National Basketball Association
Cleveland 126, New York 94
When: 8:00 PM ET, Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
Officials:
#24 Mike Callahan, #20 Leroy Richardson, #58 Josh Tiven
Attendance:
19812
By The Sports Xchange
NEW YORK -- The Cleveland Cavaliers enjoyed recent success against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, but on Wednesday they took it to a new level.
Cleveland connected for a franchise record 22 three-pointers in its most lopsided win at the Garden, a 126-94 decision. It was the most trifectas the Knicks have ever allowed.
Cleveland (15-5) was 22 of 40 from 3-point range.
The Cavaliers have won six straight at the Garden and eight in a row overall against the Knicks.
During those eight straight wins, Cleveland's defense limited the Knicks to fewer than 90 points seven times.
Kyrie Irving continued his mastery over the Knicks at the Garden, scoring 28 points. The New Jersey native is averaging 28.4 points in six games at the Garden, his highest scoring average among all NBA arenas.
Irving was 4 of 6 from beyond the arc.
"I've loved this place since I was a kid sitting in the nose bleed seats," said Irving. "Every time I come out here I want to put on a show for the fans. I never take it for granted."
LeBron James added 25 points and Kevin Love contributed 21 points in the Cavaliers' second straight road win. Cleveland knocked off the Toronto Raptors 116-112 on Monday.
It was the sixth time this season and the 16th time since the 2014-15 season that Irving, James and Love all scored at least 20 points in a game.
Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson grabbed 20 rebounds for the second time in his career.
The loss cooled off the hottest team in the Eastern Conference, as New York (12-10) won nine of its previous 12 games. Brandon Jennings, filling in for the injured Derrick Rose (back spasms) scored 16 points, and Courtney Lee dropped in 15. Carmelo Anthony, who was double-teamed on numerous occasions, scored only eight points in 23 minutes.
"They (Cleveland) came out knowing we had played a game last night (in Miami)," explained Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek of his team's sluggish start. "They wanted to attack us and they did. We weren't able to stop it.
"We didn't have the same energy they did. We're not a big, strong team, so we have to rely on our quickness and we weren't able to do that."
Cleveland was 15 of 30 from long distance through the three quarters and led 92-65. Irving netted 11 points in the third quarter when Cleveland opened with an 8-0 run.
A 3-pointer from the right corner by Love and a dunk from James in transition put Cleveland up 68-48 with 10:11 left in the third.
James had his best scoring half this season, pouting in 19 points before the break for a 63-48 Cavaliers lead.
Love poured in 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting to help Cleveland to a 36-26 first-quarter advantage. It was the second most points he scored in a quarter this season.
"We were getting stops and we were able to get out in transition," said Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue. "We were able to get Kevin (Love) some open shots.
"When he gets off to a good start like he did tonight, our teams gets off to good starts."
NOTES: Cleveland G Kyrie Irving is three 3-pointers shy of reaching 600 for his career and F Kevin Love is four 3-pointers away from 800 for his career. ... Cleveland leads the East in three-pointers made (276). ... The Knicks are 0-5 this season in the second game of a back-to-back. ... The eight points from Knicks F Carmelo Anthony was the fewest in 33 matchups against LeBron James. .... Cleveland G J.R. Smith was out with a hyperextended knee. He is day-to-day. ... G Derrick Rose missed his first regular-season game with the Knicks because of back spasms. He was sent to get an MRI exam Wednesday night. ... F LeBron James went through with his threat to not stay with the Cavaliers at Trump SoHo on Tuesday night, instead staying at a nearby hotel. "I'm not trying to make a statement," James said. "It's just my personal preference. At the end of the day, I hope he's one of the best presidents ever, for all of our sakes -- my family, for all of us. It's just my personal preference." ... The Knicks embark on a five-game road trip starting Friday in Sacramento. ... Cleveland returns home for a three-game homestand that begins Friday against James' former team, the Miami Heat.
Top Game Performances
| Cleveland |
|
New York |
|
Kyrie Irving 28 |
Scoring |
Brandon Jennings 16 |
|
LeBron James 7 |
Assists |
Courtney Lee 5 |
|
Tristan Thompson 20 |
Rebounds |
Willy Hernangomez 7 |
|
LeBron James 10 |
Free Throws Made |
Willy Hernangomez 4 |
|
Kevin Love 2 |
Steals |
Courtney Lee 2 |
|
LeBron James 2 |
Blocks |
Kristaps Porzingis 2 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
| Cleveland
|
126 |
48.8 |
22-40 |
26-31 |
23 |
46 |
4 |
11 |
12 |
| New York
|
94 |
40.2 |
11-31 |
13-15 |
22 |
43 |
3 |
6 |
16 |
Upcoming Games
-
New York will play their next game on the road against Sacramento. The Knicks have a W/L % of .462 after a win and .667 after a loss.
-
Cleveland will play their next game at home against Miami. The Cavaliers have a W/L % of .786 after a win and .667 after a loss.
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