LeBron drops season-high 42 as Cavaliers top frustrated Warriors
The league is on notice: The Cleveland Cavaliers have started to deliver upon their lofty preseason expectations.
LeBron James scored a season-high 42 points Thursday to lead the Cavaliers over the league-leading Golden State Warriors 110-99. The win was Cleveland's 18th in its past 20 games.
James scored at will from every part of the floor as the Warriors' top-ranked defense was no match for LeBron's hot shooting. Andre Iguodala and Harrison Barnes - ordinarily excellent defenders - watched helplessly as James rained a smattering of tough jumpshots.
James rounded out his scoreline with 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals and finished a game-high +17.
Tonight marks LeBron's 41st 40-5-5 game. 2nd most in NBA history over last 30 years behind MJ. Kobe & AI are 3 & 4. pic.twitter.com/087y0dma6J
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 27, 2015
It was an uncharacteristically cold shooting night for the Warriors' Splash Brothers. Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry were both off, shooting a combined 10-for-30. Part of their woes were attributable to the Cavaliers' stingy perimeter defense, but Thompson and Curry did miss a number of open looks they ordinarily hit.
James' teammates also helped contribute to the victory. Kyrie Irving didn't shoot particularly well, but he did toe the line 10 times and finished with 24 points. Power forward Kevin Love was on point from the perimeter, as usual, finishing with 16 points and eight rebounds on 3-of-5 shooting from beyond.
The Warriors' frustrations from the field manifested in their demeanor. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was livid while complaining about a call in the first half and was slapped with a technical foul. That was followed by another technical for complaining for Draymond Green. Golden State's case was bolstered by a 35-to-19 free-throw advantage for the Cavaliers.
The frontcourt was the only reliable source of offense for the Warriors. David Lee came off the bench to score 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting, while Green chipped in with 16 points and eight rebounds.
The loss drops Golden State's record to 44-11, while Cleveland improves to 37-22. The Cavaliers are now only a game back of the Toronto Raptors for second in the East.