arena.
Irving, an All-Star last year, had 16 points and committed four turnovers. He made just 6-of-19 shots from the field, including 0-of-5 from the 3-point line.
"I think they're all struggling and it's trickled down to him as well," James said. "He's an unbelievable talent. They're all struggling trying to find things offensively and defensively. If they get some things in order, they've got some really good pieces here. I know (Cavs coach) Mike (Brown) is pushing them to be better. We'll see what happens."
The Cavs (4-11) have lost four in a row, including seven of their last eight.
"Teams should have something to reach for," Brown said. "That doesn't bother me at all. I've said all along it's a process."
However, it's a process that is broken right now.
"We had some wide-open looks from guys that normally knock down shots," Brown said.
"(Irving) had some good looks, some wide-open looks from behind the 3-point line. The shots are there. He's getting to the rim. The pull-ups are there. He has to knock them down."
The Cavs turned the ball over 19 times against the two-time defending NBA champion Heat, which spells disaster.
"We had a lot of unforced turnovers," Brown said. "We kept losing the handle on the basketball, which hurt our opportunities to score."
Cleveland's other major problem was its shooting. The Cavaliers shot 34.9 percent from the field as the Heat dug in defensively.
"We have to play that way," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. For better or worse, sometimes it doesn't work out, but we have to be aggressive and have to be disruptive."
James said Irving was the focus of the Heat's defense.
"We're an aggressive defensive team," he said. "We talked about pressure on the point guards and try to take their offense off rhythm. Kyrie's going to make some shots, he's going to get into the lane and make some plays. He's a great player. Just try to put bodies in front of him when he's shooting to try to get a contest."
Irving is starting to get frustrated.
"There has been a few games where I haven't been shooting well, but that's just part of the game," he said. "I guarantee once I get over this hump, there's no looking back."
Guard Dwyane Wade was also proficient with 22 points for the Heat (12-3). He made 10 of 14 shots from the field.
Forward Michael Beasley gouged the Cavs off the bench with 17 points and nine rebounds to spark the Heat's eighth consecutive win.
Cavs shooting guard Dion Waiters, the subject of several trade rumors earlier in the day, matched his season high with 24 points and six rebounds. He was deadly from behind the arc and made 4 of 8.
"He played the game the right way," Brown said. "He can score points in bunches."
Brown was particularly impressed with Waiters, who got to the foul line 11 times on the night and added six rebounds and three assists.
Forward Earl Clark, the Cavs' most accurate 3-point shooter, added 13 points. He made 3 of 5 shots from behind the arc.
Many of the Cavs' miscues came on trying to feed 7-foot center Andrew Bynum in the post.
"Tonight was the first time we had trouble getting him the ball," Brown said.
Bynum ended with four points and a season-high seven rebounds. However, he was 2 of 10 from the field.
"Right now, we're trying to learn how to play with a traditional post player," Brown said.
NOTES: ESPN the Magazine's Chris Broussard reports that the Cavaliers are shopping G Dion Waiters. A league source refuted the report, saying the Cavs haven't made one call about trading him. Waiters said before Wednesday's game he hasn't asked to be traded. "I don't know what is going on," he said. "I can only control what I can control." He disputed the reported "three-hour meeting" he supposedly had with Cavs general manager Chris Grant. "That's nonsense," he said. ... Former Ohio State center Greg Oden has yet to appear in a game for the Heat. "He's coming along well, very well," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We're very impressed with the progress he's made." There's no real time table for Oden's return. He hasn't played since 2009. ... Cavs G/F C.J. Miles missed his third consecutive game with a strained right calf muscle. Undrafted rookie Matthew Dellavedova has started the last three games at shooting guard. ... For the Heat, F Shane Battier was held out of the game with a cold. Rashard Lewis is making his first start of the season. Udonis Haslem, who has been bothered by a sore back, will come off the bench at power forward. ... Heat F LeBron James has scored in double figures in 510 consecutive games, fifth best all-time. He passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 508-game streak. Moses Malone is next on the list at 526.
