var $ = jQuery.noConflict();
var gameID = '0021700353', seasonYear = '2017', statsCat = 'pts', //will default to pts, other possible categories: reb ast blk statspack, gameCode;
$(document).ready(function(){ loadrecapdata(gameID,seasonYear,statsCat);
//The 1st variable is the game ID for the specific game //the 2nd variable is the year for the feed, this is the YYYY in which the season starts. IE for the 2017-18 season the year variable needs to be 2017
});
Wrap-Up -- Knocking out an opponent from beyond the arc is nothing new for Kyle Korver. For LeBron James, it’s a new twist on an old classic.
On Wednesday night, the former set up Sacramento from long-range and the King knocked them down as the Cavaliers pulled away from a pesky Kings squad to tie a franchise record – winning their 13th straight contest, a 101-95 decision at The Q.
Korver canned three straight triples to start the fourth quarter and LeBron drilled his fifth bomb of the game, a jab-step fall-back 25-footer over JaKarr Sampson with 16.6 to play in regulation – giving Cleveland a five-point edge and enough room for the win.
James was the only Cavaliers starter to score in the final period – with the Cavaliers’ outstanding second unit scoring 21 of the team’s 28 points. Korver and Jeff Green were especially impressive – combining for 18 points on 6-for-7 shooting in the quarter.
The Cavaliers didn’t have their best offensive night of the winning streak – shooting 47 percent from the floor, committing 15 turnovers and going just 13-for-21 from the stripe. But they did manage to top the century mark for the 18th time – the longest stretch since 1988-89 – and held the Kings to just 38 points after intermission.
LeBron James led both squads with 32 points and extended his streak of shooting better than 50 percent from the floor to a dozen games – connecting on 12-of-18 attempts, including 5-of-8 from long-distance, adding 11 boards, a game-high nine assists, three steals and a pair of blocks.
Kevin Love followed up with his 17th double-double of the season, netting 18 points on 7-for-16 shooting, leading Cleveland with 13 boards in the win.
The Cavaliers’ next-highest scorers both came off the bench – with Jeff Green finishing with 17 points on 6-for-8 shooting and Korver right behind with 15 points, going 5-of-9 from the floor, including 4-of-8 from long-distance.
Kevin Love and LeBron James tally double-doubles as the Cavs win their 13th straight.
Zach Randolph paced the league’s second-lowest scoring team, notching 15 of his 18 points in the first half. The Kings – who, conversely, boast the league’s highest scoring bench – got a combined 32 points from Buddy Hield and rookie Frank Mason. Former St. Vincent-St. Mary standout, JaKarr Sampson, led both squads with 16 boards.
Turning Point -- The Cavaliers probably didn’t expect to be trailing the seven-win Kings heading into the fourth quarter, but that’s where they found themselves when Kyle Korver got red-hot to start the fourth.
With the Cavs down, 78-73, Korver buried his first triple off a feed from Dwyane Wade. Thirty-three seconds later, Korver tied the game with his second bomb and, after a Jeff Green block, canned a 28-footer to give Cleveland its first lead of the second half.
But the Cavs weren’t out of the woods in a period that featured six ties and five lead changes. That final lead change came with 1:36 to play, when LeBron James hit a short hook-shot to give the Cavs their final edge of the night.
By the Numbers – .853 … Cavaliers’ winning percentage against Western Conference teams at The Q over the last 41 games, including a 3-0 mark so far this season.
Quotable – LeBron James, on Kyle Korver’s fourth quarter flurry …
”You’ll have games like that in an 82-game season, where it just feels like you’re in a rut and can’t get out of it. And then a guy like Kyle, who’s never standing still, can help you guys get out of it and help us get out of it, which he did – bang, bang, bang – to start that fourth quarter. It got everybody going.”
Up Next -- After dropping Sacramento in a tough one on Wednesday night at The Q, the Wine & Gold gear up for a weekend back-to-back, facing off against the Pacers on Friday night before returning to Cleveland for a home date against Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and the up-and-coming Sixers. That matchup with Philly tips off a four-game homestand – featuring a visit by the Hawks next Tuesday followed by the Lakers next Thursday night and wrapping up with Utah next Saturday night.