CLEVELAND -- Random dribbles on the Cavaliers' 118-111 win over the visiting New Orleans Pelicans on Monday:
1. For one half, we got to see what happens when the Big Three of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love come to life. And man, wasn't it a thing of basketball beauty?
2. You know by now that James finished with his first triple-double of the season. Make it 32 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. For everyone saying he doesn't look like the same LeBron... well, I'm not really sure what else they want.
3. Meanwhile, Irving also finished with 32 points. That's right, LeBron and Kyrie scored 32 apiece. In the same game. Amazing, and it just goes to show what this team is capable of. The Cavs, and Big Three in particular, really turned it up in the third quarter. They trailed 56-51 at halftime. Then LeBron and Kyrie combined for 34 of the Cavs' 37 points over the next 12 minutes.
4. In the fourth quarter, it was Love's turn. He went 3-of-4 on 3-pointers, finishing 6-of-9 from beyond the arc for the night. In the end, Love scored 22 points and, along with James and Irving, buried a determined Pelicans team. It was simply a great NBA game in front of an announced sellout crowd of 20,562.
5. Also, two games after finishing with zero assists, and Twitter buzzing with verdicts of selfishness, Irving passed for a season-high nine Monday. So that's 32 points and nine assists and the Cavs (3-3) walking away with a win. Still, too many somebodies somewhere will whine about Kyrie. It's pretty sad, actually.
6. The Cavs also did this without Dion Waiters (bruised lower back) and Matthew Dellavedova (sprained knee). But no one really mentions that they needed to play with their top two backcourt reserves.
7. This Cavs team reminds me of the 2010 Miami Heat when it comes to public perception. LeBron hasn't just showed up and sprinkled magic fairy dust, so fans and media are freaking. Why is it human nature to behave in such a manner? I don't know, but clearly it is.
8. Truth is, this team needs time. It will suffer another letdown, and probably three, four or five more. But it will come together at some point, and it will win 10 or 12 in a row -- maybe on a few occasions. No matter, LeBron and the rest can tell people to chill as much as they want. It will never happen. Fans want it all, and they want it now.
9. Anyway, back to the game. We all saw how Ryan Anderson just went nuts, burying three after three. He scored 23 in the first half and the Pelicans were simply unguardable because of it. Anderson finished with 32, Anthony Davis scored 27 and grabbed 14 rebounds, and the Pelicans (3-3) are going places. If not this season, then very soon.
10. No matter, I was impressed with how Cavs coach David Blatt utilized his bench, particularly in the second half. Rookie guard Joe Harris only scored five points, but played smart and was determined on defense. He may have defended Anderson better than anybody all night (and no less than James, Love and Anderson Varejao all took a crack at it).
11. Mike Miller also did a solid job, simply by being a veteran and a constant 3-point threat. Eventually, this guy will start knocking them down. But like Varejao, Shawn Marion and perhaps even James, Miller typically saves his best for when it means the most.
12. Reserve guard Will Cherry also did a nice job in his 4 minutes. Yeah, it's hard to say a guy was great in that amount of time -- but there is a lot to be said for understanding your role. Cherry, a former member of the Canton Charge, seems to have a grasp.
13. Tristan Thompson (six points, six rebounds) also made some nice plays, including a massive block of Davis. Also, Varejao finished with 12 points and five rebounds.
14. Was it a thing of beauty? Nah. Probably not. But it was a victory, and like so many LeBron-led teams, the Cavs stepped forward when it meant the most. Just imagine what it will be like when they get it closer to completely together. And they will. And it won't be long.
