LeBron James tallied 34 points and 13 assists in his first foray as point guard this season, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 119-112 win over the Chicago Bulls Tuesday night (Oct. 24). Before the game, Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue listed James as their point guard with Derrick Rose still out due to a sprained left ankle.
Kevin Love added a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds as the Cavaliers snapped a five-game losing streak to the Bulls. Jeff Green scored 16 points, while Jae Crowder, Dwyane Wade, and Kye Korver scored 11 points apiece for the Cavaliers, who improved to 3-1 this season.
In his first game back as a starter, J.R. Smith scored just three points on 1-of-8 shooting with four rebounds and four assists. Earlier, Wade asked Lue to play him off the bench after he struggled as a starter in their first three games. Tristan Thompson started at center, scoring five points and grabbing nine boards for the Cavaliers. Before the season, Lue named Love as the starting center, relegating Thompson to the bench.
Holiday paces Bulls with 25 points
Justin Holiday scored 25 points and rookie Lauri Markkanen added 19 to go with eight rebounds for the Bulls, who dropped to 0-3. Kay Felder and Denzel Valentine chipped in 13 points apiece off the bench, Jerian Grant had 12 points and 10 boards, while Robin Lopez and Paul Zipser added 11 points apiece for Chicago.
Felder was a former member of the Cavaliers who was traded to the Atlanta Hawks together with Richard Jefferson on October 14. After he was waived by the Hawks, the Bulls claimed Felder off waivers. It was a sorry loss for the Bulls, who led by as many as 14 points in the third quarter before the Cavaliers worked their way back, taking their first lead at the 8:50 mark of the third quarter on a layup by Thompson.
Cavs survived tough Bulls
The Cavaliers extended their lead to nine points, 84-75, on a three-point shot by Crowder with 6:32 remaining in the third, but the Bulls outscored them, 17-7, to take a 92-91 lead heading into the final quarter. Love opened the fourth with a three-point shot, putting the Cavaliers in the driver’s seat for good.
The three-pointer sparked the Cavaliers’ 17-4 run that gave them a 108-96 advantage with 8:37 left to play in the game. The Cavaliers were never threatened the rest of the way, as they cruised to their third win in four outings, bouncing back from a tough 114-93 loss to the Orlando Magic Saturday (Oct. 19).
