Field Level Media
Mar 23, 2018
JR Smith hit consecutive 3-pointers during a 20-2, second-quarter flurry Friday night that sent the Cleveland Cavaliers on to a 120-95 victory over the Phoenix Suns at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.
LeBron James had a game-high 27 points in just 29 minutes as the Cavaliers won their fourth straight game while sending the Suns to their 10th consecutive defeat.
Troy Daniels had a team-high 20 points for the Suns, who remained tied with Memphis for the fewest wins in the NBA with 19.
Phoenix led by as many as four points in the first quarter and was up 33-29 in the third minute of the second period before two free throws apiece by Jordan Clarkson and Smith started Cleveland on its decisive run.
Jeff Green and Kevin Love buried 3-pointers to help make it a 12-0 spree, and after Tyler Ulis dropped in a layup for the Suns, Smith began another burst of eight straight Cleveland points with his two 3-pointers.
The Cavaliers led 49-35 after the run and went on to hold a 62-45 advantage at the half. A layup by James extended the margin to 21 early in the third quarter, and the Suns never threatened after that.
James, who made 11 of his 16 shots, also found time for nine assists and six rebounds for the Cavaliers, who completed a 3-0 homestand.
Love finished with 20 points, Larry Nance Jr. 15, Clarkson 13 and Smith 11 for Cleveland, which retained third place in the Eastern Conference with the win.
Nance shared team-high rebound honors with Tristan Thompson with 10.
The Cavaliers shot 49.5 percent for the game.
Daniels connected on six of 12 from 3-point range to account for all but two of his points for Phoenix, which has lost its last five games by an average of 23.4 points.
Daniels' teammates combined to shoot just 1-for-16 on threes, with the Suns finishing at 25 percent (7 of 28).
Marquese Chriss had a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double, while Josh Jackson added 17 points and Ulis 11 for the Suns, who were beaten 129-107 at home by the Cavaliers last Tuesday.
Ulis also chipped in with a team-high nine assists.
The Suns finished at 43.7 percent from the field.
--Field Level Media