James scores 25 to lead Cavs over Hornets again, 95-90

Posted November 27, 2015 6:00 am

By STEVE REED

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James, right, drives against Charlotte Hornets forward P.J. Hairston in the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Nov. 27, 2015, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond) The Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - LeBron James had 25 points and 13 rebounds, extending his personal run of dominance against the Charlotte Hornets by leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 95-90 victory Friday night.

James' teams have won 23 straight games against franchises based in Charlotte - both the Hornets and Bobcats. He played in all but two of those.

Kevin Love had a double-double at halftime and finished with 18 points and 16 rebounds as the Cavaliers snapped Charlotte's seven-game home winning streak and improved to 4-4 on the road.

Richard Jefferson added 13 points and Tristan Thompson pulled down 12 rebounds for the Cavaliers.

Kemba Walker had 18 points and Nicolas Batum added 17 points and eight rebounds to lead Charlotte, which fell to 4-1 on its seven-game homestand.

The last time James lost to a Charlotte team was Feb. 19, 2010, during his first stint with the Cavaliers.

With Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton sitting courtside in a Larry Johnson jersey, the Hornets led most of the way and took a 76-72 advantage into the fourth quarter.

But the Cavaliers rallied to take an 87-86 lead with a little more than 6 minutes to play behind a 3-pointer and a driving layup by Matthew Dellavedova.

J.R. Smith extended the lead to four on a 3 from the right wing.

But the Hornets weren't done.

Jeremy Lamb cut the lead to 92-90 with a minute remaining on a 20-foot jumper. James missed a jumper from the top of the key with 38 seconds left, giving the Hornets a shot to tie or take the lead.

Batum missed a contested 3-pointer from the top of the key with 20 seconds left.

Smith was fouled intentionally and added two free throws with 12.9 seconds remaining to make it a two-possession game. Batum missed another 3 with 9.2 seconds left and the Cavs put the game away.

The Hornets struggled in the fourth quarter, shooting 7 of 24 from the field.

TIP-INS

Cavaliers: Timofey Mozgov returned to the starting lineup after missing the past three games with a strained right shoulder. He had eight points in 17 minutes. ... Dellavedova also returned after missing a game with tightness in his left calf and had seven points.

Hornets: Charlotte was 8 of 25 from 3-point range and committed 16 turnovers.

UP NEXT

The Cavaliers host Brooklyn on Saturday night.

The Hornets host Milwaukee on Sunday.

Charlotte Hornets guard Kemba Walker (15) drives to the basket between Cleveland Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov, left, and forward Kevin Love in the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Nov. 27, 2015, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond) The Associated Press

Cleveland Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov, of Russia, dunks against the Charlotte Hornets in the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Nov. 27, 2015, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond) The Associated Press

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