James triple-double fuels Cavs
Cleveland star LeBron James tied Larry Bird for sixth all time in NBA triple-doubles Dec 14 as the Cavaliers beat the Los Angeles Lakers 121-112.
“King” James scored 25 points with 12 rebounds and 12 assists for the 59th triple-double of his 15-season career, and spoke afterwards of Bird’s legacy.
“He’s one of the greatest players to ever play the game,” James said of the former Boston Celtics great. “He played until he couldn’t play no more.
“And for young guys that don’t know him, they think of Larry Bird as a jump shooter. But he was so much more than that. He was a passer. He averaged double-digit rebounds. He defended. He took charges.”
Cleveland’s Kevin Love led all scorers with 28 points and Jose Calderon added 17 for the Cavs, who scored 100 points for the 22nd consecutive game and won for the 16th time in 17 contests.
The Dallas Mavericks proved no match for the under-manned Golden State Warriors, who pulled away in the second half for a 112-97 victory in Oakland, California.
The reigning NBA champion Warriors, still without star Stephen Curry and also missing starters Draymond Green and Zaza Pachulia, notched their eighth straight win.
Kevin Durant equaled his season-high with 36 points and pulled down 11 rebounds.
