James, Irving power Cavs vs Magic

CLEVELAND – LeBron James scored 23 points, Kyrie Irving added 20 and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Orlando Magic for the 15th straight time, 105-99, in the NBA on Saturday night.

Kevin Love scored 19 points to help the NBA champion Cavaliers improve to 3-0. They haven’t lost to the Magic since Nov. 23, 2012 in Orlando.

Evan Fournier scored 22 points for Orlando. The Magic cut a 22-point deficit to three at 88-85 with 4 minutes to play, but J.R. Smith hit three 3-pointers and scored 11 in the fourth quarter.

Smith made 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions and Cleveland forced a shot-clock violation. James followed with a pair of baskets, including a left-handed finish at the rim.

Serge Ibaka converted a three-point play and hit a free throw, cutting the lead to 98-95 with 45 seconds left, but Smith’s 3-pointer from the corner pushed the lead to six.

Ibaka scored 19 points for Orlando. The Magic are 0-3.

James put together a personal highlight reel in the first half when Cleveland built a 54-32 lead. He converted a four-point play in the second quarter, hitting a three-pointer while being fouled in front of Cleveland’s bench with the shot clock winding down, before making the free throw.

James drove past Fournier and dunked over Nikola Vucevic despite getting hit in the face in the first quarter. He also motored down the late for a dunk at the first-half buzzer.

In New York, Joakim Noah pulled a hood over his head, covering a large bandage that hid an injury to his left ear.

No matter how bad his ear was, he definitely heard the fans chanting his name Saturday night.

“Game 1 at the Garden, stitched up, wouldn’t have it any other way,” Noah said.

Noah and fellow newcomers Derrick Rose and Courtney Lee all had impressive moments in their first home games at Madison Square Garden, and the New York Knicks used a fast start and strong finish to beat the Memphis Grizzlies, 111-104.

Kristaps Porzingis scored 21 points and Carmelo Anthony had 20, including the three-point play that sparked the decisive spurt.

In other results, Atlanta trounced Philadelphia, 104-72; Boston held off Charlotte, 104-98; Chicago ripped Indiana, 118-101; Milwaukee edged Brooklyn, 110-108; San Antonio routed New Orleans 98-79; Portland nipped Denver, 115-113; and Sacramento repulsed Minnesota, 106-103.

Back in New York, Rose had a couple of crossovers and quick bursts into the lane that showed his legs looked healthy and scored 13 points. Noah finished with six points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, and Lee scored 16 points.