Champs roll over reeling Brooklyn

CLEVELAND — The Nets’ run through the gauntlet of champions went about as expected.

LeBron James scored 19 points, Kevin Love added 14 points and 15 rebounds, and Cleveland rolled past the Nets, 119-99 on Friday night.

Cleveland, which has won four straight and nine of 10, hosts Golden State on Sunday in a rematch of the last two NBA Finals. The defending champion Cavaliers (22-6) never trailed against the Nets and built a 46-point lead in the third quarter.

The lopsided margin gave the Cavaliers a chance to rest their stars heading into Sunday’s showdown.

James, Love and Kyrie Irving, who had 13 points and 10 assists, were all removed with 3:57 remaining in the third quarter and Cleveland leading 90-48.

“There will definitely be high emotions in both locker rooms,” Irving said. “That’s a given.

Tristan Thompson, who had 16 points and 11 rebounds, was also taken out late in the third.

Love returned after missing two games because of a bruised left knee.

Brook Lopez scored 16 points for the Nets, whose first possession of the game ended when Justin Hamilton’s pass sailed into the third row of the seats. They have lost five straight, including games on back-to-back nights against the Warriors and Cavaliers.

The Cavaliers will face the Warriors without starting guard J.R. Smith, who could be sidelined until the end of the regular season following surgery Friday for a broken right thumb.

Mike Dunleavy scored a seasonhigh 14 points for Cleveland. Spencer Dinwiddie scored 13 points while Sean Kilpatrick added 12 for the Nets, who are 1-14 on the road and have lost 11 straight away from home.

“They came out and jumped on us immediately,” Lopez said. “We seemed a bit timid and tentative, and they’re a team that definitely feeds off that.”