OKLAHOMA CITY -- It's not only just one game for the Cleveland Cavaliers anymore. They now have two to show as evidence that, yes, this is a whole new team with a whole new outlook on this season.

In an exhilarating back-and-forth with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Cavs leaned on red-hot perimeter shooting and plenty of brilliance from LeBron James -- 37 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists -- to outlast OKC 120-112 on Tuesday.

It's one of James' many remarkable traits that a roster halfway turned over just a week ago can show up and play cohesively, moving the ball to open players and generating connected offense. James is so adaptable, and carries a gravity that forces teammates to fit, that the Cavs can remodel their team on the fly, whereas it took the Thunder three months and 30 games to start to figure it out.

Cavs' moves paying off The Cavaliers are 3-0 and their offense is scoring almost 15 more points per 100 possessions since the trade deadline. Before Feb. 8 After Feb. 8 Off. efficiency 109.3 124.2 Def. efficiency 109.9 108.1 Net efficiency -0.6 +16.1

The Cavs closed it out with three players who weren't on their team a little more than a week ago, with James playing distributor and finding shooters after a spread pick-and-roll. Former Lakers Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson made significant impact, with Nance making a number of hustle plays, the biggest being a tip-out offensive rebound right to Clarkson for a dagger 3-pointer to put the Cavs up 11 with three minutes to go.

That's what the Cavs have now, a variety of options to close out games and for James to choose from and use. Coach Tyronn Lue talked before the game about needing a little time to sort through it all, but with James orchestrating, the adjustment comes far easier.

After the game, James praised the moves made by GM Koby Altman.

"I think Koby did a heck of a job of understanding what our team needed," James said. "It just wasn't working out for us. Obviously, you guys saw his quotes, but he made the changes that he felt best fit our team. Now it's on me to make sure that the new guys fit in as seamlessly as possible. That's my job. This is the third game in a row my voice is gone, so I'm just trying to have the communication at an all-time high for new guys and the rest of the guys."

The Cavs scorched the floor in the first half, hitting 10-of-19 from 3-point range, led by J.R. Smith who started 5-of-5 from deep. So much to unlocking the potential of these Cavs resides in James and the way he can elevate others, but it's also a more comfortable and content Smith. He always has been a temperature gauge for Cleveland, and when he heats up, he can boil quickly.