Random dribbles from the Cavaliers' 110-88 win Monday at Brooklyn -- their seventh straight and 11th in 15 games:
1. It's hard to know where to begin with a hammer job like this. The Cavs turned a one-point lead at halftime into a whole lot of garbage time in the second half. And they did it quickly. They looked like the Harlem Globetrotters and the poor Nets looked helpless and hopeless. For the Cavs, the third quarter was nothing short of brilliant.
2. So, how did it happen, LeBron James? "Tempo," he said. "We pushed the tempo and got stops."
3. It really was that simple. The Cavs (12-7) simply defended, rebounded and fed the ball to James to run the fast break. Some of his passes were simply magical. Several resulted in alley-oop dunks for his teammates. Several resulted in James (18 points) finishing the job himself. All of it was beautiful basketball.
4. But this clearly was about more than just LeBron. Much more. It was a team effort in the truest sense, and the second half showed what can happen when everyone is clicking. When that happens, look out. These Cavs will bury you.
5. Dion Waiters was fantastic. His season-high 26 points were way more than anyone in the organization expects from him. But it was good to see for anyone who cares about the Cavs. Waiters has always possessed this type of explosiveness. No one doubts that. It was good to see him put it together for a night. And man, it really came together.
6. Waiters has been at the center of a lot of trade rumors lately. Based on my twitter notifications, I can tell you a lot of fans wouldn't mind seeing him dealt. Some fans just don't WANT to like Dion. It's pretty sad if you ask me. There are few guys in the league I enjoy talking to more. He's a good person whose heart is in the right place when it comes to winning and trying to be a good teammate.
7. As coach David Blatt said, "Dion wears his emotions on his sleeve. A lot of people take that the wrong way." Blatt added he has no problem with it, provided Waiters channels his energy the right way. On Monday, that's precisely what he did.
8. Waiters struggled shooting at first. "I told myself to stop fading and follow through," he said. The result was a 11-of-21 performance. He also passed for four assists, made a couple steals and blocked a shot. Over the last two games, Waiters has done a nice job defensively. Now, Blatt and the Cavs would like to see him string together a few more.
9. Waiters on his night: "I told everyone, 'It's coming.' ... I knew it would happen, man."
10. The bench totaled 59 points. After the game, Blatt joked with the team it may have surpassed the production of the first 18 games combined. It was a joke, but it sure seems that way. But Waiters was great and Tristan Thompson (14 points, 12 rebounds) wasn't far behind. A few of Thompson's dunks in the third quarter were the type that can snap an opponent's spirit.
11. Kevin Love got off to another hot start by scoring 15 points in the first quarter. He finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds. Anderson Varejao also had another underrated performance, grabbing 14 boards himself. This is how the Cavs need to rebound. They are only averaging 40 on the season, but finished with 55 (compared to 33 for the Nets) on Monday.
12. Love told FOX Sports Ohio the Cavs' confidence level is rising with each win. "It's very high," he said, "but we gotta have a short memory." He speaks the truth -- as the Cavs must turn around and play East-leading Toronto yet again, Tuesday at Quicken Loans Arena.
13. James was averaging 10 assists during the first six games of the winning streak. He fell short of that with seven assists against the Nets. But again, about five of them were highlight-reel material.
14. Kyrie Irving (seven points, five assists) had a quiet night. But he gave plenty of effort on D, kept the ball moving, and forced almost nothing. Whoever thought we'd see the day when Kyrie shot 2-of-10 and the Cavs still cruised?
15. Reserve point guard Matthew Dellavedova was back after injuring his knee and missing 15 games -- and he was key. One major result of Delly's return: It allowed Waiters to play off the ball.
16. Prince William and Princess Kate were in attendance. Interestingly, when they showed up, the score was tied at 61-all. Then the Cavs went on their run. LeBron thanked the royal couple for coming, and presented them with cupcakes and a jersey.
17. Blatt also praised the play of veteran shooter James Jones, who had another strong night with 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting (all 3-pointers). "If we get that type of production from the bench, we're gonna be tough to beat," Blatt said.
18. After the game, Blatt stood in the locker room and told the players: "That was a great week for us, in every respect. Let's keep it going."
19. The Nets (8-11) have several issues. Not what a lot of people expected a few years ago when they teamed Kevin Garnett, Joe Johnson and Paul Pierce (now with Washington) next to Deron Williams and Brook Lopez.
20. Garnett (14 points, seven boards) still plays smart and determined basketball, but his best days are way behind him. Williams (13 points, 11 assists) has never been a huge factor in winning games. Lopez is always hurt. He missed this one with a strained lower back. Johnson (flu) was also out. The chemistry has just never been there for this group. But first-year coach Lionel Hollins deserves some time. He did really good things in Memphis a few seasons ago.
21. I went on an NBA radio show last season in which Hollins was the co-host. He openly campaigned for the Cavs job on the air. Mike Brown was still the coach at the time. I found that interesting. Hollins was just having fun, but I knew he wanted a job, any job. All I could say was the Cavs rarely (OK, never) let me choose the coach.
