On a day that saw LeBron James pass Hakeem Olajuwon for 10th on NBA’s all-time scoring list, the Cleveland Cavaliers struggled to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 102-101 on the road.
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That score line was of no fault to James, who scored 25 points with 14 assists and eight rebounds. But after leading 34-19 after the first quarter, the Cavs lost each of the next three quarters.
In addition to James, Kevin Love also nabbed a double-double with 20 and 11 rebounds. Proving he has put last season’s postseason struggles behind him, Love now has three double-doubles in six games this season.
Joel Embiid did his best to produce the upset. He scored 22 points with six rebounds as he continues to impress in his defacto rookie season. Newly acquired power forward Ersan Ilyasova also helped the 76ers with 21 points off the bench.
Yet, in the end, the Cavs remained undefeated and Philadelphia remained winless when Iman Shumpert stole the ball from Gerald Henderson with 1.2 seconds left on the clock. It appeared as though a foul could have been called, but Henderson knew it wasn’t going to happen.
Studs of the night
Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond provided another example as to why he’s the best rebounder in the NBA during Saturday’s 103-86 win against the Denver Nuggets. Drummond scored 19 points while hauling in 20 boards. He now has three 20-rebound games this season. The rest of the NBA only has one (DeAndre Jordan).
Despite losing 112-97 to the Atlanta Hawks, James Harden continued to put up massive numbers. Already nearly averaging a triple-double this season, Harden scored 32 points with 12 assists and nine rebounds. Harden, quite frankly, just doesn’t have the support he needs to help the Rockets win consistently.
Dud of the night
Dwyane Wade played 22 minutes in the Chicago Bulls’ 111-94 loss against the Indiana Pacers and he registered just four points on 1-of-9 shooting. Wade, who scored 35 points with 10 rebounds Friday against the Knicks, failed to repeat his dominance, and the Bulls have now lost three straight. [/restrict]