Cavs Respond to LeBron’s Challenge, Top The Bucks 115-100

When your star player and head coach challenge you, you usually listen. The Cleveland Cavaliers definitely did.

Both LeBron James and David Blatt questioned the Cavs toughness during a losing streak, the team stepped up to the plate. Facing a Milwaukee Bucks team that beat them over the weekend, Cleveland looked like the title contender they should be in a 115-100 win.

Unsurprisingly, James led the Cavs to victory with 27 points; Kevin Love and J.R. Smith chipped in with 22 and 18 respectively. Love also pulled down 15 rebounds.

“This is how we need to play,” James said. “There’s no ifs ands or buts. I think we answered the call on what we talked about. We’re just trying to get better.” Coach Blatt also praised the players playing with the intensity that he wanted.

“It’s not about what I said, it’s about what they did,” he explained. “I thought those guys came with a real purpose tonight. You saw it on them. You saw it in their approach. We were sharp and we were aggressive and we were physical and we were pretty tough.”

The only potential blemish on the night for Cleveland was an injury to center Timofey Mozgov’s right shoulder in the second quarter; he did not to return. But, even with the absence Mozgov and Mo Williams, James insisted that his team had to focus on playing the right way above all else. “One thing you can’t control is injuries but one thing you can control is how you play with the guys who are out there,” he said.

Cleveland will look to continue on the right foot Saturday night when they host the Atlanta Hawks.