Kyrie Irving showed off his ball skills and LeBron James returned to form, as the Cavaliers defeated the dumpster fire Lakers 109-102 to halt a six-game losing streak Thursday night.
LeBron finished with 36 points and five assists, and Irving tallied 22 points and three assists. The Cavaliers’ win brought the team back to the .500 mark on the season at 20-20. For the Lakers, their loss came despite Kobe Bryant’s career-high 17 assists, and they fell to a lowly 12-28.
Late in the second quarter, LeBron drew jeers from the crowd after missing a fairly routine dunk on a fast break. Following the missed dunk, LeBron shared a laugh with Kobe while jogging back on defense.
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After the game, LeBron described playing against Kobe as “always fun, a pleasure.” In reference to sharing a laugh with LeBron, Bryant admitted, “If we were contending for a championship, I’d be my same moody self. But right now, I tend to have a little more perspective, knowing I really won’t get a chance to play against him much longer. So you want to enjoy it.” Despite his strong offensive performance, LeBron was having so much fun that he forgot to play defense on this Wesley Johnson three-point attempt:
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Earlier on Thursday, we suggested that the Lakers should employ a “Frozen” offense and “Let It Tank” for the rest of the season. Lakers point guard Ronnie Price must have misunderstood our advice, however, because he decided to employ a “Frozen” defense against Kyrie Irving in the third quarter. Irving took advantage of a flatfooted Price with a flashy behind-the-back dribble on his way to the basket.
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The Cavaliers’ performance on Thursday is a good sign for a team that, undeterred by their average record, still has legitimate championship aspirations.