Written by Sam Amico

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The Cavs kept on rollin' last night at The Q, laying the hammer down on the young, but talented Seattle Supersonics by a 95-79 count.  LeBron and the boys are now above .500 (18-17) for the first time in six weeks and the schedule remains favorable for the team for most of January.  Last nights win was keyed by the bench, particularly Boobie and Andy.  And Sam tells us about it this morning.

For the Cavaliers, Tuesday's 95-79 home win over Seattle was like a slam dunk and 3-point shooting contest. 

Even reserve guard Devin Brown got into the act, doing his best Michael Jordan impersonation by leaping from the middle of the key, lifting the ball high over his head, and sailing past prized SuperSonics rookie Kevin Durant for a monster jam. 

Remember, we're talking Devin Brown here. Not exactly a high-flyer -- and most casual fans don't even know he's even on the team. 

But that's just the kind of night it was. Devin Brown was dunking, Daniel Gibson was shooting, and little-used big man Dwyane Jones was checking in, as everyone got to play. 

Or how about offensively-challenged Anderson Varejao, who made 5 of 7 shots for 14 points? He also tied Zydrunas Ilguaskas for a team-high nine rebounds. 

And it's hard to believe that we're just now mentioning LeBron James (22 points, 8 rebounds) but the Cavs barely needed him. For one of the few times all year, this one was never in doubt. 

Now, let's not get too excited, because the Sonics really stink. They gutted the team before the season, trading veteran stars in return for the right to land young hopefuls such as Durant and fellow lottery pick Jeff Green.  

Still, the bottom line is the Cavs are above .500 (18-17) for the first time since they were 9-8 at the end of November. They've done it by taking advantage of the "soft" part of their schedule -- having won six of their past eight games and four in a row overall. 

Other than a healthy James, the Cavs are making amazing happen behind the revived legs of Varejao and remarkable outside shooting of Gibson. Both are coming off the bench and performing their roles to near-perfection. That's particularly true of Gibson, who scored 17 points Tuesday, burying 5 of 8 treys. 

It's the fourth time Gibson has made more than three 3-pointers, and the Cavs are 3-1 in those games. 

Mostly, the Cavs have stepped it up defensively. They stymied Seattle from the start, holding the Sonics to 33 points in the first half on 38 percent shooting. It also was the seventh straight game in which the Cavs held their opponents to 95 or fewer points.  

Not surprisingly, they're 6-1 in that span. 

BOOK ON DURANT 

Durant may be the first rookie who is the unquestionable center of a franchise since LeBron James' first year (2003-04). Their rookie numbers have been similar - James averaged 20.9 points per game, compared to Durant's 19.9 - but Durant's rookie road has been a little bumpier. 

"I think he's had a similar challenge to what LeBron had, in the sense he's expected to be the leading scorer on the team as a first-year player," said Sonics coach P.J. Carlesimo. " LeBron had more established guys on the floor with him his rookie year than Kevin does. 

"LeBron also has a little bit more physicality his rookie year. Kevin is very athletic but he's not very strong. As a rookie, LeBron was both athletic and strong. I think that helped LeBron's transition more than most." 

That's not to say Durant hasn't been pretty good and shown lots of promise. 

"As a rookie, it's hard when you're the guy who is expected to take the most shots, and who your team is looking to late in games," Carlesimo said. "Kevin has handled it well." 

And like all young players, Durant is still adjusting to the idea of having quicker, stronger defenders in his face. He entered Tuesday's game shooting 41 percent from the floor. 

"His shot selection has improved a lot," Carlesimo said. "It's not where we want it to be yet, but we've given him the green light. He's someone we want to shoot and shoot confidently. But at the same time, he's still learning what's a good shot and what's not a good shot." 

DURANT, PART II 

Not everyone is quite as high on Durant as his coach. 

One NBA source in attendance said he thought the 6-9 swingman has been "somewhat overhyped." The source cited Durant's season statistics to support his point. 

"There are a lot of players in the league who could average 20 points if they were allowed to shoot 40 percent," the source said. "I would say about half the guys in the league could do it. If not half, then close to it. But not everyone has that type of freedom." 

The source went on to say that Durant "does have potential, and could still be a star." 

But? 

"But he has a lot further to go than a lot of people will admit," the source said. "There's no guarantee he'll be an All-Star one day. He needs to be more than a scorer. His defense and passing need a lot of work, and he needs to become a better decision maker."