[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’Ky, Love return as LeBron, Cavaliers dominate Nets’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”][/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=’#0a0a0a’]
Sunday, January 8, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=’#0a0a0a’]
NEW YORK – Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love were rusty and Kyle Korver is still not a Cavalier, so LeBron James needed to play a heavy role on Friday. As usual, he was up to the task.
James scored 36 points, carrying Cleveland while Irving and Love had slow starts in their return to the lineup in a 116-108 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
Irving added 32 points and Love had 17 points and 13 rebounds, but both shot poorly early as the Nets kept it competitive for 1 1/2 quarters. James helped the Cavs open a comfortable lead by halftime they enjoyed most of the rest of the way in the opener of a six-game trip.
”Ky was a little rusty coming off a couple of games out and obviously Kev as well,” James said, ”so I was just trying to see if I could push the tempo, get us into a good flow, get some early buckets in the second quarter and I was able to push the lead to a double-digit lead by halftime. So it worked well for us.”
The Cavs were still working to finalize a trade with Atlanta to acquire Korver, which will add a premier perimeter shooter to their second unit.
”Every shooter that comes here we tell them LeBron’s statement: If a guy’s not in your numbers, then you’re open,” Irving said. ”So I know he’ll pretty much enjoy that.”
Love missed a loss to Chicago on Wednesday and was limited in the previous game after suffering from food poisoning on New Year’s Day. Irving had sat out the last three with right hamstring tightness.
Irving started 1 for 8 and Love was 1 for 7 as the Nets, who trailed by 46 during their loss at Cleveland on Dec. 23, led with under five minutes remaining in the second quarter. But James had 10 points in the final 3:09 as Cleveland took a 50-39 lead.
Love then had 10 points in the Cavs’ 36-point third quarter and Irving heated up late as Cleveland broke it open again after the Nets trimmed a 24-point deficit to six in the fourth quarter. (AP)
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
