LOS ANGELES, (MILLAT/APP/AFP) – Kawhi Leonard scored
25 points and left to a standing ovation Monday as the San Antonio Spurs humbled the NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers 103-74 less than three weeks before the start of the playoffs.
The late-season glamour match-up in San Antonio fizzled as the Spurs
took control in the first quarter thanks not only to stars like Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge but also to stellar play from their reserves.
Adding to the misery for Cleveland, Cavs superstar LeBron James took
an elbow just above the shoulder blades from Spurs David Lee in the waning seconds of the third quarter that sent him slumping to the court.
He stayed there for several scary minutes before making his way to
the bench and with the Cavs trailing 81-58 going into the fourth quarter didn’t return to the court.
James scored 17 points on seven-of-17 shooting before departing, but
the Cavs endured their ninth defeat in 15 games in March.
The Cavaliers connected on just 37.3 percent of their shots from the
floor and for the first time since November 2015 fell out of first place in the Eastern Conference as their record fell to 47-26. The Boston Celtics now lead the East at 48-26.
Cleveland’s 74 points were a season low.
The Spurs, meanwhile, notched their fifth straight win and at 57-16
pulled within two games of the Golden State Warriors in the race for the best record in the league and the Western Conference lead.
Pau Gasol scored 14 points and Manu Ginobili chipped in 12 for the
Spurs, who host the Warriors on Wednesday.
While the San Antonio crowed was geared up for a playoff-caliber
contest, the Spurs soon took all suspense out of the proceedings, using a 17-8 run over the final half of the first quarter to take a 28-18 lead.