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Irving's 57 lifts Cavs past Spurs in OT

Mar 13, 2015 - 6:28 AM San Antonio, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Kyrie Irving clutched the game ball against his hip while being congratulated by teammates following the most scintillating performance of the season.

And that might've be an understatement.

Irving scored a Cleveland Cavaliers franchise-record 57 points, leading them to a thrilling 128-125 overtime win over the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night.

Irving scored Cleveland's last nine points of regulation, including a game- tying 3-pointer at the fourth-quarter buzzer. He then added 11 points in the extra session to help the Cavs snap a 10-game losing streak against the defending-champion Spurs.

It was also Cleveland's 23rd win over its last 28 games.

"It was a high level game. Two very good teams going at it in a playoff manner with toughness and aggressiveness and great basketball on both sides of the ball. It was good, clean, hard fun," Cavaliers coach David Blatt said.

Irving, who netted a previous career-high of 55 points less than two months ago against the Portland Trail Blazers, knocked down all seven of his shots from beyond the arc, was a perfect 10-of-10 from the foul line and finished 20-of-32 from the field.

But it was the degree of difficulty of those 3-pointers and his exceptional dribbling displays that had everyone in awe.

Fallaway triples from the corner, swish.

Contested step-back treys from the wing, nothing but net.

Splitting through double teams and banking in runners, he simply made it look too easy.

"Kyrie Irving was unstoppable. I don't know how to guard that," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.

One of those fallaway 3s came with 31 seconds in regulation to claw Cleveland within 110-107. Kawhi Leonard was fouled after coming down with an offensive rebound at the other end, but missed both free throws with 4.3 ticks on the clock.

That left the door wide open for Irving.

He received the inbound at the top of the arc, took a few dribbles to his right and rose over Tony Parker and Leonard before knocking down the game- tying 3-pointer.

Irving netted Cleveland's first six points of the overtime and LeBron James, who added 31 points, seven assists and five rebounds, hit a 3 to put the Cavs in front for the first time since the latter stages of the first quarter, 119-116, with 1:54 left.

James then nailed a backbreaking triple from the right wing for a 125-120 advantage with 32.4 seconds to play and the Cavs sunk 3-of-4 from the foul line to close out the outcome.

James and Irving combined to score all 18 of Cleveland's points in the overtime.

Parker supplied 31 points, six assists and five boards, while Danny Green and Leonard poured in 24 points apiece for San Antonio, which had a six-game winning streak snapped.

The Spurs led 31-30 following a quarter of play, 64-62 at the break and 84-79 after three.

Cleveland overcame a 105-95 deficit in the final three-plus minutes of regulation.

Game Notes

Irving's 57 points were the most points ever scored by a Spurs' visiting player. It was the second 50-plus point game of his career. ... The Spurs lost despite shooting 56.3 percent (49-of-87) from the floor ... The Cavs were 14- of-26 from beyond the arc ... James finished 10-of-20 from the field.