CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James recorded his 48th career triple-double and Kyrie Irving scored 23 points, leading the Cavaliers to a 119-104 victory over the New York Knicks, who hung on to superstar Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose at Thursday’s trade deadline.
James scored 18 points and had 13 rebounds with 15 assists for his sixth triple-double of the season.
Anthony, the subject of trade rumors because of a strained relationship with Knicks President of Basketball Operations Phil Jackson, scored 20 points, going 9 of 25 from the field.
Kyle Korver scored 20 points for Cleveland, which is 8-1 in February and has beaten New York 10 straight times.
Courtney Lee had 25 points for New York, which has lost six of seven and is 12th in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
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Charles Oakley, still at odds with the Knicks, watched his former team in his hometown Thursday night, sitting sat next to Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert.
The former power forward attended his first Knicks game since being arrested after getting into an altercation with security guards at Madison Square Garden earlier this month.
Oakley has a strained relationship with Knicks owner James Dolan, who banned the former player a few days following the incident. Dolan lifted the ban after meeting with Oakley and NBA commissioner Adam Silver. Oakley has yet to accept the invitation and hasn’t returned to the Garden.
Oakley became a fan favorite when he played for the Knicks from 1988 to 1998, but has had a falling out with the organization in recent years. He attended the Knicks game against the Los Angeles Clippers on February 8th and sat a few rows from Dolan.
Security guards approached Oakley early in the game and an incident ensued. Oakley was restrained after pushing a security guard before being removed from the building and handcuffed.
Cavaliers star LeBron James has come out in support of Oakley. The four-time MVP finished a recent postgame interview with reporters saying, “Charles Oakley for president.”
Oakley, who attended high school in Cleveland, tweeted his plans of returning to his hometown Thursday morning.