Cavaliers top shorthanded Nets
The Cleveland Cavaliers weathered a valiant effort from the struggling Brooklyn Nets to win 95-91 on Friday.
The Nets threw everything they had at the Cavaliers. They held a lead for most of the first half and never fell behind by more than eight points.
Brooklyn even had a chance to tie in the game's dying moments. Down three with 17 seconds left, the Nets turned to Kevin Garnett for a potential game-tying triple from 25 feet out. The shot missed, and the Cavaliers subsequently closed out the game.
Ultimately, the Nets' push wasn't enough to best the Cavaliers' Big Three, who struggled mightily on offense. LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love combined to shoot just 14-of-46 from the field, but the Nets' weren't able to contain Cleveland's secondary options.
Shooting guard Mike Miller made his return from a concussion and scored 22 points on 7-of-8 shooting.
The Nets were led by Joe Johnson, who scored 26 points on 10-of-16 shooting, picking up the slack for fellow All-Star Deron Williams, who was forced to leave after injuring his calf in the first half.
The win pushes the Cavaliers to 15-10, while the Nets fall to 10-15.