Wrap-Up – With the reigning Rookie of the Year in street clothes, the Cavaliers got big efforts from some unlikely heroes and snapped a six-game losing streak to the Sixers – and a six-game skein overall – topping Philly, 92-83, on Wednesday night at The Q.
Jeremy Pargo, starting in place of the injured Irving, led all scorers with 28 points. Anderson Varejao doubled-up again, finishing with 10 points and a game-high 19 boards. Dion Waiters added 16 points and six assists, Alonzo Gee was 4-of-6 from beyond the arc and finished with 14 points. C.J. Miles had his best game as a Cavalier – going 3-for-4 from three-point range, netting 13 points off the bench.
Turning Point – Philadelphia came out of intermission on a tear – railing off a 15-5 run to cut Cleveland’s 12-point halftime edge to just a deuce. But after a three-point play by Tristan Thompson, Waiters and Gee notched the next ten points – putting the Cavaliers back up by 15.
Game Ball – Jeremy Pargo -- Getting the spot start after registering DNP-CD’s in the seven of Cleveland’s first eight games, all Pargo did was notch a career-high – going 11-for-19 from the floor, including 4-of-8 from long-distance, for his career-high 28 points. Pargo also played a solid floor game, adding five boards, four assists and a steal while checking Jrue Holiday, one of the quickest young guards in the Eastern Conference.
By the Numbers – 16.7 … field goal percentage the Cavaliers allowed in the first quarter on Wednesday night. The last time the Wine and Gold clamped down on a team in the opening period like that was April 12, 2009 when they held the Celtics to 15 percent.
Quotable – C.J. Miles, on whether or not having a strong game took some of the weight off his shoulders …
“It felt like I took the building off my shoulders and the top of my head.”
Seen and Heard – Two of the Cavaliers’ six retired numbers were in the building on Wednesday. One, of course, is Austin Carr. The other is No. 22 – the great Larry Nance. Also seen were a pair of Cleveland Browns. Seated along the baseline near Dan Gilbert and the Cavaliers ownership group were running back Trent Richardson and cornerback Joe Haden.
Up Next – The Cavaliers get back on the road for three – beginning with a weekend back-to-back in the Sunshine State. They’ll face the Magic in Orlando on Friday night before traveling to meet the NBA Champion Miami Heat on Saturday. They round out the roadie against the Grizzlies on Monday night in Memphis.