The New York Knicks scored a 95-90 victory against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday at Quicken Loans Arena in LeBron James' first game since deciding to return to the Cavs during the offseason.
The atmosphere inside the arena was comparable to a finals match, but the Knicks spoiled the party as they denied James and the Cavs a victory in their season opener despite being considered as a heavy underdog going into the match.
Carmelo Anthony scored 25 points on 9-for-17 shooting from the field to go along with six assists, while Iman Shumpert and Jason Smith added 12 points apiece for the Knicks, who had a slow start in the game.
The Cavaliers raced to an early lead in the opening period that ended with them on top by 18 points, but the Knicks found their rhythm from the second period, taking advantage of the 19 turnovers of the star-studded Cavs squad, who looked like a team that is still learning to play together.
With the win, the Knicks successfully bounced back from their lackluster performance during the season opener where they absorbed a 104-80 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
James, who decided to leave the Miami Heat and return to the team that picked him first overall in the 2003 NBA Draft, struggled in his first game back in Cleveland, finishing with just 17 points and committed eight turnovers.
"I was throwing passes where I thought some of my teammates were," James said after the game via ESPN. "Those things will come."
Kevin Love had a double-double performance with 19 points and 14 rebounds, while Kyrie Irving ended up with 22 points and seven assists, but the All-Star point guard took blame for the loss after the game.
"It starts with me and my patience in the half court and the full court," Irving said. "There were some plays that we were running, just what I see out there and exploiting mismatches and trying to do the best I can on making this team go."
The Cavaliers, who are considered as one of the favorites to win the title this season, will look to bounce back when they collide with the Chicago Bulls on Friday.
