Kyrie Irving makes a brilliant comeback as Cleveland Cavaliers pin Indiana Pacers 98-87: NBA Recap
With Anderson Varejao now out for at least a month, the Cleveland Cavaliers progress in the shortened season depends on only one guy- their rookie Kyrie Irving. The number one draft pick is proving to be their new LeBron James. If there were any doubts about this, they were cleared on Wednesday night.
The 19 years old point guard, after missing three games due to concussion like symptoms was making a comeback and he did not take any time to settle, guiding his team to a convincing 98-87 win over the much fancied Indiana Pacers.
Irving was outstanding and pounded a game high 22 points on 8 for 12 from the floor and 3 for 5 from the long range along with 3 boards and 5 assists. His outstanding display despite being out of action for a significant time, earned him a lot of praise from the team’s coach Byron Scott.
"Kyrie didn't look like he missed a beat," said Cavs coach Byron Scott," He didn't look like he missed (seven) days. He looked fresh and rejuvenated. We've all known since Day 1 he has no fear," Scott said. "It wasn't a surprise to me that his first shot was going to be an aggressive one. It was good to see him back out there on the floor playing the way he's capable of playing."
Semih Erden, starting in place of Verajoa, was also impressive and finished with 18 points and 8 boards while Antawn Jamison and Ramon Sessions both accumulated 13 points apiece.
The Cavs shot 46.8% from the floor.
Darren Collison led the Pacers with 18 points on a perfect 4 for 4 from the charity stripe. Roy Hibbert netted 17 points and grabbed 8 boards while Paul George and the reserve A.J Price both amassed 11 points each. David West had a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards.
The Cavs were dominating from the start and with the help of 12 points in the first frame from Irving; they finished the quarter with a healthy 12 point lead 32-20. An 11-3 spurt, capped by Jamison’s crafty layup, in the starting minutes, further strengthened the command of the Cavs, as the lead reached 20 points 43-23.
The Pacers looked rusty in the ensuing passage and failed to reduce the deficit. By the end of the first half, they found themselves 18 points behind, 56-38.
The third and the fourth frames were the exact replica of the 2nd one as the Cavs lead hovered around 15-20 points throughout. The Pacers never really challenged the Cavs throughout and in the end lost by a double digit margin.
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