In one of the biggest midseason roster overhauls ever, the Cleveland Cavaliers traded away Dwayne Wade, Channing Frye, Isaiah Thomas, Iman Shumpert, Jae Crowder, and Derrick Rose. They received Rodney Hood, George Hill, Jordan Clarkson, and Larry Nance, Jr.
Kyle Lowry scored 23 points, C.J. Miles added 20 off the bench, and the Toronto Raptors trounced the Boston Celtics 111-91 on Tuesday.
Russell Westbrook made a layup with 3.3 seconds left and the Oklahoma City Thunder won their fifth straight, defeating the Brooklyn Nets 109-108. The win lifts the Thunder to fifth in the West, just 2.5 games out of hosting a playoff series.
Chris Paul scored 33 points and James Harden hit a clutch three with 1:10 on the clock. The Houston Rockets defeated the Golden State Warriors for the second time this season, with a convincing 114-108 scoreline. The win was part of a stretch in which Houston has now won six of seven, closing the gap to Golden State.
The C’s competitive drive and their impressive recent record puts their resume right up there with the NBA’s elite. They could be the first team to break up the Warriors-Cavs Finals match up that has repeated for the last three years.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have five of six and nine of twelve. They now sit third in the East, 7.5 games behind the Celtics and 5 ahead of Philadelphia.
Patrick English 