Early this season, Kyrie Irving has justifiably gotten most of the press between the Cavaliers top two picks. On Tuesday night, Tristan Thompson earned some ink of his own.
Irving set Charlotte up in the first half and Thompson knocked them down in the second, propelling the Wine and Gold to their second straight win – a convincing 115-101 victory over the Bobcats at The Q.
The Cavaliers looked a little lethargic out of the gate on Tuesday, but Irving and Anthony Parker warmed up in the second quarter – going 6-for-8 from the floor and helping Cleveland outscore Charlotte, 30-17.
The Wine and Gold took a six-point lead into intermission and never looked back – running their edge to as many as 15 points in the third. The Bobcats trimmed the lead to just a touchdown after three quarters, but halfway through the final period, Tristan Thompson’s dunk gave Cleveland a 21-point bulge and sealed Charlotte’s fate.
Irving, who gets more comfortable by the game, was 8-for-10 from the floor to lead the Cavaliers with 20 points, adding six assists, three boards and a pair of blocked shots. The former Blue Devil went 3-for-3 from the floor in both the second and third quarters and canned both of the three-pointers he attempted.
Thompson, whose rise is almost as rapid, finished with 16 points, nine rebounds and a pair of blocks in 24 action-packed minutes off the bench. The No. 4 overall pick was 7-for-16 from the floor, with five of his boards coming off the offensive glass.
Antawn Jamison followed a 23-point performance on Sunday night with a 19-point showing on Tuesday. Anthony Parker and Ramon Sessions pitched in with 11 points apiece. Parker was 3-for-5 from beyond the arc, while Sessions led the club with nine assists.
“I think they are enjoying playing with one another which is great,” praised Coach Scott. “Chemistry and camaraderie are so important. I've always said give me a team with good talent and great chemistry and camaraderie and we'll win. I think we have a team here with that great chemistry and camaraderie. It's just a matter of these guys playing more basketball together as this season goes on.”
The Cavaliers leave Cleveland one layup away from starting the season 4-1 and will embark on their longest road trip of the season – a 13-day, seven-game junket that begins on Wednesday in Toronto and wraps up with a rematch with the Bobcats in Charlotte on January 16.