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var gameID = '0021701080', seasonYear = '2017', statsCat = 'pts', //will default to pts, other possible categories: reb ast blk statspack, gameCode;
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Wrap-Up -- A few weeks ago, the Wine & Gold might have let the Lottery-bound Suns stick around for four quarters. But a re-energized Cavaliers squad – that’s getting healthier by the day – took care of business in three efficient quarters of work.
After getting Kevin Love back on Monday night against Milwaukee, the Cavaliers cleared Tristan Thompson, Larry Nance Jr. and Rodney Hood for action on Friday – and the results were immediate. The Cavaliers worked their way past a slow start, took a 17-point advantage at half and never looked back – taking the season series with a 120-95 victory at The Q.
The win was Cleveland’s seventh straight over Phoenix – with five of those wins coming by double-digits. More importantly, it was the fourth-straight overall for the Cavs, who’ll spend the next 10 games trying to find their rhythm while jockeying for playoff position.
LeBron James has turned in one herculean performance after another during the past 20 games, but he was able to throttle down a bit on Friday night.
The four-time MVP still led all scorers with 27 points – going 11-for-16 from the floor and 4-of-6 from the stripe, adding six boards, nine assists, a steal and a blocked shot in 29 minutes of work.
Kevin Love continued to ease seamlessly back into the rotation – following up with 20 points on 7-for-15 shooting in his third game back from a 20-game layoff after surgery. The five-time All-Star added six boards, a pair of helpers and a game-high three steals to his totals.
In terms of picking up where he left off, Larry Nance Jr. jumped right back into the fray – doubling-up in his first game back from a sore right hamstring that sidelined him for the last four games. On the night, Nance finished with 15 points and a team-high 10 boards, going 6-of-11 from the floor.
Jordan Clarkson notched double-figures off the bench for the 14th time in his 18 appearances as a Cavalier – netting 11 of his 13 points in the decisive second quarter, going 5-of-14 from the floor overall.
JR Smith rounded out the Cavaliers in double-figures – chipping in with 11 points and going 3-of-5 from long-range in the victory.
Nance Jr. knocks down 15 points, including some massive dunks, off the bench in Friday's win.
Tristan Thompson, also making his return back from injury – finished with 10 rebounds in 16 minutes of work after missing the previous nine games with a sprained right ankle.
The Suns – playing without their two top scorers, Devin Booker and T.J. Warren, shot just 43 percent from the floor and were outrebounded by the Wine & Gold, 54-36. Cleveland’s bench outscored Phoenix’s second unit by 24 points – sending the Suns to their 20th loss in their last 21 outings.
Turning Point -- If one of the jobs of a good NBA reserve is to bring energy off the bench and change the complexion of the game, Jordan Clarkson proved why he’s one of the best in the business.
After a sluggish first quarter and slow start to the second, the Cavs found themselves down a touchdown, 30-27, early in the period. But Clarkson took over from there, scoring eight points in less than three minutes – keying a 15-3 run that put the Cavs in control.
Larry Nance Jr. closed out the first half with a dunk to give Cleveland a 17-point edge at intermission – capping a 39-18 second quarter and essentially putting the victory on ice.
By the Numbers – .714 … Jose Calderon’s winning percentage (20-8) as a starter for the Cavs this season.
Quotable – Coach Larry Drew, on what the Cavs need to focus on with 10 games remaining in the regular season …
"We have to take those (10) games and really use them to our advantage as we wind down the regular season so that when we do finish the regular season, we have some sense of one another, we have some sense of a rotation and we have some sense of exactly what we’re going to be doing from an offensive and defensive standpoint."
Up Next -- After wrapping up their three-game homestand with a one-sided win over Phoenix on Friday night, the Wine & Gold now hit the road for three more – beginning with a Sunday afternoon affair against the Nets in Brooklyn. After a day off, the Cavaliers play their first back-to-back in over a month, traveling to South Beach for a Tuesday night meeting with the Heat followed by a Wednesday night trip to Tobacco Road for a meeting with Kemba Walker and the Hornets. Cleveland closes out the month of March next Friday night with a visit by Anthony Davis and the Pelicans.