Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao put up an impressive stat line in the Cavs' season opening 94-84 win over the Washington Wizards: nine points, 23 rebounds (12 of which were offensive rebounds), and nine assists. Not bad for a guy playing in his first real basketball game since February due to a broken wrist.
Varejao is known for his high energy style of play, and Tuesday night's performance was typical of that. Head coach Byron Scott asked his team to play with a lot of energy, so it was nothing new or different for Varejao:
"So I just tried to do my job," he said. "Be active. And it was one of those nights when you get one, two, three, and [rebounds] keep coming. It was fun."
Scott joked after the game that he asked the referees to extend the game by five minutes, so Varejao could pick up the triple double he just barely missed out on.
Only one other player since 1985 has had a game where they've pulled in 12 offensive rebounds and dished out nine assists. That player was Charles Barkley, and now Varejao joins him.
The Cavs play again on Friday night, when they host the Chicago Bulls.