Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James (23) shoots over Orlando Magic’s Aaron Gordon.
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James had 15 points and 13 assists and joined Robertson as the only players in league history to rank in the top 25 in career points and assists.
“I said what I had to say, the guys responded and we got a win”, James said.
James’s 6,395 assists place him at No. 25 ahead of Norm Nixon.
James reached the milestone with 5:00 left in the second quarter. “That’s what makes him a great player”, Walker said.
It was a good night all round for the Eastern Conference-leading Cavs, who never looked back after Love’s 27 first-half points. He needs six points to pass Reggie Miller for 18th all-time. He was pitted against Kobe as the best players of their time, framed as an heir to Jordan, and his multi-faceted skill set has inevitably drawn comparisons to Robertson, who was a triple-double machine in his prime, just as James is a threat on any given night.
“If you are a true basketball fan and you know the history of the game, there is no way he can ever be lost”, James said.
Cavs coach David Blatt was not aware James matched Robertson. James however had full praise for his teammates and coaches and said that it would not have been possible without their help and the credit for it goes to Cavaliers and Miami Heats. “That’s an awesome, unbelievable accomplishment”.
In other results, Kevin Durant (30) and Russell Westbrook (27) combined for 57 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder accounted for the Brooklyn Nets 110-99. He got off to a quick start with 10 points in the post in the first quarter.
Goran Dragic had 13 points and nine assists for the Heat, which went on a 36-8 run in the first half.
Richard Jefferson scored 13 points and Tristan Thompson grabbed 12 rebounds, both off the bench, while Timofey Mozgov had eight points and three rebounds in his return after missing a week with a strained shoulder. LeBron had 19 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 blocks, while Love had 25 points and 11 rebounds.
The Warriors had six players in double-digits for points, including MVP Steph Curry – who had a team-high 19 at the Oracle Arena. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 17 points, and Khris Middleton scored 16.
Kemba Walker starred with 39 points, 21 of those coming in the fourth quarter, as the Charlotte Hornets prevailed 127-122 against the Sacramento Kings in overtime.
Kevin Love had a double-double at halftime for the Cavs and finished with 18 points and 16 rebounds despite sitting out the fourth quarter.
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Kristaps Porzingis had 24 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocked shots to lead the New York Knicks to a 107-102 victory over the slumping Houston Rockets on Saturday night.
