CLEVELAND: LeBron James had 25 points, nine rebounds and nine assists and the Cavaliers capped an eventful trade deadline day with a 106-95 victory Thursday against the short-handed Chicago Bulls.
James fell one rebound and one assist shy of his second triple-double in his last three games. Instead he settled for the Cavs’ first victory against the Bulls after dropping the previous two meetings this season. Kevin Love scored 15 points and grabbed 15 rebounds and Tristan Thompson had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Cavs. Kyrie Irving scored 19 points.
The Cavs acquired Channing Frye earlier in the day from the Orlando Magic in a three-team deal that also sent Jared Cunningham to the Magic and fan favorite Anderson Varejao, along with a protected 2018 first-round pick, to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Frye could be in Cleveland as early as Friday and is expected to join the Cavs in time for Sunday’s game at the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“We believe very strongly that we’ve added a player that’s a great fit for what we’re trying to do both on the court and off, both from a floor spacing standpoint, from a versatility defensively standpoint and frankly just in terms of knowing exactly what he needs to do and what his role is going to be,” Cavs General Manager David Griffin said.
The Cavs took advantage of a Bulls team that was without injured pieces Jimmy Butler, Joakim Noah and Nikola Mirotic. They also traded away guard Kirk Hinrich in a cost-cutting move.
The Cavs built a 17-point lead in the first half before giving most of it back. James’ soaring dunk off a lob from J.R. Smith pushed the lead back to 65-48 in the third quarter. James celebrated by dancing with the crowd, this time without retaliation. Noah, a longtime Cavs nemesis, made it clear in past years he is annoyed by James’ dancing.
Matthew Dellavedova had seven points in 16 minutes after missing the last five games with a hamstring injury, while Love showed no ill-effects after re-aggravating his surgically repaired shoulder in the Cavs’ final game before the All-Star break.
Frye’s acquisition was one of the few highlights on a somewhat quiet trade deadline day.
The Cavs’ closest competition in the East, the Toronto Raptors, stood idly by at Thursday’s trade deadline while the Cavs acquired Frye. Raptors General Manager Masai Ujiri told reporters he didn’t want to sacrifice the Raptors’ future for what was available at the trade deadline, but the Cavs clearly felt differently.
Cavs coach Tyronn Lue made it clear Thursday his priority is securing the top seed in the East. The Cavs’ lead over the Raptors is 3½ games following the win over the Bulls.
“We have great fans here, first of all, and I think we just play so good at home,” Lue said. “You never know in the playoffs — it can be a rough patch.”
He referenced the 2008 Boston Celtics, who didn’t win a road game in the postseason until the conference finals. They went on to win a championship.
“Having home court in the playoffs is very important because it’s a tough, intense time,” Lue said.
Jason Lloyd can be reached at jlloyd@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Cavs blog at www.ohio.com/cavs. Follow him on Twitter www.twitter.com/JasonLloydABJ.