Dribbles: For the Second Straight Time, Yes, Cavs Have Tons of Fun

Team-wide effort, determination result in stunning win over mighty Nuggets in Denver.

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Random dribbles following the Cavaliers' stunner of a 111-103 road win over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.

1. Better watch out, LeBron James. Here come the Cavaliers.

2. OK, James is probably far from panic mode, but there is no doubt the Cavs are playing much better heading into Monday's game in Los Angeles vs. the Lakers. This win over the Nuggets may have been the best one yet.

3. The Cavs (12-27) came out with great energy. They rebounded, ran, moved the ball and showed some serious hustle. They stayed fairly actively defensively. They built a 17-point lead. They didn't collapse when the Nuggets came all the way back and took a lead of their own in the fourth quarter.

4. Offensively, the output was as balanced as it's been all season. Collin Sexton scored 25 on 9-of-18 shooting. Kevin Love scored 19 and collected 15 rebounds, compiling a double-double by halftime. Tristan Thompson followed up his career night with 18 points and 13 boards. Darius Garland had 18 points and eight assists. And Cedi Osman scored 11 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

5. That's some excellent play from the Cavs' young guards and three double-doubles from the frontcourt. Want to know how you shock the Nuggets and walk away with a win at the NBA's highest altitude? The Cavs put on a clinic.

6. This all happened one game after the Cavs overcame a 13-point deficit to win at Detroit in overtime. So make their record 2-0 since Slugsgate, when coach John Beilein accidentally told the players they were no longer playing like "thugs" during a film session.

7. Suddenly and surprisingly, the Cavs look united. They look determined. Mostly, they look like they are just having some fun.

8. Garland's obvious rise has been another factor. The rookie point guard is averaging 17.4 points and 5.4 assists over the previous five games. There is no question his comfort level with the pro game is growing.

9. Garland to FOX Sports Ohio on the win: "They're getting me open. I'm making the right reads and I'm making shots. (Sexton) is making shots. K-Love is making shots. TT is going right to the rim. Cedi is making shots. It's fun right now."

10. During the interview, Thompson walked over to Garland and Sexton and draped his arms over their shoulders. "These guys were huge in the fourth quarter," Thompson told FSO. "I'm proud of these guys, man. They keep me young and it's fun playing with these young fellas."

11. Thompson speaks the truth. The Nuggets (26-12) could not handle the Cavs and their efforts to keep things moving. So ex-Cavs assistant and current Nuggets head coach Mike Malone turned to a zone defensively. It worked. The Cavs were baffled to start the fourth quarter. Then Sexton and Garland hit some important shots, giving the Cavs the final boost they needed.

12. Keep in mind, the Cavs again did all this without three contributors off the bench -- Larry Nance Jr., Kevin Porter Jr. and Dante Exum. But they did receive another underrated outing from Alfonzo McKinnie, who scored nine points in the first half on his way to 10 for the evening. This was McKinnie's second game in uniform after being waived on Monday.

13. Nance and Porter will likely miss the entire West trip with knee issues, but Exum is expected to return next game. He scored a career-high 28 points a week ago, then missed the next three games with flu-like symptoms. He joined the team in Denver to fly to LA.

14. Speaking of the Lakers, all they did was go into Oklahoma City on Saturday and silence the Thunder ... without LeBron, without Anthony Davis and playing their second night of a back-to-back on the road. LeBron will be a go Monday. Davis (back) is questionable.

15. Interestingly, the Cavs-Lakers game is not on national TV. It will be one of few times the Cavs have faced James in a game available only to local audiences. (At least, only legally available.)

16. Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 24 points. Nikola Jokic added 19 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. Denver is a very good team, but was sluggish at the start and ran out of steam late. Overall, it was a great win for the Cavs.

17. For more on the game, check out the SI.com recap: Cavs build big lead, hold on to stun Nuggets.

• BOX SCORE | Cavaliers 111, Nuggets 103