Cavaliers Beat Ben Simmons, 76ers Behind LeBron James Triple-Double

The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 105-98 Saturday night at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland behind LeBron James' third triple-double of the season.

LeBron registered 30 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists in the win, while rookie sensation Ben Simmons finished with 14 points, 10 assists and six rebounds for the Sixers.

Philadelphia was without center Joel Embiid due to rest, while Kevin Love missed the contest for Cleveland with hip soreness.

James made just nine of his 23 attempts from the field, but he was 10-of-12 from the line and was at his best late in the contest.

He scored or assisted on the Cavs' final 22 points, and he helped them overcome a five-point deficit in the final frame.

James' biggest contribution came with 3:45 remaining when he used a perfect bounce pass to find an open Kyle Korver for three to put Cleveland on top for good at 97-96, as seen in this video courtesy of the Cavaliers' official Twitter account:

Cleveland's 13-game winning streak was snapped Friday night in a 106-102 loss to the Indiana Pacers, but the Cavs began a new one by outlasting Philly.

FS1's Nick Wright pointed out how impressive LeBron's performance was Saturday, considering it was the second half of a back-to-back:

While King James reigned supreme, Cleveland's biggest advantage may have come from the bench. It outscored Philadelphia's reserves by a healthy 48-27 margin, as Dwyane Wade, Jeff Green and Korver netted 13 points apiece.

JJ Redick and Robert Covington were the Sixers' co-leading scorers with 19 points, while Dario Saric added 17. Trevor Booker scored 12 in his first appearance since being acquired from the Brooklyn Nets in a deal for center Jahlil Okafor.

Simmons was only fourth on the team in scoring Saturday, but he made several highlight-reel plays that served as a reminder why he is one of the NBA's fastest-rising stars.

The first came early in the opening quarter when he barreled down the lane for an emphatic flush, via the Sixers' official Twitter account:

"

.@BenSimmon25 rolls in, throws down and we're underway! pic.twitter.com/o0YseiT1oj

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 10, 2017"

Simmons' dunking onslaught continued in the second half with a huge, one-handed slam after he easily slipped past Jae Crowder:

His best play, however, came in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter with the 76ers leading even without Embiid. Simmons used a slick spin move to get to the paint before he jammed the ball home to increase Philadelphia's lead to 96-91:

The Sixers couldn't overcome LeBron's one-man show down the stretch, and Simmons fell to 0-2 in his career against James.

Lost in the battle between LeBron and Simmons was a major career accomplishment for Cavs sharpshooter JR Smith.

Although Smith finished with only seven points, he surpassed Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant for 12th on the all-time three-pointers-made list with this trifecta in the second quarter, as the Cavs' Twitter account showed:

Overall, Cleveland continued its hot shooting from downtown by making 14 of its 29 attempts, which translated to a 48.3 percent clip. That gave the Cavs a big advantage over Philly, which made 11 of 33 attempts (33 percent).

The Cavaliers improved to 19-8, while the Sixers fell to 13-12. The teams sit second and eighth in the Eastern Conference, respectively.

Cleveland will look to continue its tear against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, while the 76ers will try to get back on track Sunday against the New Orleans Pelicans.