CLEVELAND — Kyrie Irving returned from a shoulder injury to score 18 points, LeBron James scored 27 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers hammered the Boston Celtics 110-79 on Tuesday night.
James, a forward, moved past guard Ray Allen and into 21st place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, while guard Irving looked sharp after missing the last two games.
The Celtics began the night averaging 108 points in their previous six games, but entered the fourth quarter Tuesday with 53 points and shooting 33 percent before they made a run when the Cavs cleared the bench.
The Cavaliers lost their previous two games, but buried the Celtics with a 29-16 first quarter and kept piling on the rest of the night, carrying a 42-point lead into the fourth.
Forward Brandon Bass had 15 points and five rebounds and guard Isaiah Thomas scored 11 points off the bench for the Celtics (23-35), who remain in contention for the final two playoff spots in the East.
Celtics coach Brad Stevens explained the separation between the two teams prior to the game.
“What the Cavs did was really solidify their role,” he said. “We’re in the process of finding who our main guys are, but they did a great job of figuring out who they wanted around LeBron, Kyrie and (Kevin) Love. They fixed whatever they needed to fix. (Timofey) Mozgov is a great pickup. J.R. Smith is playing great. He’s playing the best since I’ve been in the league. (Iman) Shumpert is a guy who can change the game defensively. We’re still in the midst of figuring out where to put guys and how to play guys.”
Love missed the morning shoot-around because he was ill, but still had 12 points and eight rebounds in 24 minutes. All five starters scored in double figures and none appeared in the fourth quarter.
James now has 24,508 points for his career, while Allen finished with 24,505. James moved past Allen Iverson on the scoring list last week and also became the most prolific passing forward in NBA history, moving past Scottie Pippen on the all-time assists list among forwards. Next up for James is Patrick Ewing’s 24,815 career points.
NOTES: G Kyrie Irving said his left shoulder injury was different from the sprained shoulder he suffered two years ago that knocked him out for a couple of weeks. This was classified as a strain and that was called a sprain. … Since Jan. 7, their first game since acquiring G J.R. Smith and G Iman Shumpert, the Cavs rank second in the league in 3-point attempts. … Despite losing 80 percent of their opening-night lineup to trades or season-ending injuries, the Celtics began the night just 1 1/2 games out of the final playoff spot in the East. “We’re just going to keep fighting, scratching and clawing,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. “I don’t know how it’ll all play itself out ,but that’s what we have to do and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Hornets 104, Lakers 103
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Center Al Jefferson had 21 points and 16 rebounds, and guard Mo Williams and forward Cody Zeller also had double-doubles as the Charlotte Hornets beat the Los Angeles Lakers 104-103 Tuesday night.
Williams finished with 20 points and 13 assists, and Zeller had 10 points and 11 rebounds as the Hornets (25-33) won their second straight and won for the third time in their last four games.
The Hornets led by as many as 11 in the second half but didn’t take the lead for good until guard Gerald Henderson’s 3-pointer with 4:45 remaining made it 89-86 Charlotte. The Hornets then led by as many as six down the stretch, with Williams hitting a clutch 3-pointer and five free throws in the final minute.
Williams’ two free throws with 9.0 seconds remaining made it 103-98 and put the game out of reach. The Lakers eventually cut the final margin to one on guard Jeremy Lin’s 3-pointer at the final buzzer.
Henderson also finished with 21 points for the Hornets, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scored 12.
The Lakers (16-43) had won three of their previous four.
Lin came off the bench to lead the Lakers with 23 points. Guard Jordan Clarkson scored 19, forward Carlos Boozer had 15 points and 11 rebounds, and forward Jordan Hill and guard Wesley Johnson scored 10 each.
The Lakers led 30-27 after one quarter, and the game was tied 50-50 at halftime. Charlotte led 74-70 after three quarters. Charlotte’s biggest lead came at 66-55.