Instead, he rolled up his sleeves and went to work getting better on the offensive side of the ball. He went overseas to train under CSKA Moscow coach Ettore Messina and continued to develop the offense.

After nine games, the Cavs' offense has been putting points on the board with relative ease. They have averaged 105 points during their six-game winning streak. The only time they failed to reach the century mark in that span occurred in Tuesday's 99-93 win over Milwaukee.

They are eighth in the NBA in scoring (99.6) and fourth in field-goal percentage (48 percent).

They shot 57.3 percent from the field and dished out 30 assists in Thursday's win over Denver -- both season highs.

Their production and efficiency has shocked some local fans, who got used to watching a lot of knock-down, drag-out, 81-79 games.

"We continue to miss a lot of open shots," forward LeBron James said. "But the numbers are up (across the board). We're more efficient. We get into our offensive sets really fast and guys are making plays."

The addition of point guard Mo Williams has had a big influence on the team.

James said if opposing defenses double-team him, the Cavs will make them pay.

"You can't help off the guys we have on the court these days," he said. "I'm seeing more one-on-ones than I've seen in a long time. We have that much firepower on the court. You have to pick your poison. Either you're going to let our guys get (on a roll) or allow me to."

CAVALIERS 110, NUGGETS 99: The Cavaliers made a defensive stand in the second half en route to their victory. The Cavs (7-2) extended their winning streak to six in a row.

They had no trouble putting points on the board. But it wasn't until they started defending in the third quarter that they pulled away.

They closed the third quarter on a 10-3 run to extend their lead to seven points, 88-81.

The Cavs held the Nuggets to 36.1 percent shooting and just 38 points in the second half.

Cavs guard Mo Williams said the coaches challenged the players at halftime.

"Coach came in and took a shot at our egos and a shot at our heart," Williams said. "They were getting everything easy. We watched film at halftime. It was as ugly as it looked. We stepped up to the plate."

All-Star forward LeBron James took a forearm smash to the face from Nuggets forward and good friend Carmelo Anthony with 9:28 left in the game.

He flirted with a triple-double with 22 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds and three steals.