NBA scores 2017: The Spurs trounced the Cavaliers like it wasn’t even a challenge

It’s not that anyone expected anything different from Monday’s matchup between the San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers. After all, the Spurs are something like an immortal juggernaut still running the league after all these years, and Cleveland has a worse record than Brooklyn this month as it works through a complete and total malaise on both ends of the court.

But it was still surprising to see just how soundly San Antonio beat up on the Cavaliers on Monday — like it was nothing. The Spurs outscored them by 10 points in the first quarter and 14 more in the second before slowing down in the second half only to prevent utter embarrassment.

It wasn’t really the result of LeBron James, who by far had the best plus-minus (minus-13) of Cleveland’s starting five while dropping 17 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. He was fine, and it was the rest of his team slouching into painful mediocrity. But there was no question Kawhi Leonard thoroughly outplayed him — as he is wont to do — with a 25-point, six-rebound, six-assist night, and by stealing the ball three times, and by recording one block which happened to come against James himself. He made it look easy!

What a world we live in, where LeBron James can never get away from the Spurs, it seems like, and they’re still exactly the same sort of machine they were from those fated 2014 Finals.

Oh, and after an elbow to his back, James might be hurt. Whoops.

Let’s not say that the Cavaliers aren’t title contenders, or aren’t going to right this ship. Let’s not say that they’re headed for a first-round flame out, or that they should no longer be favored in the Eastern Conference. The past two years, the Cavaliers scared us midseason, only for them to climb out of it in the postseason. We know there’s a switch that can be flipped.

Still, it doesn’t seem like the Cavaliers ever sunk this low — now with four losses in their last six games, and 6-9 in this month. In those past four losses, they’ve lost by a combined points total of 84 points, or an average of 21 points per contest. Jeez.

Down 13 points with 3:30 left in the game, the Oklahoma City Thunder beat Dallas on a 14-0 run to close everything out. Westbrook, of course, had 12 of those 14 points and the game-winning jump shot. Here it is.

With 3:30 to play, it really was Westbrook taking over. No one else was going to do it. No other universe existed where the Thunder could have won without seeing that type of performance from their superstar. Look at the shots he was making.

This MVP race is completely and totally absurd. I still don’t know quite what to make of it — and it feels like my belief that James Harden should be on top gets shaken every day when presented with new evidence from the other four candidates. I’m sticking with Harden for now, but this is so, so tough.

Thunder 92, Mavericks 91 (Welcome to Loud City recap | Mavs Moneyball recap)

Raptors 131, Magic 112 (Raptors HQ recap | Orlando Pinstriped Post recap)

Knicks 109, Pistons 95 (Posting & Toasting recap | Detroit Bad Boys recap)

Spurs 103, Cavaliers 74 (Pounding the Rock recap | Fear the Sword recap)

Kings 91, Grizzlies 90 (Sactown Royalty recap | Grizzly Bear Blues recap)

Jazz 108, Pelicans 100 (SLC Dunk recap | The Bird Writes recap)