Drummond carries Cavaliers to win over Knicks

        Andre Drummond may have been motivated by the Cleveland Cavaliers acquisition of Jarrett Allen or he may have been auditioning for a potential suitor, but Drummond picked up the Cavaliers and carried them to a 106-103 victory over the New York Knicks in Cleveland.

Drummond finished with 33 points and 23 rebounds to lead the Cavaliers with Cedi Osman finishing with 25 points to lead the starting five that saw each starter finish with double-figure points.

Cleveland was scheduled for a doubleheader on Sunday and Monday against the Washington Non-Bullets, but the battered Cavaliers will have a long respite as Washington's Covid-19 outbreak has caused both games to be postponed.

Cleveland will host the Brooklyn Nets next Wednesday and hopefully will see the two newest Cavaliers, Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince, face their old team in their Cleveland debut.

Swashbucklings

1)  The trade rumors started about six seconds after the announcement of the Cavaliers' involvement in the four-team trade, but Andre Drummond immediately showed what some team might be getting, should they decide to trade for a big man for their playoff run.

The best way to get out of a town is to play hard, perform well, and make teams want you.

More players in all sports need to take heed of Drummond's example.

2) Andre Drummond's 30/20 was the first for a Cavalier since Carlos Boozer in 2004 (Can it be 17 years since Carlos Boozer played in Cleveland?) and was only the sixth time for anyone in Cavalier history.

3) I'll never forget Carlos Boozer and the stunt that he pulled.

When players bemoan a franchise's lack of loyalty, remember Carlos Boozer and how players aren't always a shining beacon of honor either.

4) The Cavaliers won this game with only eight players, the starting five, Lamar Stevens, JaVale McGee, and two minutes from Dean Wade. 

The five starters all played forty minutes or more and hopefully after the extra days from the Washington postponements and getting Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince on the court will keep Cleveland from being this light on the bench for a while.

5) It wasn't Andre Drummond that took the most shots in this game.

Drummond took eighteen, but it was Cedi Osman that fired up the most shots with twenty,

Fortunately for Cleveland, Osman hit ten of them and five from three-point land.

I'm torn on Osman, who I think will be a solid player with occasional streaks of top-level play.

Those streaks will come and go with an unpredictable outside shot.

6) Kevin Porter Jr. arrived on the bench for the first time this season and he was very involved among the injured players on the bench rooting the team on.

I'm not sure of the status of Porter, but the Cavaliers have been far too secretive with why Porter isn't playing and when he may be expected to return.

I don't need specifics, but a date of when they hope to have Porter at practice would be fine to start.