CLEVELAND — LeBron James had his 43rd career triple-double, Kyrie Irving scored 29 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who raised their championship banner before the game, beat the New York Knicks 117-88 night in the NBA opener Tuesday night.
James scored 19 points, and added 11 rebounds and 14 assists.
James continued his perfect record on ring nights. He was 2-0 when the Miami Heat players were presented with their championship rings.
Irving scored 19 points in the third quarter, when Cleveland used a 20-4 run to take a 74-53 lead. Kevin Love scored 23 for the Cavaliers.
Carmelo Anthony led New York with 19 points. Derrick Rose had 17.
Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert was taken to the locker room late in the third quarter with concussion-like symptoms after colliding with Kristaps Porzingis.
Cleveland’s players, coaching staff and front-office personnel also received their championship rings in the pregame ceremony.
The Knicks, who missed the playoffs the last three seasons, are expecting major improvement after acquiring Rose from Chicago to run the offense and signing center Joakim Noah, who was scoreless in 21 minutes.
New York played its first game under new coach Jeff Hornacek.
NOTES
CHRIS HANSEN, who is an investor, and the group he leads that’s looking to bring the NBA back to Seattle, have offered to pay for a new arena with private funds.
Hansen’s group acknowledges a changed landscape and is offering to rip up a memorandum of understanding from 2012 that called for up to $200 million in public investment in the arena.
MAGIC: Bismack Biyombo, the center who is the team’s prize free agent signee this summer, was suspended by the NBA without pay for Wednesday night’s opener against Miami because he exceeded the flagrant foul limit during last season’s playoffs with Toronto.
Biyombo was assessed a flagrant foul in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals against Cleveland, putting him over the limit with four flagrant foul points for the playoffs.
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