Evgeny Kuznetsov

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LeBron James used to downplay winning division titles.

Not this time. Not after what these Cleveland Cavaliers have been through this season.

This one is worth appreciating.

”I’ve kind of like been a hypocrite of that because I’m always moving and trying to figure out how we can be better the next day or whatever the case Authentic Terrell Edmunds Jersey ,” James said. ”So it’s always hard for me to be like, OK, another division crown after everything that’s gone on with our team and our ballclub this year, but it’s a pretty cool thing.”

James had 26 points and 11 assists, Kevin Love scored 28 points, and the Cavaliers got their 50th win along with that Central Division title by beating the New York Knicks 123-109 on Monday night.

The Cavs reached 50 wins for the fourth time in four seasons since James returned from Miami and the 11th time in franchise history. James has won a record 10 straight division titles in Cleveland and Miami.

Cleveland pulled within a half-game of Philadelphia for the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference, bouncing back from its loss to the 76ers on Friday and winning for the sixth time in seven games.

A division title and 50 wins would have been considered shoo-ins for the Cavs before the season, but after injuries, trades and a leave of absence for coach Tyronn Lue, nothing seemed certain.

”It’s been it feels like a number of seasons within the season, but it’s also gone by pretty fast,” Love said. ”I know I was injured for a number of games, but it still feels like it was a little bit of a blur, so we got one more left at home and as we always say the real things starts.”

J.R. Smith and Jordan Clarkson added 16 points apiece for the Cavaliers Authentic Isaiah Oliver Jersey , who made 19 3-pointers and won for the ninth straight time at Madison Square Garden.

Wearing black sneakers that read ”I’m” on the left shoe and ”King” on the right, James also had six rebounds and a few of his usual powerful dunks, including one where he broke in with a head of speed and Michael Beasley appeared in position to stop him before seeking safety and running by him out of the way .

Beasley scored 20 points for the Knicks in their final home game of the season, which opened a home-and-home series. Rookie Frank Ntilikina added a career-high 17 and Courtney Lee also had 17.

”I feel like I’m getting better,” Ntilikina said. ”I’m feeling more comfortable.”

The Knicks remained without injured starters Tim Hardaway Jr. and Enes Kanter.

The Cavs led by only six with under 4 minutes left, but James found Love for a basket, then followed Clarkson’s two 3-pointers with one of his own to put away the game.

”They’re a great team, and when LeBron’s out there it makes it very difficult on guys. You can’t guard him one-on-one,” Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said. ”But, our guys didn’t quit, so it was good.”

TIP-INS

Cavaliers: Cleveland nearly had its whole roster available, but Rodney Hood was ruled out with a sore left Achilles tendon. Guards George Hill (sprained left ankle) and Jose Calderon (sore left hamstring) both returned. … James can play in 82 games for the first time in his career if he plays Wednesday instead of resting for the playoffs, and that’s the way he’s leaning. ”I’m healthy, so I’m playing Breeland Speaks Jersey Chiefs ,” he said.

Knicks: Hornacek said Hardaway and Kanter most likely wouldn’t play Wednesday, but didn’t rule it out. … Hardaway was called for a technical foul at the end of the first half.

MASTERS MAN

Masters champion Patrick Reed was seated courtside, wearing his green jacket. Love and actor Chris Rock were among those to greet him.

COURTING THE KING

James said Monday morning he hadn’t seen the billboard that went up near MSG urging him to play for the Knicks next season, though he was aware of it. Similar billboards had already gone up in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Portland and his hometown of Akron, Ohio.

”Same reaction as I had to every last one of them this year,” he said of the newest entry. ”I think it’s very humbling that cities and organizations want me to play for them, especially at this juncture of my career, so that’s it.”

UP NEXT

The Knicks will try to win in Cleveland for the second time this season, after a 114-95 victory on Oct. 29.

TAMPA, Fla. — Four games into the Eastern Conference final, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals are tied 2-2, but getting there hasn’t been anything as expected.

The road team has won all four games http://www.panthersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-ian-thomas-jersey , with Washington dominating its way to a 2-0 lead in Tampa, only to see the Lightning pull back even with two road wins themselves.

The Capitals are 7-1 on the road and 3-5 at home in the playoffs, so do the Lightning really have an advantage with two of the remaining three games at Amalie Arena?

“It seems like in this series, the pressure shifts on the home team,” said Lightning coach Jon Cooper, whose team is 5-1 on the road in the playoffs against the New Jersey Devils, Boston Bruins and Capitals. “The big, glaring 0-4 is staring at you. Home-ice advantage has been a disadvantage in this series. Having said that, I’d rather have Game 5 at home. I believe we’ll be a different team than we showed up in Games 1 and 2.”

In a battle of division winners, the Lightning are in the conference final for the third time in four years and the Capitals are here for the first time in 20 years.

Which will be the advantage to push one team to the Stanley Cup final?

Capitals forward Tom Wilson said the advantages of home ice are lessened in the playoffs, when both teams have ample energy and intensity because of what’s on the line.

“It doesn’t really matter this time of year, whether you’re home or away,” Wilson said after the Game 4 loss. “Every game is huge and the emotion is going to be there. Road, home Authentic Jaleel Scott Jersey , it doesn’t matter. We’re going to go after it and hopefully get the next one.”

Special teams have been at the center of Tampa Bay’s turnaround, as well as stellar play in net from Vezina Trophy finalist Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Lightning have gone 6 of 14 on their power play in the series, improving on the success rate for what was the NHL’s best power play in the regular season.

Even more impressively, Tampa Bay’s penalty kill, which ranked in the bottom five of the league in the regular season, went 7 of 7 on killing off Capitals power plays in the last two games. Three of those came in the final eight minutes of the first period Thursday night, as Tampa Bay held onto a 2-1 lead.

Steven Stamkos has dominated on the power play — six of his seven postseason goals and six of his nine postseason assists have come on that unit, matching Nikita Kucherov for the team scoring lead with 16 total points each.

Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alex Ovechkin both have 10 goals to pace the Capitals, who now have the confidence that comes with playing on the road.

Tampa Bay tied for the NHL lead with 25 road wins in the regular season, but it will need to win a home game to win this series. Overall in the playoffs, road teams are 40-34, on pace to challenge the NHL record for most postseason wins by a road team — 47 in 2012.

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