The Cleveland Cavaliers won their second straight game to start the new year, defeating the visiting Charlotte Bobcats, 115-101. Here are some observations about the Cavaliers' performance from tonight's game.
Positives
>Moved the ball around well and had balanced scoring again tonight: 5 players in double-digits, 3 players with 8-9 points
>Countered against Charlotte's strong shot-blocking defense by pushing the ball and running the floor in the second half
>Hustled back on fastbreak defense today, with key stops including Kyrie Irving's block in the third quarter
>Held the Bobcats' Boris Diaw scoreless in 18 minutes
>Limited the opposing bench's guards to 6 points
>Irving, Antawn Jamison, and Tristan Thompson were very aggressive in attacking the rim
>Alonzo Gee and Ryan Hollins did a good job when called upon to substitute on defense
>Omri Casspi adjusted his coverage on Corey Maggette in the second half, playing back to defend against the drive and forcing Maggette to shoot off-balance jump shots
>Anthony Parker and Daniel Gibson showed a lot of confidence in their jump shots, hitting key 3-pointers in the second half
>Irving and Ramon Sessions showed very unselfish play, combining for 15 assists
Negatives
>Gave up too many points in the first quarter (34 points) - all to three players: Maggette, D.J. Augustin, and D.J. White
>Allowed 26 points from opposing point guard Augustin
>Struggled to handle Byron "B.J." Mullens, who had 14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks in just under 18 minutes
>Did not close out on interior defense effectively until the middle of/late in the second quarter
>Lost the battle on the boards, being outrebounded 46-41
>Shot 15-26 (57.7%) from the free-throw line
>Casspi had 4 of the team's 9 turnovers in just under 19 minutes
>Hollins had 2 turnovers in a bit under 11 minutes
>Samardo Samuels was ineffective on defense, getting benched in favor of Hollins down the stretch
>Allowed 26 points from opposing point guard Augustin
>Struggled to handle Byron "B.J." Mullens, who had 14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks in just under 18 minutes
>Did not close out on interior defense effectively until the middle of/late in the second quarter
>Lost the battle on the boards, being outrebounded 46-41
>Shot 15-26 (57.7%) from the free-throw line
>Casspi had 4 of the team's 9 turnovers in just under 19 minutes
>Hollins had 2 turnovers in a bit under 11 minutes
>Samardo Samuels was ineffective on defense, getting benched in favor of Hollins down the stretch
Side Notes
>Bobcats coach Paul Silas received a quiet but warm ovation during pregame introductions
>Mullens (Ohio State) and Derrick Brown (Xavier) made appearances on the court back in Ohio
>Cleveland Browns defensive starters Phil Taylor and Joe Haden received loud ovations from the crowd
>Announcer/Cavs legend Austin Carr also received a loud ovation during an instant replay stoppage in play