James had 29 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds in his 56th triple-double, but he missed two free-throws – the second intentionally – with the Cavaliers trailing by two with 7.6 seconds remaining. DeMarre Carroll then hit a free-throw and the Cavs’ long inbounds pass intended for James, went out of bounds.

Dinwiddie scored 22 points for the Nets, who blew a 14-point lead in the final quarter but recovered to improve to 3-2 – the same record as the defending Eastern Conference champion Cavaliers.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Allen Crabbe added 19 points apiece and Carroll scored 18 for the Nets, who fell just shy of becoming the first NBA team in 32 years to open a season with five straight 115-point games.

James appeared in his 772nd game with the Cavs, passing former teammate Zydrunas Ilgauskas for most in team history. But it turned into a frustrating night.

He started at point guard for the second straight night with Derrick Rose still nursing a sprained left ankle and Dwyane Wade joining him after bruising his left knee in Tuesday’s victory over Chicago.

He ran the offense fine but his long-range shooters couldn’t convert enough of his passes. Kevin Love finished 4-for-13 from the floor and JR Smith was 1-for-9, missing all five 3-point attempts.

The Nets led by 14 when Quincy Acy made a 3-pointer to open the scoring in the fourth, but James led the Cavs on a 13-0 run that gave them a 94-92 lead on Love’s 3-pointer. The teams traded narrow leads from there.

Russell, the Nets’ leading scorer, sat out after spraining his right knee in Tuesday’s loss at Orlando.

TIP-INS

Cavaliers: Lue said he hoped Rose could play Saturday at New Orleans … The Cavs had won the last four meetings.

Nets: The Nets are 3-0 at home for the first time since 2002/03 … The last team with five straight 115 games to open a season was the 1985/86 Pistons. The Nets came in leading the NBA with 123.5 points per game.

BRONX BOMBERS IN BROOKLYN

Aaron Judge, CC Sabathia and Dellin Betances of the New York Yankees watched from sideline seats.

UP NEXT

Cavaliers: Visit New Orleans on Saturday.

Nets: Visit New York on Friday.

By NBA News