James poised to past Olajuwon when Cavs meet Sixers

LeBron James is poised to pass another milestone when the Cleveland Cavaliers visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night.

James, who scored a season-high 30 points in a 128-122 victory over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night, needs two points to surpass Hakeem Olajuwon's total of 26,946 and vault into 10th place on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

"It's always humbling when you're able to put yourself in any category with guys that laid the path for you and the rest of us," James told reporters after the Boston game.

James led Cleveland to its first NBA championship last season and has the Cavaliers off to a 5-0 start, their best since they won their first eight games in 1976-77.

He turns 32 on Dec. 30 and is in his 14th season but is playing as well as ever, averaging 22.4 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. He is not the Cavs' leading scorer, however. Kyrie Irving is averaging 26 points, which if maintained would be a career high.

Kevin Love is chipping in 22 points per game, his best clip in his three seasons with Cleveland, and is doing more damage in the paint than previously. According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, 44.9 percent of Love's shot attempts came from 3-point range last season. This year that average is down to 33.3.

Because Love is working inside, he is getting to the foul line more often. He has nailed 37 of 41 free throws to date, including 12 of 13 against Boston. He averaged 4.1 free throws attempts last season.

Love scored a season-high 26 points against Boston, and Irving finished with 23. Six Cavaliers cracked double figures in all.

"This is the best I've seen the Cavs play in November," Boston coach Brad Stevens told Cleveland.com. "From what I've seen ... they're way ahead of where they were the last two years."

The Sixers are 0-4, having lost 109-93 Wednesday in Charlotte while giving rookie center Joel Embiid a night off. Philadelphia lost its first 18 games last season and its first 17 the year before, and dropped 41 straight games in October/November, dating back to an overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Nov. 22, 2013.

Embiid, who missed his first two seasons while recovering from a pair of foot surgeries, is averaging a team-best 17.3 points. The club is limiting him to 24 minutes a night as a precaution.

Veteran forward Ersan Ilyasova, acquired Tuesday from Oklahoma City for Jerami Grant, scored 14 against the Hornets. Sergio Rodriguez is also averaging 12 points and 7.5 assists while filling in at point guard for Jerryd Bayless, who is out with a wrist injury.

The only other Sixer scoring in double figures is rookie forward Dario Saric (11.3). Forward Robert Covington (12.9 the past two seasons) is down to four per game on 19.2-percent shooting.

"You just keep shooting," Covington told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "That's what you do. ... Do I get discouraged about it? No. I just continue to play, and when the time comes the shots are going to fall."

Philadelphia is also without Nerlens Noel, who recently had knee surgery, and No. 1 overall draft pick Ben Simmons, who is out until at least January following foot surgery.