LEBRON JAMES scored 17 of his 32 points in the first quarter as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Charlotte Hornets 121-109 Saturday night.

    Kevin Love added 28 points and 10 rebounds for Cleveland, which played without Kyrie Irving after the point guard injured his right hamstring during Thursday’s 124-118 victory over Boston. Jordan McRae had 20 points and Kay Felder finished with 13.

    James was 6 for 7 from the field in the first quarter, including a perfect 3 for 3 from beyond the arc. Love scored 15 points in the second, helping Cleveland to a 71-59 lead at the break.

    Kemba Walker scored 37 points for the Hornets, who had won five of six. Frank Kaminsky added 15 points and Nicolas Batum finished with 13 points and eight assists.

    Meanwhile, James Harden made NBA history with a New Year’s Eve show for the ages.

    The Rockets’ All-Star guard tallied a career-high 53 points, 16 rebounds and 17 assists in a 129-122 home victory over the Knicks on Saturday, becoming the first player in league history to finish with a 50P/15R/15A stat line.

    Harden shot 14-26 from the field, 9-16 from deep and 16-18 from the foul line in 42 minutes of action. He eclipsed his previous career high of 51 points, set in an April 1, 2015, win over the Kings. Harden also tied his career high for assists and fell one shy of his career high for rebounds.

    “It feels good,” Harden told reporters. “But credit to my teammates for knocking down shots and creating that opportunity and space for me to score and to be who I am. ... I look at [the numbers] and it’s unbelievable. The season so far has been unbelievable.”

    In another game, Russell Westbrook had 17 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds for his NBA-best 16th triple-double of the season, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder over the depleted Los Angeles Clippers 114-88.

    Westbrook played just 28 minutes as Oklahoma City put away Los Angeles with a big first half. Enes Kanter had 23 points and eight rebounds, and Victor Oladipo added 15 points.

    The Clippers played without Chris Paul, who was sidelined by a hamstring injury, and Blake Griffin, who is recovering from right knee surgery. Brandon Bass and Marreese Speights each had 18 points, and Austin Rivers finished with 14 on 3-for-11 shooting.

    Oladipo and Kanter each had nine points in the first quarter as Oklahoma City jumped out to a 33-12 lead. Alex Abrines drilled a half-court shot at the halftime buzzer, giving the Thunder a 69-40 lead at the break. (SD-Agencies)