The Cleveland Cavaliers (20 - 9) defeated the Phoenix Suns (12 - 21) Monday 101 - 97 at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix. Even as the Suns go through coaching changes and mid - season struggles, they still put up a good fight against one of the NBA’s best teams. However, despite a late rally in the fourth quarter, they were unable to top the East-leading Cavaliers. Kyrie Irving was limited in his time on the floor, but still managed to score a team - high 22 points in just 24 minutes. J.R. Smith added 17 points, while Kevin Love recorded 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 25 minutes. LeBron James shot just 4 - of - 10 from the field, and finished with 14 points and seven assists in 35 minutes. The team relied heavily on their three - point shooting, as 41 of their 71 shots were from behind the arc, and they finished with a respectable 42 percent shooting from there. T.J. Warren continued his impressive sophomore campaign for the Suns in Monday’s losing effort, as he finished with a game - high 23 points and five rebounds off the bench in 27 minutes off the bench. However, it was the starters that did most of the damage for the team, as four of the five in the starting lineup finished in double figures. Brandon Knight led the way, scoring 18 points as a starter with Eric Bledsoe out, while Jon Leuer and and P.J. Tucker each scored 14 points. Up next, the Cavaliers will head to Denver Tuesday to take on the Nuggets, while the Suns will head to San Antonio Wednesday to play the Spurs.
["TeamStat(G,'Suns') has 21 Losses ,has 97 Total points ,has 12 Wins ."
 "TeamStat(G,'Cavaliers') has 9 Losses ,has 101 Total points ,has 20 Wins ."]