Cavaliers rock Knicks 118-82

CLEVELAND(AP) If this keeps up, LeBron James will never leave home.James
scored 21 points and then grabbed an early seat on the bench as the
Cleveland Cavaliers improved to 10-0 on their own floor for the first
time in their history and won for the 14th time in 15 games, 118-82
over the tired and tired-looking New York Knicks on Wednesday night.Wearing
replica wine-and-gold uniforms from their 1970 expansion season, when
they played at dingy Cleveland Arena, the Cavaliers built a 42-point
lead in the second half and breezed to their sixth straight blowout
win. They also remained the Eastern Conference's only unbeaten team at
home.Cleveland opened 9-0 at home in both the 1976-77 and
1991-92 seasons at Richfield Coliseum, their home before moving to Gund
Arena, now called Quicken Loans Arena.Despite their tremendous start, James and his teammates are keeping things in perspective."We're
going to stay humble, and play every game like its our last,'' said
James, who answered the latest round of New York-centric questions
about his free-agent future before the game.The 36-point margin of victory was Cleveland's largest in 171 games against the Knicks.The
Cavs, who have won their last nine games by at least 11 points,
improved to 15-3 and continued the best start they've ever had. Right
now, it doesn't matter where they play."They're really good
everywhere,'' Knicks first-year coach Mike D'Antoni said before his
team was rocked by Cleveland for the second time in a week.Mo
Williams added 16 points, Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 14 points and 10
rebounds, and none of Cleveland's starters played more than 28 minutes.Al
Harrington scored 20 points, Anthony Roberson had 19 and David Lee 16
with 16 rebounds for the short-handed Knicks, who made 28 turnovers one
night after losing at home to Portland."This is the thing you
run into when you run into a good team without any gas in your tank and
it showed,'' said D'Antoni, who hasn't had a full complement of players
because of trades and injuries. "Things just unraveled.''The
Cavs were so efficient, James didn't even play in the fourth quarter.
He was pulled with 2:33 left in the third quarter but still managed six
assists, five rebounds, five steals and made 10 of 10 free throws
before kicking back and cheering on Cleveland's backups, who manhandled
New York, too.The Knicks, eyeing James as a free agent in two
years, must be wishing they could jump in a time machine and transport
themselves to 2010. Along with injuries and the circus surrounding
guard Stephon Marbury's dismissal from the team, New York played the
second half without starting guard Quentin Richardson.Late in the first half, Richardson was slapped with two quick technicals and ejected by referee Rodney Mott.Somewhere, assuming he was watching, Marbury must have smiled at seeing Richardson get tossed.After
all, it was Richardson who had criticized Marbury after a recent game
in Detroit, when with Marbury in street clothes, the Knicks were forced
to play short-handed. "I don't look at him as a teammate because
teammates don't do that,'' Richardson said."I think everyone was frustrated,'' D'Antoni said. "I think you get frustrated when you're tired.''The only moment of concern for the Cavs came in the third quarter when James was pulled down by Harrington on a breakaway.Streaking
through the lane, James was about to take off for a dunk when
Harrington wrapped him up and sent him sprawling awkwardly to the
floor. Harrington was assessed a flagrant-1 foul and James, after
watching a video replay on the scoreboard, made both free throws to
give the Cavs a 67-35 lead."If you don't foul him like that,
he'll go right through you and lay it up,'' Harrington said. "Me and
LeBron are good friends. He knows I wasn't trying to hurt him. I just
didn't want to get one of those highlight dunks, you know what I'm
saying? I had to stop that.''Following the game, several of the Cavs lingered in the shower area, savoring another easy win. Team chemistry is soaring."It's
at an all-time high,'' James said. "No one puts themselves before the
team and the feel is really good right now. But it's early. We don't
want to get too high on ourselves right now.''Notes: Cleveland
hosts Indiana on Friday. ... The Knicks are in a stretch where they
will play seven of eight on the road. ... The Cavs' previous biggest
win over New York was by 25 on Jan. 8, 2005. ... D'Antoni hopes G Nate
Robinson (strained groin) will be able to play Friday in Atlanta.
Robinson has missed the last four games. Knicks F Jared Jeffries, who
has missed the entire season because of a broken left fibula, could
also return to face the Hawks. ... Knicks G Cuttino Mobley, acquired
from the Clippers on Nov. 21, will see another specialist for
additional tests on the heart condition that has kept him sidelined
since the trade, D'Antoni said.