Cavaliers 91, Rockets 77
HOUSTON -- Kyrie Irving and LeBron James combined for 42 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers rebounded from their first loss this month by stifling the Houston Rockets 91-77 on Friday night at Toyota Center.
Cleveland (28-10) limited the Rockets (21-20) to a season-low point total while Houston shot just 35.1 percent (26 for 74) from the floor, including 6-for-25 shooting from behind the 3-point arc. James (19 points, seven rebounds, seven assists) and Irving (23 points) excelled while forward Kevin Love chipped in a double-double (11 points, 13 rebounds) as Cleveland closed a season-long, six-game road trip 5-1.
Houston guard James Harden scored just 11 points on 2-of-10 shooting. He missed all five of his 3-point attempts and committed eight of the Rockets' 19 turnovers. Reserve forward Terrence Jones and guard Marcus Thornton combined to shoot 2-for-16 as the Rockets' season-best five-game winning streak came to an end.
The Rockets fashioned a hopeful start, opening the first quarter with 5-of-6 shooting while darting to a 13-4 lead. But the Cavaliers answered a trio of 3-pointers to whittle the deficit to three points before turning up the intensity defensively, energy they carried the rest of the game.
Houston closed the period missing 15 of its final 17 shots. Cleveland shot just 44.4 percent (8 for 18) in the first yet pulled even on a 3 from reserve forward Richard Jefferson before guard Matthew Dellavedova beat the buzzer with a floating jump shot off a Harden turnover, giving the Cavaliers their first lead of the game at 23-21 entering the second.
Cleveland did not relinquish that advantage. Following a quiet six-minute stretch in the first quarter, Irving came alive with nine points on 4-of-5 shooting in the second. He opened the period with a pull-up jumper before adding seven consecutive points to extend the Cleveland lead to 36-28 with 6:35 remaining in the half. The Rockets, meanwhile, kept sputtering offensively, closing the second 4-for-12 from the floor with nine turnovers to further undermine their issues on offense.
For the Cavaliers, their defense bolstered a second consecutive subpar showing offensively. Cleveland collapsed in the second half at San Antonio on Thursday night, but the Spurs feature the league's top defense. The Rockets are no defensive juggernaut, but by smothering Houston throughout, the Cavaliers' tepid offense wasn't fatal.
NOTES: Cavaliers coach David Blatt said he considered resting F LeBron James on the second night of a back-to-back and the conclusion of a six-game, 10-day road trip but determined that James felt strong enough to play. "I talked to him to see how he was feeling and also felt that he was OK," Blatt said. ... Rockets interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff is the son of longtime NBA coach Bernie Bickerstaff, currently an assistant to Cavaliers general manager David Griffin. When asked if his father had gained any advantage by having his son coach the opposition, the younger Bickerstaff quipped, "One thing about him is I don't tell him that much." ... Rockets G Patrick Beverley returned to the lineup after missing Wednesday night's game due to a family health matter.