Cavs hold on for victory over Knicks

Korver scores 19 of his 21 in pivotal fourth quarter after Knicks led by 23 in third

NEW YORK » LeBron James had 23 points and 12 assists, Kyle Korver scored 19 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter to spark a huge comeback and the Cavaliers beat the Knicks, 104-101.

James also had a technical foul after a first-quarter altercation with Frank Ntilikina and Enes Kanter, which seemed to charge up the Knicks as they built what became a 23-point lead late in the third quarter.

But the Cavaliers made nine 3-pointers in the fourth after hitting just seven through three quarters, charging back for their eighth straight victory at Madison Square Garden.

Tim Hardaway Jr. had 28 points and 10 rebounds, and Kanter added 20 points and 16 boards. But Kristaps Porzingis shot only 7 for 21 while scoring 20 points as the Knicks blew their chance to beat the Cavs for the second time this season.

New York led by 15 after three but the Cavs surrounded James with plenty of perimeter shooting and the Knicks couldn’t contain them.

THE SCORE

CAVALIERS 104, KNICKS 101

Cleveland tied it on Channing Frye’s 3 with 2:15 to go before James made it 100-97 with another 1:23 left.

The game was just two days after James, following a victory in Dallas, said Mavericks rookie Dennis Smith Jr. should be a Knick. The Knicks passed on Smith in the draft, taking Ntilikina one spot earlier at No. 8.

James said he meant it as a shot at former president Phil Jackson, and he was angry that he thought Kanter overreacted in his defense of Ntilikina.

James dunked and then wouldn’t move out of the way as Ntilikina tried to take the ball back to the baseline to throw it in. Ntilikina pushed James, who then exchanged words with Kanter after he ran in. James shoved Kanter, and both were given technical fouls.

The Knicks got hot after that, hitting the Cavs with a 15-0 burst early in the second to open a 47-31 lead.

The Cavs cut it to six early in the third quarter, but Kanter fueled a 13-2 response that extended the lead to 17 before Tyronn Lue called time and yanked all five players off the floor.

ANDRES KUDACKI — ASSOCIATED PRESS LeBron James drives to the basket against the Knicks’ Kristaps Porzingis during the first half Nov. 13 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

ANDRES KUDACKI — ASSOCIATED PRESS LeBron James complains to the referee during the first half against the Knicks on Nov. 13 at Madison Square Garden in