FINAL - CLE 113, UTA 102 ... After a back-and-forth affair through the first stanza, the Cavaliers jumped the Jazz out of the halftime locker room and hit another gear to end the third period -- closing the quarter on a 13-2 run and pulling past Utah for the 113-102 win on Friday night in Salt Lake City. Kyrie Irving led everyone with 25 points and Tristan Thompson doubled-up with 18 pts and 15 boards in the win.
6:01, 4Q - CLE 98, UTA 80 ... a couple lapses on defense and Mike Brown takes a TO, but Cavs keeping it on the Jazz through 4Q, Waiters now w/16 pts; Andy, scoreless but leading both teams with 13 boards; Kyrie, great line -- 25 pts, 6 reb, 8 asst, 4 stl.
End 3Q - CLE 85, UTA 70 ... fantastic close to 3Q for Cavs, go on a 13-2 run to wrap up the quarter; Kyrie got it started with back-to-back threes, Dion crushed one home on FB after Irving steal and Jack splashes three-pointer at buzzer; Kyrie now leads everyone w/22 pts, 8-15 FG, 2-2 3pt FG; Tristan, 12 pts, 12 reb; Waiters, 12 pts off bench; Jack, 3-3 FG, 8 pts.
1:00, 3Q - CLE 80, UTA 68 ... Kyrie cans two straight treys to extend lead right before quarter break.
2:10, 3Q - CLE 72, UTA 68 ... Back and forth we go in Utah; five Cavaliers now in double-figures; CJ Miles continues to lead CLE w/17 pts; Tristan Thompson with another double-double, 12 pts, 11 reb; Deng and Waiters w/10 pts apiece; Cavs now shooting 50 pct FG, out-rebounding Utah, 28-16; Jazz staying in it from 3-pt range -- 7-16 3pt FG.
8:58, 3Q - CLE 56, UTA 51 ... really nice defensive run to start second half for Cavs, start 3Q on 10-2 run; Miles w/15 pts and Deng now in double-figs w/10 pts, 4-6 FG
End 1H - UTA 49, CLE 46 ... CJ Miles leads everyone with 13 pts, 4-5 FG; Varejao w/9 boards; Cavs shooting 43 pct FG, Utah, 48 pct; Cavs w/16 pts off bench
2:53, 2Q - UTA 45, CLE 43 ... Kanter giving Cavs fits right now, 10 pts off bench; three of top four players drafted in 2011 (Kyrie, Kanter, Tristan); nine lead-changes already; Miles, 4-5 FG, leads everyone w/11 pts; Waiters, heating up, 7 pts off bench; Cavs shooting 49 pct FG.
End 1Q - CLE 26, UTA 26 ... Coach Brown gave Zeller an earful at quarter break after not boxing out on FT, easy dueces for Kanter; Utah shooting 52 pct FG; CJ Miles leads everyone w/9 pts; Burks w/7 for Jazz; Waiters, Jack, 5 pts apiece off the bench.
2:35, 1Q - CLE 20, UTA 19 ... CJ Miles, back in Utah for the second time since signing with Cavs, picking up where he left off on Tuesday --leads everyone w/9 pts, 3-4 FG, 1-1 3 pt FG; Deng, 2-3 FG, 4 pts.
Pregame - Palpable excitement around the team for Luol Deng's debut with the Wine and Gold. Coach Brown was effusive in his praise of Cleveland's new starting small forward in pregame at Energy Solutions Arena. (nee: the Delta Center)
"We really like him as a person, first," said Brown. "He's been phenomenal just in the two days I've been around him. The stuff he says to our young guys, the stuff that he's talked about to us (coaches), the interactions, watching him in practice, it's been great. You definitely want to watch him play in a game and coach him in a game, but I'm not over-the-top excited but I am looking forward to it."
The Jazz' leading scorer, Gordon Hayward (17.1 ppg), is out tonight with a left hip flexor. Marvin Williams will get the start for Utah.
The Cavaliers starting lineup for Friday night: G Irving, G Miles, F Deng, F Thompson, C Varejao