James and Korver fly high against Hawks
LEBRON James had a tripledouble and Kyle Korver scored a season-high 30 points, including four straight three-pointers to close the third period, as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Atlanta Hawks 123-107 yesterday for a successful start to their reboot.
One day after unloading six players, including guards Isaiah Thomas and Dwyane Wade, in three trades, the Cavaliers were in a state of transition.
They had only nine available players against the Hawks, but Korver more than made up for a short bench.
Korver, a former Hawks fan favorite, made seven of 13 from three-point range and finished two points from matching his career high of 32. James had 22 points, 17 assists and 12 rebounds. Jeff Green, also coming off the bench, had 24 points.
Newcomers George Hill, Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr and Rodney Hood joined the Cavs, but remained in the locker room during the game. They are expected to make their debuts with Cleveland tomorrow in Boston.
Meanwhile, Dwyane Wade returned with a quiet game, but sparked the fans, as team-mates Hassan Whiteside and Tyler Johnson led the way when Miami snapped a five-game losing streak and capped a celebratory night against the Milwaukee Bucks. GETTY IMAGES
Wade came off the bench to score three points, with two assists, one rebound, a key late block, and four turnovers in 22min in his first game since being acquired in a trade from Cleveland.
Wade played 13 seasons and won three NBA championships with the Heat, before leaving in 2016 as a free agent to Chicago.
Johnson scored 19 points and Whiteside scored 12 and had 16 rebounds. Bam Adebayo added 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a game-high 23 points to lead the Bucks, who lost for just the second time in nine games under interim head coach Joe Prunty. - AP