CLEVELAND: After so many games focused on scoring and pushing the tempo, the Cavaliers went back to an old school approach Saturday.
Kyrie Irving scored 29 points and LeBron James had 27 points and eight assists in a 99-84 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Guard J.R. Smith made six 3-pointers for 20 points and Tristan Thompson grabbed 15 rebounds while starting at power forward in place of an injured Kevin Love.
It may not have been intentional, but the Cavs were held under 100 points for the first time in eight games. They also held the Pelicans to 39 percent shooting — the first time an opponent was held under 40 percent since Tyronn Lue was named head coach.
The Cavs squandered most of a 15-point, first-half lead for the second time in as many nights. They wound up losing Friday to the Boston Celtics at the buzzer, but held on Saturday despite the Pelicans pulling within four early in the fourth quarter.
A basket by Jrue Holiday cut the Cavs’ lead to 78-74, but they held the Pelicans to one field goal over the next five minutes. A 3-pointer from Richard Jefferson pushed the lead back out to seven, and the Cavs kept it around double figures the rest of the night to end a brief two-game losing streak.
Smith, who was called for a critical foul late in Friday’s game that heavily influenced the Cavs’ loss, made his first three shots Saturday (all 3-pointers) to get the Cavs rolling. The league later announced Saturday the foul call on Smith was incorrect.
Pelicans point guard Norris Cole scored a career-high 26 points on the same day Cleveland State retired his No. 30 jersey in an afternoon ceremony. Forward Anthony Davis scored 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Holiday scored 12 points off the bench, but the Pelicans lost their fourth straight.
Love missed the game with a bruised left thigh and Matthew Dellavedova missed his third game with a hamstring injury. Love was hit on the leg during Friday’s loss to the Boston Celtics and the area swelled up overnight, forcing him out of his first game of the season.
It’s unclear how much time he’ll miss, and he’s considered day-to-day. The Cavs play again Monday, when they host the Sacramento Kings.
James broke an 0-for-18 drought from deep with a 3-pointer early in the third quarter. It was his first 3 since Jan. 25, a span of 6½ games without a 3-pointer. He began the day shooting 26 percent from 3, but went 2-of-5 against the Pelicans.
Timofey Mozgov started at center for the Cavs with Thompson starting at forward, although Anderson Varejao wound up playing more minutes and grabbed 10 rebounds off the bench.
Jason Lloyd can be reached at jlloyd@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Cavs blog at www.ohio.com/cavs. Follow him on Twitter www.twitter.com/JasonLloydABJ.