LeBron James recorded his first triple-double of the season to give the Cleveland Cavaliers their first home win this season, while Derrick Rose provided the much-needed spark for the Chicago Bulls.
James bounced back from his lackluster performance during their home-opener as he posted 32 points to go along with 12 rebounds and 10 assists to lead the Cavaliers to a 118-111 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.
The four-time Most Valuable Player, who posted on Twitter before the game that he owes one to Cleveland fans after a lackluster performance in their first home game, felt sigh of relief after backing up his words with his impressive performance on Monday night.
"It worked out. It's good when you put something out there and it comes true," James said via ESPN. "I owed them one, and many more as well. Tonight we took care of business."
Kyrie Irving also had a big night for the Cavaliers as he finished with 32 points to go along with nine assists and five rebounds, while All-Star forward Kevin Love added 22 points and five rebounds with six three-pointers in the game.
On the other hand, Anthony Davis led the Pelicans with 27 points and 14 rebounds to go along with four steals and four blocks, but he admitted after the game that their poor team defense led to the loss.
"I love playing against LeBron and the Cavs. They're a tough team," Davis said. "They have three players who can score the ball at will. We broke down defensively. They scored 118 points. We can't allow teams to do that."
Meanwhile, Derrick Rose made his return from a two-game layoff to help the Chicago Bulls escape with a 102-91 win over the Detroit Pistons at United Center.
Rose, who was slowed down by sprained ankles since the opening week of the season, scored 24 points and dished out seven assists for the Bulls.
Pau Gasol racked up 17 points and 15 rebounds to go along with four assists and four blocks, while Joakim Noah posted 13 points, 14 rebounds and six assists for the Bulls, who improved to 6-2 this season.
Watch the highlights of both games below.
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