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Cavs set for matchup versus Jazz

Jan 21, 2015 - 3:40 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Cleveland Cavaliers have won three straight and will try to continue their fine form Wednesday night when the Utah Jazz make a stop at Quicken Loans Arena.

The Cavs swept two stops in Los Angeles, then opened their four-game homestand with a 108-94 victory Monday over the Chicago Bulls. They will face Utah, the Charlotte Hornets and Oklahoma City Thunder on this residency.

LeBron James netted 26 points, Kyrie Irving added 18 points and 12 assists and the Cavs cruised.

J.R. Smith had 20 points, Timofey Mozgov posted 15 points and 15 rebounds, while Kevin Love returned from a brief one-game absence due to back spasms and scored 16 points to go with 12 boards for the Cavaliers, who have won three straight on the heels of a six-game losing streak.

All five Cleveland starters scored 15 points or more. Tristan Thompson had six points and 10 rebounds, giving the Cavs three players with 10-plus boards.

However, the offensive balance and rebounding wasn't what caught the eye of the Cavs' head coach.

"I think this is our best defensive game of the year," Cavs coach David Blatt said. "We adhered to our principles."

The Cavs held the Bulls to 37.5 percent shooting and predictably dominated Chicago on the glass, 54-40.

The Jazz are in the middle game of a three-game road trip. They'll visit the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, then play four consecutive games at EnergySolutions Arena.

On Sunday, five San Antonio Spurs scored in double figures and the Jazz posted a season-low in points in an 89-69 loss.

Rudy Gobert had 13 points and 18 rebounds off the bench for the Jazz, who have lost four of their last five games. Gordon Hayward was the only other Utah player in double figures with 10.

"We ran into a team that was really physical with us," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "I don't think we were prepared."

Utah's offense never got on track after shooting just 6-for-25 in the first quarter. It followed that up by scoring 12 points in the second and trailed 43-27 at halftime.

The Jazz had more rebounds (29) than points at the break. Derrick Favors pulled down 13 rebounds as the Jazz shot 33.3 percent from the floor and 30 percent from long range.

The Jazz beat the Cavaliers by two in Salt Lake City on Nov. 5 to stop a three-game series losing streak. The Cavs are 8-2 in their last 10 as the host against Utah.