The Cleveland Cavaliers have been dealing with injuries to key players and calls from LeBron James for the front office to improve the roster, yet Cleveland seems to have found their way. Despite going just 7-8 in the month of January, the Cavs have won three of their last four games and appear to be finding their stride. Let's get you up to speed with the week that was and the week ahead with our Cavs Weekly update:
Last Week:
Cleveland started the week by snapping a three-game losing streak with a 124-116 win over the Brooklyn Nets, led by 31 points and 11 assists from LeBron James. They then put on another stellar performance on Sunday, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder, 107-91. Kyrie Irving outplayed Russell Westbrook with 29 points, while LeBron James added 25 points and 14 rebounds.
The Cavaliers then traveled to Dallas for a quick one-game road trip on Monday, playing the second game of a back-to-back - and it showed. Harrison Barnes dropped 24 points and 11 rebounds and Yogi Ferrell scored 19 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks to a 104-97 win over the Cavs, who were playing without Kevin Love. James and Irving, in particular, struggled down the stretch, combining for just one point in the entire fourth quarter.
Luckily for the Cavs, they did their part to stop that from becoming another losing streak. They dominated the Minnesota Timberwolves for a 125-97 win on Wednesday, led by LeBron's 27 points and Irving's 14 points and career-high 14 assists.
The Week Ahead:
Cleveland will start a four-game road trip this week on Saturday against the New York Knicks before playing the Washington Wizards on Monday. They then close the games with a back-to-back on Wednesday and Thursday against the Indiana Pacers and Thunder, respectively. Read more Cavs news in the Chat Sports iPhone and Android apps.
Injuries:
Forward Kevin Love is listed as day-to-day with a back injury.
Guard J.R. Smith is expected to miss another 6-8 weeks after having surgery to repair his broken right thumb, which he suffered on Dec. 20.
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