Love, James help Cavs hold off upstart Lakers
59th career tripledouble from LeBron
CLEVELAND — Lonzo Ball got an up-close look at the biggest baller of them all.
LeBron James recorded his 59th career triple-double in front of Ball and his brothers, Kevin Love scored 28 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers won for the 16th time in 17 games, 121112 over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.
James finished with 25 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists to move into a tie with Larry Bird for sixth place on the career triple-doubles list. James also put the Lakers away in the final minutes with a dunk and short runner, leading Cleveland to its 10th straight home win.
For Ball, his first on-court encounter with James was eye-opening.
“Watching him doesn’t do him justice,” Ball said. “He has that size, that speed. I’d say he’s the best player in the world right now.”
James, who has been complimentary of the 20-year-old Ball in the past, met with the Lakers highly touted rookie on the floor following the game. As cameras recorded the moment, James and Ball, whose allaround games and backgrounds are very similar, covered their mouths so the world couldn’t listen in on their conversation.
James said he was humbled to learn the former UCLA star patterned his game after him. James has become a fan of Ball’s game.
“It’s always team,” James said when asked what he admires most about Ball. “He passes the ball. Pushes the ball up the floor. Someone you want to play with. This is a team game. Everyone gets so caught up in this whole individual thing and it’s, the whole team game gets overlooked, but then, I’m not going to go there.”
Love scored 13 in the third quarter, when the Cavs opened an 11-point lead. Jose Calderon added a season-high 17 points for Cleveland.
Brandon Ingram scored 26 for the Lakers and Ball had 13 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.
The first game between James and Ball had the buildup of a playoff game as the world’s best player matched up against a budding star.
Ball’s father, LaVar, did not attend the game but his brothers, LiAngelo and LaMelo, sat behind L.A’s bench. LaVar Ball launched his “Big Baller Brand” to promote his three talented sons. James gave the family a lesson in the business of basketball.
KNICKS 111, NETS 104: In New York, Courtney Lee scored 18 of his 27 points in the second half, and Michael Beasley added 15 as New York held on to beat Brooklyn after losing star forward Kristaps Porzingis to a sore left knee early in the second half.
Porzingis motioned to the bench with 9:25 remaining in the third quarter after contesting a shot made by Brooklyn’s Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.
WARRIORS 112, MAVERICKS 97: In Oakland, Calif., Kevin Durant scored 36 points and Klay Thompson added 25 as Golden State pulled away from Dallas to win its eighth straight game.
Omri Casspi added 17 points for the Warriors, who again played without the injured Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
PISTONS 105, HAWKS 91: In Atlanta, Andre Drummond had 12 points, 19 rebounds and a career-high nine assists, and Tobias Harris added 19 points as Detroit snapped a sevengame slide with a victory over Atlanta.
KINGS 119, TIMBERWOLVES 96: In Minneapolis, Karl-Anthony Towns had 30 points and 14 rebounds in his league-leading 23rd double-double, Jimmy Butler added 21 points and nine assists as Minnesota cruised past Sacramento.