Cavaliers 107, 76ers 100
PHILADELPHIA -- Forward LeBron James generated 22 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds while becoming the youngest player in NBA history to surpass 25,000 career points as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Philadelphia 76ers 107-100 on Monday night.
The 30-year-old James, 20th on the all-time scoring list, needed 21 points at the beginning of the night to reach 25,000. He did so when he dunked on a lob from guard Matthew Dellavedova with 8:05 left in the game.
He departed soon after.
Guard Mo Williams added 21 points for Cleveland, which won its third straight to improve to 3-1. Forward Kevin Love had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Cavaliers, who trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half but outscored the Sixers 25-4 in a stretch beginning late in the second quarter and extending into the third.
Dellavedova had 12 points, nine assists and five rebounds for Cleveland, and guard/forward James Jones contributed 12 points.
Rookie center Jahlil Okafor scored 24 points to lead Philadelphia (0-3). Guard Nik Stauskas had 15 and forward Nerlens Noel chipped in 14 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots.
Noel exploded for 10 points in a 21-3 Philadelphia flurry at the end of the first quarter when the Sixers established a 32-18 lead. They would have had two more if Noel hadn't lost the ball on an uncontested breakaway.
Philadelphia went up by as many as 15 in the second quarter, when Okafor notched eight of his 14 first-half points. The rookie scored them in every way imaginable.
One time he posted up and scored over Love. Next he lost center Timofey Mozgov with a crossover dribble near the foul line and nailed a jumper.
James, however, scored three points and assisted on a pair of field goals in a 10-2 Cleveland rush at the end of the half, cutting Philadelphia's advantage to 54-49.
Williams scored 13 points in the half for Cleveland.
Noel notched 12 for the Sixers.
Cleveland then scored the first nine points of the second half, four of those by Williams, to take the lead for good.
The Cavs outscored the Sixers 33-18 in the third quarter to go up 82-72. Cleveland's cushion was as great as 18 points late in the game.
NOTES: Sixers F Robert Covington made his first start of the season on Monday after missing the first two games with a sprained right knee. ... The Cavaliers continue to be without G Kyrie Irving (knee surgery) and G Iman Shumpert (wrist surgery), though Irving accompanied the team to Philadelphia. ... Cleveland C Timofey Mozgov is bothered by knee soreness, though coach David Blatt said Mozgov had dropped some weight to take pressure off the knee. "I think he's feeling better," Blatt said, "and I think it shows in his play." ... F Dario Saric, drafted 12th overall by Orlando in 2014 and immediately traded to Philadelphia, told a Croatian publication he plans to play for the Sixers next season. "I'm in constant contact with the Sixers," Saric, who is in his second season with a team in Turkey, told Croatia's Jutarnji List. "They wanted me to come this summer, but I couldn't get out of the contract. Next summer I have a way out, and I'm gonna take it."