Adrian Fedkiw
The king dethroned the prince in the first showdown between LeBron James and rookie Ben Simmons.
And it wasn’t close.
James had 30 points, 13 rebounds and six assists while leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a rout of the Philadelphia 76ers 113-91 on Monday night at Wells Fargo Center. Simmons, meanwhile, turned the ball over four times and dished out just two assists before leaving in the fourth quarter with a right ankle screen.
Joel Embiid posted 16 of his 30 points in the third quarter where he led the Sixers on a 17-6 run to get them within 72-69 late in the frame. The Cavs, though, quickly bounced back and went on a 13-3 push of their own to go up 85-71 before going into the fourth with an 85-73 advantage. They led by as many as 29 in the fourth en route to the easy win.
Joel Embiid had 16 points in the 3rd quarter! pic.twitter.com/ZvLvlzmhgO
— The Bitter Birds (@AdrianFedkiw) November 28, 2017
Simmons, who has turned to James for career advice in the offseason, was defended well by Jae Crowder all night and was limited to 10 points.
Simmons with the putback dunk pic.twitter.com/mbmYen6bUW
— The Bitter Birds (@AdrianFedkiw) November 28, 2017
Philadelphia stunk it up from beyond the arc, making just three of their 28 attempts. Robert Covington was 0-for-9 from deep for the Sixers, who had won 5-of-6 games coming in.
James netted the Cavaliers’ first nine points and poured 22 in the opening half, lifting Cleveland to a 53-45 cushion at the break. The Cavs have won eight straight. James did take the time earlier in the day to give Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz a shoutout and acknowledge him as one of his favorite players.