Hitting stride under Lue, LeBron James and Cavaliers flex muscles against Spurs

The Cleveland Cavaliers, finding their form under recently appointed new coach Tyronn Lue, played fast and confident on Saturday night and blew out the San Antonio Spurs.

LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers takes the ball to the hoop against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night. Tony Dejak / AP / January 30, 2016

Blasting toward the basket, LeBron James didn’t break his stride as he flicked away Patty Mills, sending the San Antonio Spurs guard sprawling across the floor.

James scored a layup and flexed.

He and the Cleveland Cavaliers finally bullied one of the NBA's big boys.

James scored 29 points – and overcame an early wardrobe malfunction – and Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving added 21 apiece and Cleveland got their first win this season over an elite team by beating San Antonio 117-103 on Saturday night.

The Cavs won their fourth straight under new coach Tyronn Lue, who was promoted after David Blatt was fired on January 22. Cleveland came in 0-5 against San Antonio, the Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls, three top-tier teams who figure to contend with them for a title this season.

Read more: Jonathan Raymond on the Toronto Raptors and the virtue of being pretty good in the NBA

Lue has the Cavs playing at a faster pace and the Spurs, who were again without centre Tim Duncan, couldn’t keep up with them.

“The Big 3 came through for us,” Lue said. “It gives us confidence to know that we can beat a great team like the San Spurs.”

Kawhi Leonard scored 24 and LaMarcus Aldridge 15 for the Spurs, who lost for just the second time in 16 games. They lost to the Warriors on Monday, giving 120 points.

Cleveland’s 117 were the second-most given up this season by San Antonio, which came in allowing a league-best 90.6 points per game. The Cavs had more than that after three quarters.

“They pushed the ball,” said Spurs guard Tony Parker, who finished with 13 points. “They were still a very good team before. It’s one of those games where our defence just wasn’t there. We made too many mistakes and against a good team you can’t do that.”

Irving (10) and Matthew Dellavedova (8) scored Cleveland’s first 18 points in the fourth quarter. James scored the next three when he blasted through Mills, who was no match for the 6ft 8in, 250-pound James.

In just a week, the Cavs have been transformed under Lue, who has encouraged James to make plays for his teammates and Irving to attack the basket.

“We definitely played good basketball tonight on both sides of the floor,” James said. “We pushed the tempo offensively and did everything coach wanted us to do against a great team.”

Down by 17 points at the half, the Spurs scored the first eight of the third quarter, a spurt that prompted an oh-no-here-they-come vibe through Cleveland’s loud crowd, which was in play-off form.

But the Cavs responded with a flurry that showcased their offensive depth. Love and Dellavedova hit three-pointers and James powered inside for several baskets, helping Cleveland push their lead to 88-69 late in the third. James scored 16 in the quarter.

James, too, made one of his signature defensive plays by chasing down Spurs guard Manu Ginobili on a breakaway and blocking his shot at the rim.

Love scored 18 points in the first half, when the Cavs opened a 17-point lead and gave the Spurs their glimpse of their new, fast-paced offence.

Without Duncan and with Aldridge on the bench after picking up three quick fouls in the first quarter, the Cavs had nothing to stop them inside and were able to do what they pleased.

Locker-room attendants inadvertently put out the wrong shorts for James, who came out in the first quarter wearing different ones than his teammates. They had on gold bottoms with wine and white stripes up the sides. His were plain.

Everything else about the Cavs was perfectly in order.

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