That's bad news for any opponent, which the Charlotte Hornets discovered in Cleveland's 97-88 win.
James scored 27 points with 13 assists while Love added 22 points and 18 rebounds in a game highlighted by big runs from both teams.
The Cavaliers jumped to a 21-0 lead, but the Hornets regrouped and got within two points early in the third quarter before Cleveland pulled away.
In information provided by the Cavaliers from Elias Sports Bureau, the 21-0 lead to start a game is the largest to start a game since Portland scored the first 22 points against Boston in 2004.
"Being 21 down against an elite team on their floor is tough to overcome," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. "We played a good enough offensive game to win against a terrific team, but our first-quarter defense was obviously poor."
Charlotte got the deficit into single digits in the second quarter and trailed 59-57 early in the third, but Cleveland ended the third on a 21-9 run.
"We had a lull in the second quarter and in the third quarter, which really allowed them to get back in the game, but we sustained the effort for close to 48 minutes," James said.
While James displayed his noted passing ability, he was the recipient of two length-of-the-court passes from Love for dunks that brought the crowd to its feet.
No comments:
Post a Comment