Cleveland Cavaliers (35-21) beat Brooklyn Nets (15-39) 112-84 at home on Thursday, February 19. The final margin was 28 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Cavaliers had the better start, winning the first 34-16 to lead by 18 after one. The Cavaliers kept the pressure on with a 36-32 second quarter, carrying a 22-point lead into halftime.
The Cavaliers won the third 32-19 to create some separation, taking a 35-point lead into the fourth. The Nets took the fourth 17-10; the Cavaliers held on for a 112-84 regulation win.
Why it was lopsided
The Cavaliers got more from their shots, finishing at 58.1% effective field-goal shooting compared with 42.5% for the Nets. The Cavaliers grabbed 21.1% of their own misses, while the Nets recovered 11.1%. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
The Nets did win one battle, ball security: TOV% of 11.1 against 13. The Cavaliers made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 99 possessions per team, the Cavaliers produced 112.7 points per 100 possessions to 84.5 for the Nets.
The Cavaliers' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 50-33.
Who stood out
James Harden was the game's biggest individual force for CLE: 16 pts, 5 reb, 9 ast, 3 stl on 6-8 shooting. His Game Score of 20.4 led everyone. His team was +25 with him on the floor.
Ochai Agbaji led the Nets with 13 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast on 5-8 shooting, good for a 12.3 Game Score.
Jarrett Allen (15 pts, 10 reb, 1 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Cavaliers about a 91% chance.
Across the last 5 meetings in our records, Cleveland Cavaliers lead 5-0.
The Cavaliers are now 35-21, and the Nets are 15-39. The Cavaliers last five before this game: W-W-W-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.