National Basketball Association
Cleveland 107, Philadelphia 100
When: 7:00 PM ET, Monday, November 2, 2015
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Officials:
#24 Mike Callahan, #39 Tyler Ford, #45 Brian Forte
Attendance:
18094
By The Sports Xchange
PHILADELPHIA -- After becoming the youngest player in NBA history to surpass 25,000 career points on Monday night, Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James sat in the visitors' locker room in the Wells Fargo Center with his feet in an ice bucket, an ice bag on each knee and another ice bag on his back.
No matter the aches and pains, the 13-year pro makes it look easy.
James, needing 21 points at the start of the game against the Philadelphia 76ers to reach 25,000, scored 22 while collecting 11 assists and nine rebounds in Cleveland's 107-100 victory.
He surpassed the milestone when he dunked a lob from guard Matthew Dellavedova with 8:07 left, and he left the game for good shortly after that. At 30 years and 307 days, James surpassed Kobe Bryant (31 years, 351 days) as the youngest to achieve the milestone.
Cavaliers coach David Blatt called it an "extremely important, extremely impressive" mark.
"To be the youngest player in the history of the game to score 25,000 points -- particularly when you're every bit the passer that you are the scorer -- is just a testament to his greatness," Blatt said.
James, who is 20th on the all-time scoring list, could not immediately put the mark in perspective.
"It's pretty cool," he said. "I haven't had an opportunity to categorize the list of things I've done."
James did say that it was great to reach the mark in a victory while playing with a group of teammates he enjoys -- and, he added, "in a building that loves the game of basketball."
The Philadelphia fans accorded James with a standing ovation during a timeout with 7:45 left, when an announcement was made about his achievement.
"Obviously, they're Sixer fans to death, but they know and they respect the game of basketball," he said. "To get a standing ovation reaching that milestone, it was very special."
James said the mark was a tribute to playing with "two great organizations" -- i.e., the Miami Heat as well as Cleveland -- and having great teammates and coaches around him. The No. 1 thing, he said, was, "I've been able to stay healthy, relative, in my career."
Then he knocked on a wooden bench. The ice bags were still on his knees. And his feet were still in the bucket.
Guard Mo Williams added 21 points for Cleveland, which won its third straight to improve to 3-1. Forward Kevin Love had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Cavaliers, who trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half but outscored the Sixers 25-4 in a stretch beginning late in the second quarter and extending into the third.
Dellavedova had 12 points, nine assists and five rebounds for Cleveland, and guard/forward James Jones contributed 12 points.
Rookie center Jahlil Okafor scored 24 points to lead Philadelphia (0-3). Guard Nik Stauskas had 15, and forward Nerlens Noel chipped in with 14 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots.
Philadelphia rookie point guard T.J. McConnell also contributed 12 assists in 23 minutes off the bench.
Sixers coach Brett Brown was, of course, asked about James afterward, and he talked not so much about James' scoring as his leadership and intellect.
"He sees stuff," Brown said. "He's telling us about an assist before he even passes it. ... It's just the whole package he brings to the table. He's very, very unusual and very unique."
Noel exploded for 10 points in a 21-3 Philadelphia flurry at the end of the first quarter when the Sixers established a 32-18 lead. He would have had two more if he hadn't lost the ball on an uncontested breakaway.
Philadelphia went up by as many as 15 in the second quarter, when Okafor notched eight of his 14 first-half points. The rookie scored them in every way imaginable. One time, he posted up and scored over Love. On another occasion, he lost center Timofey Mozgov with a crossover dribble near the foul line and nailed a jumper.
James, however, scored three points and assisted on a pair of field goals in a 10-2 Cleveland rush at the end of the half, cutting Philadelphia's advantage to 54-49.
Cleveland then scored the first nine points of the second half, four of those by Williams, to take the lead for good.
The Cavs outscored the Sixers 33-18 in the third quarter to go up 82-72. Cleveland's cushion was as great as 18 points late in the game.
"We got jumped by a great team in the third period," Brown said.
NOTES: Cleveland G J.R. Smith left the game in the first quarter with a bruised right knee and did not return. ... Sixers F Robert Covington made his first start of the season after missing the first two games with a sprained right knee, but he scored just four points while shooting 1-for-9 from the floor. ... The Cavaliers continue to be without G Kyrie Irving (knee surgery) and G Iman Shumpert (wrist surgery), though Irving accompanied the team to Philadelphia. ... Cleveland C Timofey Mozgov is bothered by knee soreness, though coach David Blatt said Mozgov dropped some weight to take pressure off the knee. "I think he's feeling better," Blatt said, "and I think it shows in his play." ... F Dario Saric, drafted 12th overall by Orlando in 2014 and immediately traded to Philadelphia, told a Croatian publication he plans to play for the Sixers next season. "I'm in constant contact with the Sixers," Saric, who is in his second season with a team in Turkey, told Croatia's Jutarnji List.
Top Game Performances
Cleveland |
|
Philadelphia |
LeBron James 22 |
Scoring |
Jahlil Okafor 24 |
LeBron James 11 |
Assists |
T.J. McConnell 12 |
LeBron James 9 |
Rebounds |
Nerlens Noel 8 |
LeBron James 4 |
Free Throws Made |
Hollis Thompson 5 |
LeBron James 4 |
Steals |
Robert Covington 2 |
Timofey Mozgov 4 |
Blocks |
Nerlens Noel 3 |
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
Cleveland
|
107 |
51.9 |
8-22 |
15-20 |
28 |
43 |
9 |
5 |
16 |
Philadelphia
|
100 |
44.7 |
7-24 |
17-23 |
22 |
37 |
5 |
7 |
14 |
Upcoming Games
-
Philadelphia will play their next game on the road against Milwaukee. The 76ers have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.
-
Cleveland will play their next game at home against New York. The Cavaliers have a W/L % of .667 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.