James scored 21 points to go with 10 assists and 10 rebounds for his first triple-double of the season, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 120-100 victory over the Sacramento Kings at Cleveland.
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Cleveland Cavaliers’ Kyrie Irving (right) tries to outmaneuver the tight-guarding Darren Collison of the Sacramento Kings during their National Basketball Association match Monday in Cleveland.
After a two-game skid at the end of last week, the Cavaliers got back on track with a 99-84 win over the New Orleans Pelicans at Quicken Loans Arena Saturday night, and they extended that success into Monday’s game against the Kings (21-31). The adjustment period Cleveland is undertaking to adapt to Tyronn Lue’s new offensive system has had some road bumps but you wouldn’t tell it from their performance against the Kings.
“I hope he gets in foul trouble”, Karl said. He sat out the fourth quarter thanks to the big lead.
Cavs forward Kevin Love, back from a one-game absence with a bruised thigh, scored 11 points and surpassed 9,000 for his career in the first half.
That never happened on this night, which is why the outcome of what Love called “an ugly game” was never in any serious doubt.
Over the last few games, not all of those things have gone the way the Cavs have wanted to, and the result was an offense that needed to break out of a mini-slump. To do it in three quarters was even more impressive. “I know it’s very hard to play in one of the biggest games of your life and come out on the wrong side of it and then have to automatically answer questions”, James said.
76ERS 103, NETS 98: Jahlil Okafor had 22 points and 17 rebounds and Nerlens Noel added 18 points, including a key dunk late in the fourth quarter, to lead the 76ers to a victory over the Nets. Today, I think, was a good day for us.
Norris Cole scored a career-high 26 points while Anthony Davis scored 24 points with 11 rebounds for New Orleans, which has lost four straight. Irving was 13 of 21 from the field and J.R. Smith hit six 3-pointers, finishing with 22 points. Lue said his status is game-to-game…. Irving has been listening, totaling 61 points in the Cavs’ last two games.
“We need to be overkilled”, James said.
3-Point Goals-Sacramento 9-23 (Gay 4-6, Casspi 2-5, Collison 1-2, Belinelli 1-3, Rondo 1-4, Anderson 0-1, Curry 0-1, Cousins 0-1), Cleveland 16-35 (Smith 6-13, Irving 5-8, Jefferson 2-4, Love 2-6, James 1-2, Williams 0-1, Cunningham 0-1). “I don’t have any control over what other people are thinking or saying”, Karl told reporters before Sunday’s 128-119 loss at Boston. Point guard Rajon Rondo had seven points on 1-for-8 shooting, eight rebounds and a not-nearly-as-good-as-it-looks-on-paper 16 assists. “Wow, is he playing great”, Karl said.
Thaddeus Young scored 20 points, Markel Brown added a career-high 19 and Johnson finished with 12 points and eight assists for Brooklyn.
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Orlando scored the first six points of overtime, including a jumper by Vucevic, who also had 13 rebounds.
