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WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- LeBron James had his 43rd career triple-double as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the New York Knicks 117-88 on Tuesday night in the NBA 2016-2017 season opener.
NBA Finals MVP James and his teammates received their championship rings in a ceremony before the game, raising Cleveland's first champion banner in 52 years.
James scored 19 points and added 11 rebounds and 14 assists. Kevin Love finished with 23 points for the Cavaliers.
Kyrie Irving, who grabbed a game-high 29 points, scored 19 points in the third quarter. He made three of his four 3-point tries in the third as Cleveland surged for a 20-4 run to take a 74-53 lead, putting the game far beyond reach.
Carmelo Anthony led New York with 19 points and Derrick Rose added 17 points.
