The Cleveland Cavaliers played without LeBron James on Wednesday, but Kyrie Irving stepped up big time to lead Wine and Gold to a 99-94 win over the Portland Trail Blazers at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
Irving tallied a career-high 55 points with 11 three-pointers to go along with five assists and two steals, helping the red-hot Cavaliers extend their winning streak to eight games.
The 22-year-old point guard was simply too hot to handle on Wednesday night as he scored 24 of Cleveland's last 28 points, including a huge three-pointer that sent Cavaliers fans inside The Q into frenzy.
With the game tied at 94, Irving took matter into his own hands despite being guarded by Blazers' defensive specialist Nicolas Batum, burying a three-pointer with 6.4 seconds left in the game.
Blazers point guard Damian Lillard attempted a potential game-tying three-pointer, but failed to hit the mark. Irving grabbed the rebound and sealed their win with two free throws, generating lound "M-V-P" chant inside the arena.
"He's so quick you don't want to get too close," Batum said of Irving. "You have to control the drive. I tried to contest the shot. I was on him, but he made a big shot."
Irving came just one point away from tying the franchise record of 56 points set by James during the 2004-05 season, but recorded the highest points scored by a player this season, eclipsing Klay Thompson and Mo Williams, who both scored 52 points in one game this season.
"He played great," Lillard said of Irving. "I've seen him get on streaks before, but usually they're mid-range pull-ups and nice layups, not 11 3s. He's in a good rhythm."
Timofey Mozgov had another efficient night for the Cavaliers as he finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while J.R. Smith added 11 points and four assists. All-Star power forward struggled, tallying just 10 points on 3-for-15 shooting, but grabbed 12 rebounds.
James, who averaged 30.5 points to go along with 6.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists in his last 10 games, missed the game with a sprained wrist he sustained from a bad fall in their 103-95 win against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday.
With the win, the Cavaliers improved to 27-20 and are now just three games behind the Chicago Bulls for the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference standings. The will look to extend their winning streak when they take on the Sacramento Kings at home on Friday night.
