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Wrap-Up -- After only one weekend with the Wine & Gold, we already know one thing about Alec Burks – he knows how to make a first impression.
The newest Cavalier – acquired in a deal last week that sent Kyle Korver to Utah – had scored double-figures in his first two appearances with Cleveland and gave a little extra in his third – flushing home the game-winning dunk with 3.2 to play in regulation to seal the 99-97 win on Monday night in Brooklyn.
The Cavaliers’ victory snaps their own four-game losing streak and extends Brooklyn’s skein to seven straight – improving their mark to 14-4 in their last 18 meetings against the Nets.
The victory also helped Cleveland avoid an embarrassing collapse at the end of regulation – with Brooklyn erasing a late six-point deficit with just over two minutes to play, tying the contest at 97-apiece on Rodions Kurucs put-back of a D’Angelo Russell airball with 18.9 to play.
But on Cleveland’s final possession, Burks dribbled at the top of the key, worked his way right around a Rodney Hood screen on Allen Crabbe, dribbled behind his back past Spencer Dinwiddie and threw down the two-hand slam that sealed Cleveland’s fifth win of the season.
On the night, the 8th-year swingman from Colorado finished with 13 points, going 5-of-13 from the floor to go with seven boards and an assist.
Jordan Clarkson notched his first double-double of the season, pacing the Cavaliers with 20 points and a season-high 11 boards – hitting on 9-of-22 shots from the floor to go with four assists and a steal.
Tristan Thompson has been a double-double machine since the calendar turned to November and he continued his roll on Monday – grabbing a game-high 14 boards to go with 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting, adding two assists and a game-high two blocks.
Tristan Thompson records his 13th double-double of the season.
Collin Sexton was the fourth Cavalier to net double-figure scoring – finishing with 15 points on 7-for-16 shooting despite giving way to veteran George Hill during crunch time.
The Nets were led by former Ohio State star D’Angelo Russell – who tallied a game-high 30 points on the night, going 13-for-31 from the floor, including 4-of-12 from long-range, adding eight boards, a game-high six assists and a pair of steals.
Neither team was exactly an offensive dynamo, with the Cavaliers shooting 43 percent from the floor and the Nets at 39 percent. But as they’ve been all season, the Wine & Gold were excellent from the stripe – canning 19 of 20 free throws in the win.
Turning Point -- After Alec Burks scored on a pull-up jumper early in the second quarter, the Cavaliers held the lead for almost the entire remainder of the game.
In that second period, the Wine & Gold extended their edge to nine points and upped that advantage to a baker’s dozen in the third.
The Cavaliers seemed to be in control in the fourth, leading by 11 with 4:25 to play – 93-82 – on Cedi Osman’s two free throws. But the Nets would storm back down the stretch, going on a 15-4 run that saw them tie the affair with under 20 seconds to play.
But that comeback just served as a prelude to Burks’ last-second heroics and continue the Nets’ current misery.
By the Numbers – 13.7, 6.3, +15 … Alec Burke’s three-game scoring and rebound averages – along with his plus/minus number – so far with the Wine & Gold.
Quotable – George Hill, on how he feels that Coach Drew trusted him in the closing moments …
”It feels great. He trusts my talent, my abilities, and my teammates trust me. I’ve only known them for what, three days, and they trust me too. So it’s a great feeling.”
Up Next -- Following Monday night’s thriller at the Barclays Center, the Wine & Gold return to play three home games in four days – beginning on Wednesday night when they welcome the Golden State Warriors to town for the first time since last year’s NBA Finals. After a night off, the Cavs play on back-to-back nights – with the Sacramento Kings making their lone Cleveland appearance on Friday night followed by a visit from John Wall and the Wizards on Saturday. Following the three-game homestand, the Cavs get back on the road, traveling to face the Greek Freak and Co. next Monday night in Milwaukee.