James joined “The Big O” as the only players to rank in the NBA’s all-time top 25 in points and assists, helping the shorthanded Cavaliers defeat the Orlando Magic 117-103 Monday night at sold-out Quicken Loans Arena.
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LeBron achieved the feat when he assisted Kevin Love for a 3-pointer towards the end of the second quarter which was the 6,387 assist of his career putting him ahead of Norm Nixon.
James entered the game 21 points behind Reggie Miller (25,279) for 18th on the career scoring list.
Tony Parker had 20 points and eight assists and Danny Green added 18 points on 4-for-9 shooting on 3-pointers for San Antonio, which is off to an 11-3 start.
But just as Magic fans began dreaming of an upset, the Cavaliers clicked into gear with Love pouring on the points as Cleveland took a grip on the contest. He came up with six boards and six points in the final quarter.
James joined Oscar Robinson as the only other player in National Basketball Association history to be in the top 25 in career points and assists.
“That gives me chills to even hear that”, he said. “That’s an incredible, awesome accomplishment”.
Drake was courtside (with his mom), his hits blared from the Air Canada Centre speaker, and the crowd was rocking. “All the credit and respect to him for that”.
It’s no surprise James is losing his patience with the side-by-side comparisons, which detract from the best part of his game: That it’s happening live in front of our eyes.
“Every time there’s a young great player everybody talks about Michael, but to me he’s always been more like a Magic (Johnson) or an Oscar-type player because of his vision”, Skiles said. Mary’s High School, LeBron has been projected to be one of the sport’s great players of all time.
James finally finished with 15 points and six rebounds, as well as 13 assists while guard J.R. Smith chipped in with 26 points, his highest tally of the season.
It marked a welcome return to normality for James, who was forced to apologize to teammates on Saturday after bizarrely storming off the court during the Cavaliers victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
Love scored 27 in the first half – 17 in a row in one stretch for the Cavs, who made 18 three-pointers and improved to 8-0 at home.
Durant was 10 for 13 from the field in his first game since he got hurt November 10 at Washington.
“It’s just like he never left”, Thunder guard Russell Westbrook added. The former Miami Heat star went on to say, “It comes from within”. With a new contract in hand and a key role on a championship contender, the hard work has been well worth it. Meanwhile, the Hornets are second in the Southeast Division behind the Miami Heat only by half a game.
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November 19 v Milwaukee: Posted 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists in a 115-100 win over the Bucks. I think we’ve gotten greedy, but a good greedy. “It’s unacceptable. It’s embarrassing”. The Cavaliers will try to make it an 8-0 start when they host the Orlando Magic on Monday.
