LOS ANGELES (AFP) – LaMarcus Aldridge led the offensive attack in the paint and Danny Green shot the lights out from long distance as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 110-94 on Sunday.
Aldridge finished with 27 points and Green chipped in 22 as the Spurs snapped a four-game losing skid.
Green missed Friday’s loss to Denver with food poisoning but on Sunday he delivered the perfect side dish to Aldridge’s dynamic inside game with his five three-pointers.
“Every win is a big one for us,” Green said. “But this month we’ve had some ups and downs. This is a really good team, especially with the best player in the world over there.”
Indeed, Cavs’ superstar LeBron James flirted with a triple double by finishing with 33 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists but that’s not what James wanted to talk about after the loss.
The reigning All-Star Game MVP slammed officials after the game, saying they are not calling enough fouls on him.
“There’s no reason I should be going to the line four times in a game when I drive 100 times to the paint and I’m getting hit and slapped and grabbed and whatever and what not,” James said.
James thinks the officials are protecting players that shoot a lot of three-point shots and not calling enough fouls on players like him who like to drive to the basket.
San Antonio was called for 12 personal fouls – only three in the second half – and shot 32 free throws compared to 14 for Cleveland.
Cleveland dropped to 3-2 since overhauling their roster before the all-star break with three trades.
Elsewhere, Jrue Holiday scored 28 of his 36 points after halftime to lead the New Orleans Pelicans to a 123-121 overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Holiday chipped in nine rebounds and six assists for New Orleans, who won their season-high fifth straight game.
Milwaukee’s Jason Terry tossed up a potential game-winning three-pointer but the officials ruled it was after the buzzer.
