Cavs, Pacers tangle at the Q
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}(SportsNetwork.com) - The Cleveland Cavaliers have won two in a row and they'll try to extend that streak Saturday night when the Indiana Pacers roll into Quicken Loans Arena.
The key ingredient in Cleveland's run, which halted a four-game losing streak, has been none other than LeBron James.
James' third straight double-double helped the Cavaliers to a 113-87 win over the Washington Wizards Wednesday at Quicken Loans Arena.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}James, who scored 22 points on just 38 percent shooting in Cleveland's 91-78 loss to the Wizards last Friday, poured in 29 points on 7-of-14 shooting with 10 rebounds, eight assists and three steals in the Cavs' victory.
James is now seven made 3-pointers away from passing Mark Price (802) for the franchise record.
Kevin Love netted 21 points on an efficient 7-of-10 shooting and Kyrie Irving dropped in 18 with five assists for Cleveland, which committed 19 turnovers in the loss to the Wizards compared to just 10 on Wednesday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Dion Waiters scored 15 points with six assists off the bench for Cleveland.
"Defensive presence and taking care of the basketball," Cavs coach David Blatt attributed to the win. "We really want to play with pace. We're really a better team when the ball is moving. That's what we want to do."
The Cavaliers got back to the .500 mark with the victory. They'll host the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, then hit the road for three straight.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Indiana will play four in a row on the road against Cleveland, Phoenix, Portland and Sacramento, and has played better of late with wins in six of the last nine games.
In Friday's 98-83 win over the Orlando Magic, Rodney Stuckey scored 24 points to lead the way. David West (ankle) and C.J. Watson (foot) both made their season debuts and had an immediate impact. West started and scored 18 points and Watson shot 4-of-4 off the bench for nine points.
"I've come to expect a lot from David West. He certainly played a great game, a great floor game" Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "He orchestrates a lot of stuff on both ends."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lavoy Allen posted 10 points and 14 boards for the Pacers.
The Cavaliers snapped a nine-game losing streak to the Pacers with their win on March 30. Indiana is 15-2 in it last 17 against its Central rival and 7-2 in the last nine in Cleveland.