Kyrie Irving scored 25 points and dished seven assists as his Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Charlotte Bobcats in a Monday afternoon matinee in North Carolina. The two teams met as part of eight early games the NBA put on as a tribute on the day celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King.
Cleveland nearly gave the game away as the Bobcats led 94-93 in the final minutes, but Anderson Varejao came up in the clutch before free-throws from Kyrie Irving and Daniel Gibson sealed the deal as the Cavs finished the game on a 9-0 run.
Irving's 25 points, the second-highest total the rookie's scored in his brief NBA career, came on 9-of-16 shooting from the field. His seven assists tied a career high as well, but it was his backup off the bench that led the Cavs in assists on Monday. Ramon Sessions played less than 22 minutes, but dished nine assists to counteract his four-point performance as a catalyst off the bench.
The Bobcats were led by point guard play, too, as D.J. Augustin scored 24 points and dished eight assists to his Charlotte teammates. Rookie Kemba Walker didn't give him much help in the backcourt, however, as Irving's rookie-classmate missed 15 shots on his way to 14 points in the loss.
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