Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images(CLEVELAND) — LeBron James’ first game back in Cleveland as a member of the Cavaliers didn’t have a fairy tale ending.
Carmelo Anthony scored a game-high 25 points to help the New York Knicks beat the Cavaliers 95-90 Thursday night, ruining James’ homecoming.
With 2:58 left in the game, the Cavaliers went on a 8-2 run to cut the Knicks’ lead to three. But Anthony’s jumper with 25.9 seconds to play made the score 92-87, ultimately sealing the deal for New York.
James finished the game with 17 points on 5-for-15 shooting while also grabbing five rebounds and dishing out four assists. Kevin Love had a team-high 19 points and 14 rebounds in his first game as a Cavalier.
James, who left the Cavaliers for Miami in the summer of 2010, re-signed with his home-state squad this summer. Since then, the team has acquired a multitude of new faces including Kevin Love, Mike Miller, and Shawn Marion.
Before the game, thousands of fans gathered in downtown Cleveland to celebrate King James’ return. There was a free concert featuring Kendrick Lamar and Imagine Dragons in a parking lot across from Quicken Loans Arena.
Tickets for the game were selling for more than $10,000 a pop on the secondary market and celebrities such as a Michael Strahan, David Beckham, and Justin Bieber all attended.
James will now have to wait until Nov. 10, when New Orleans comes to town, to get another chance for his first win in Cleveland this season.
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