NBA scores: The Cavaliers and the Hawks are rolling and 3 other things we learned

There were more important things going on outside the Barklays Center on Monday. Judging by the crowd's response, there were more exciting things inside the arena than Cavaliers-Nets, too. That's good news for the Cavs because it means blowing out a middling team is becoming routine. Cleveland's seventh win in a row seemed inevitable from the start, even if the Nets kept it interesting during the first half.

With Kyrie Irving having an off night and LeBron James happily deferring, it was the Kevin Love show early on. Love had his full inside-out game on display, taking Mirza Teletovic in the post and hitting three-pointers after kickouts to finish the opening period with 15 points. Dion Waiters took over after that, logging 13 second-quarter points to provide the scoring punch the team needed and to quiet down trade talks for at least another day.

While the Nets were relying on balanced scoring and hustle plays to just hang around, the Cavs simply used their superior individual talent to keep it close, seemingly without exerting themselves. Then in the third quarter, the dam broke. Irving and James woke up, Tristan Thompson made some plays off the bench on both ends and, when the dust had settled, the Cavs had an 18-point lead going into the final period. The stars carrying the load until a good run puts the game away -- that's exactly the recipe that was supposed to carry the Cavs through the regular season.

Cleveland is now 12-7, only three games behind the top of the East after a slow start. The question still remains: who are the real Cavs? The team that had a porous defense, stars that were not eager to share the ball and an anemic bench or the version we are seeing now destroy teams and getting wins even when their three stars doesn't shine? How they perform in the next three games against the Raptors, Thunder and Pelicans could provide an answer.

The Hawks are rolling

The Cavaliers are not the only East team on a seven-game winning streak. With their victory over the Pacers, the Hawks are now 14-6 for the season, tied with the Wizards for second place. At this point, Atlanta is a top 10 squad in both offensive and defensive efficiency, often the mark of a contender. It shouldn't be so surprising since the Hawks looked great when Horford was healthy last season and the Dominican center is rounding into shape, scoring 25 points, pulling down eight boards and dishing out three assists in the win. Don't sleep on the Hawks.

The Wizards needed two overtimes to beat the Celtics after leading by as much as 23 points. But the letdown shouldn't take away from John Wall's performance. Wall finished with 26 points, seven rebounds, 17 assists and three steals in over 44 minutes on the court. With Paul Pierce in tow and a better supporting cast, Wall has seen his scoring average dip this season but he's making next-level passes regularly and showing up in the clutch. He should be on everyone's shortlist for most entertaining player to watch.

An efficient Rudy Gay could keep the Kings alive

DeMarcus Cousins missed his sixth straight game due to a viral infection. The Kings had lost five of those six, falling out of the top eight in the West in the process. With the Thunder now healthy and the Suns and Pelicans also fighting for that final spot, every game counts for Sacramento. Their win over the reeling Jazz (nine losses in a row counting Monday's) was huge and Rudy Gay was at the heart of it, scoring 29 points on 19 shots. The Kings will need him to continue scoring efficiently to stay in the chase until Boogie returns. In the past, Gay has struggled to do that as a first option, so it will be fascinating to watch him if Cousins is out much longer.

Once upon a time, long before Anthony Davis, there was a young power forward doing crazy things nightly that immediately became a League Pass cult hero. Blake Griffin reminded us of those times this Monday.

Jeff Green hits a full-court shot, right after time expired. It didn't count but still impressive.

Raptors 112, Nuggets 107 (Raptors HQ recap | Denver Stiffs recap)

Warriors 102, Timberwolves 86 (Golden State of Mind recap | Canis Hoopus recap)