Cedi Osman matches career high with 29 points in Cavs' blowout of the Clippers

CLEVELAND — Cedi Osman picked a perfect night to have an offensive eruption. He matched his career high with 29 points in the Cavaliers' 122-99 demolition of the short-handed Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday during Turkish Heritage Night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Osman, now in his sixth season with the Cavs, converted 11 for 13 from the field and 7 for 7 from the 3-point line. He added two rebounds, two assists, two steals and a blocked shot in 22 action-packed minutes. "I felt like if I shot it from halfcourt, it was going to go in," he said of his stellar shooting night. "I was feeling good. Big props to my teammates for finding me. Everyone was great tonight." The Cavs (31-21) dished out a season-high 35 assists. The 6-foot-7, 230-pound Osman missed a wide-open layup and a bank shot in the late going for his only misses. He was thrilled with his teammates' reaction to his success. "It was a great feeling," Osman said. "We have a great group of guys. We're always happy with each other's success. Everyone was cheering for me. After every three, the bench was up (on its feet)." Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said Osman played with great rhythm and confidence. "He was running and cutting, doing all the things Cedi does when he helps us," he said. Osman's prosperity is celebrated in the entire country of Turkey. "I have my own academy back in Turkey with over 1,000 kids," he said. "I know they are always watching and following. I have a responsibility to them." He moved past Daniel "Boobie" Gibson for sixth place on the Cavs' all-time list in 3-pointers made. Osman has 583 and Gibson had 578. "It would be a great achievement to be in the top five," Osman said. The Cavs made amends for past failures when they faced short-handed teams. The worst example of that lackluster play came on Jan. 20 against Golden State when the Warriors didn't dress four starters and still put a beating on Cleveland. The Clippers (28-25) decided to rest All-Stars Paul George (right knee soreness) and forward Kawhi Leonard (right knee injury management). Forwards Robert Covington (personal reasons) and Marcus Morris (rib contusion) and guards Reggie Jackson (right Achilles soreness) and John Wall (abdominal soreness) also missed the game. "We just took care of business after lessons we learned the hard way," Bickerstaff said. "We did the job we needed to do. We came out with the right intent." Bickerstaff was impressed with his team's defensive effort. They held the Clippers to .416 shooting from the field and .105 from the 3-point line. "It was the defense," he said. "Guys took individual challenges. No one was out on an island. It set the tone." The Cavs opened up a 30-point lead at halftime, 64-34, and led by as many as 40 points in the second half. Los Angeles (28-25) outscored Cleveland 42-33 in the fourth quarter, making the final score appear closer than it was. Guard Darius Garland added 16 points and 10 assists for Cleveland, while center Jarrett Allen added 15 points, eight rebounds and two steals. Four-time All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, who missed five of the previous six games with a left groin strain, returned to the starting lineup and finished with 11 points. Guard Brandon Boston paced the Clippers with 24 points, while former Cavs center Moses Brown added 13 points and a game-high 16 rebounds. Tip-ins In the last three games at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the players that didn't play for the opposition would form an All-Star team. They included Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Leonard, George and Wall. Bickerstaff said fans have yet to see Cavs guard Ricky Rubio at his best. He said he believes the veteran point guard will get there this year since he doesn't base his talents on his athleticism."He will out-think his opponent," Bickerstaff said.He said Rubio's high basketball IQ is what separates him from most players. After the Cavs' 8-1 start, they are 23-20. However, Bickerstaff isn't worried."We're in a good spot," he said.The Cavs, fifth in the Eastern Conference playoff race, have been inconsistent as of late, going 5-5 in their last 10 games."We play 82 games for a reason," Bickerstaff said. Cavs forward Kevin Love missed his third consecutive game with back spasms. Contact Bob Finnan at rfinnan30@gmail.com. Follow him @BobCavsinsider on Twitter.