The new-look Cleveland Cavaliers annihilated the Boston Celtics 121-99 at TD Garden on the night that Paul Pierce had his jersey number retired. LeBron James led the charge in front of a hostile crowd, but he had plenty of help from his new teammates.
James had a game-high 24 points, but the Cavaliers’ next three leading scorers were Jordan Clarkson with 17 points, Rodney Hood with 15, and George Hill tied rookie Cedi Osman with 12. Larry Nance Jr. was the only new player who didn’t score in double-figures, but he showed that he was a live body who could wreak havoc on offense and defense with his activity.
After the game, James was interviewed by reporters and he commended the Cavs’ recent acquisitions:
“It was a good start,” James said. “It’s almost like the new guys have been here. It started with George, his on-the-ball pressure, him just running the team. And then the three guys came off the bench. Jordan is ready to score at any point in time, but his composure was great. Rodney plays with so much poise, and Larry was just controlling the perimeter, setting great pick-and-rolls, got him a lob, got him a dunk. It’s a good start for the new guys, good start for all of us with our revamped team so far.”
For a team that had half of its roster traded in Thursday’s deadline deals, the Cavs showed outstanding communication and teamwork in their game against the Celtics. They looked younger with more energy, too, with three of the new kids on the block at exactly 25 years of age. Only Hill is over 30 years old at 31.
The four combined for 8-of-15 shooting from three, half of Cleveland’s output from three-point range for the game. Their combined point totals accounted for 41 percent of the team’s output on the night, not bad for a “revamped team” that just had one practice coming into the game.
Hill and Hood went to the Cavaliers in a three-team deal involving the Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz. Clarkson and Nance Jr. were added via a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Cavaliers face another tough test when they go up against one of the Western Conference’s best teams, the Oklahoma City Thunder, on Tuesday night.
