Instant Reaction: Mavs Cruise Past Shorthanded Cavs In 109-90 Win

Cleveland and Dallas went back-and-forth for most of the first half, but the Mavericks were able to pull away and create a comfortable 57-47 halftime lead. They continued their dominant play in the second half as the Mavs held on for the easy victory.

Turning Point:

Dallas went on a 14-3 run at the end of the second quarter to finally create some distance between themselves and the Cavs, who were playing without superstar LeBron James. They were able to build on that lead in the third quarter as they cruised to the easy win.

Key Stat:

Dallas was extremely efficient on offense against Cleveland's suspect defense, shooting 56.4 percent from the field. On the flip side, their defense limited the Cavs to just 40.7 percent shooting.

Cleveland MVP:

Kevin Love did his best to carry the Cavs without LeBron, but he didn't get any help from his teammates. He finished with 30 points to lead all scorers, along with 10 rebounds.

Dallas MVP:

Monta Ellis was the most consistent option for the Mavs all afternoon (20 points), but it was J.J. Barea who came off the bench and gave this team a spark, dropping 14 points on near-perfect 6/7 shooting.

What’s Next?

Cleveland will try to rebound Monday night against the Philadelphia 76ers, while Dallas will try and extend their winning streak in Brooklyn against the Nets on Monday.

Be sure to follow our Cavs insider @brauf33 on Twitter and follow our Cleveland Cavaliers page for all the latest news!

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