The Cleveland Cavaliers made plenty of headlines in the NBA with trading away six players on the roster. They were in a lot of trouble with how they were playing, discussing that they could have gotten knocked out in the first playoff game. There were even talks that they would drop to the lower seeds or miss the playoffs if they continued going down the road they were well into the season.
The team has been wrought with criticism about the acquisitions they made in the offseason, and in turn, made some moves at the trade deadline. The Cavaliers were able to answer those critics by defeating one of the best teams in the East on Sunday.
The result
There was a sense of celebration and happiness in the air at the game with Paul Pierce's jersey retirement ceremony. What was surprising was the Cavs dominating the Celtics on both sides of the ball after a close score at the half as the Cas won 121-99.
George Hill played well on both sides of the ball scoring 12 points in his first start in Cleveland, while Clarkson and Hood provided needed scoring with 17 and 15 off the bench respectively. Larry Nance Jr. played good defense along with JR Smith. Smith, who is looking a lot better the past couple of games, was able to hit some jumpers. Cedi Osman has also been playing well, hitting threes and layups with his recent increased minutes.
LeBron added 24 points, ten assists, and eight rebounds. He played through an injury in the first quarter after he banged knees with Boston center Aron Baynes. James looked to be in pain, but it was nothing serious.
Rejuvenation
While the team looks rejuvenated with the new lineup, the real question is if they have enough time to battle back and grab the first spot in the East with a current record of 33-22.
Currently, they are in the third spot, but both the Milwaukee Bucks and Washington Wizards are close behind.
According to ESPN, they'll have another nationally televised game Tuesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder before heading into the All-Star break.
Will they have enough time?
The question is if the Cavs can move up in the standings and get through the teams in the East now.
The Toronto Raptors and the Boston Celtics could prove to be the only teams that will stand as real competition. LeBron also has a big decision to make in the offseason on whether or not he will stay in Cleveland.
Can the Cavs get revenge and beat the Golden State Warriors? Only time will tell the answer.
