Chris Snan, Staff Columnist~
In Sunday’s NBA action, the Cleveland Cavaliers were able to pull off an upset victory over the Boston Celtics in what was supposed to be a big night for one of Boston’s own, Paul Pierce. The story of the night was that the Celtics were retiring “The Truth’s” (Pierce’s) jersey, and in doing so dedicating the night to him. However, Lebron James and company managed to steal the show with a 121-99 win.
In the beginning of the season, this matchup had a lot more excitement behind it as the story of James (Cleveland small forward) and Kyrie Irving (Boston point guard) battling one another as ex-teammates. As the season went on, it became almost predictable that the Celtics would walk away with the win due to the Cavalier’s continuous struggles.
Amidst the trade deadline, things got interesting as Cleveland basically traded for a brand-new team in order to put an end to one of their most difficult times. Just a couple hours before the trade deadline, Cleveland made some big moves by giving up six of their current players and some draft picks for a few new faces. Guys like Dwayne Wade, Jae Crowder, Isiah Thomas and Derrick Rose (whom were all just equipped this past offseason) were all involved in a three-team deal between the Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings and the Utah Jazz. In exchange for the former Cavaliers, Cleveland welcomed the likes of Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., Rodney Hood and George Hill.
This “new and improved” Cleveland Cavaliers showed no love this close to Valentine’s day, as they shot 53.6% from the field and 53.3% from behind the three-point line. “The King” (James) alone put up 28 points and added 10 assists with 8 rebounds, as Cleveland showed a little bit of love to their die-hard fans.