CLEVELAND (Ohio) • Channing Frye scored five of Cleveland's 14 three-pointers as the Cavaliers broke a National Basketball Association (NBA) three-point shooting record in a 100-93 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.
He fired up the champions by coming off the bench to score 20 points as Cleveland became the first team to make at least 10 three-pointers in their first nine games - surpassing the Houston Rockets' eight in 2014-15.
LeBron James put the game out of reach with a clutch three in the final minute that extended the lead to nine for the Cavaliers (8-1) and sent the Hornets (6-3) to their second consecutive defeat. He finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and eight assists in front of a crowd of 20,500 at Quicken Loans Arena.
Kyrie Irving added 19 points while Kevin Love scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Iman Shumpert matched his season high with 15 points off the bench.
Cleveland trailed 71-72 entering the fourth quarter, but Shumpert and Frye made three-pointers to give the hosts the lead.
Frye made his second trey of the quarter to extend the lead to 89-80 with 5min 43sec to play and then had a mid-range jumper to push the lead into double figures. He ended up with 11 points in the quarter.
Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue said: "When the bench guys came in, we were down 71-72 and they built the lead up and were playing great. I was determined to let them finish."
Charlotte coach Steve Clifford was also impressed, saying: "Shumpert shot the ball well, which you're going to have to live with.
"But Frye can't get those shots if you're going to win. He's a professional scorer and has been for a long time. LeBron kept looking for him, and we didn't react."
Charlotte's Kemba Walker stretched his streak of scoring at least 20 points in a game to eight as he finished with 21. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist returned from a strained back to score 11 points and grab 10 rebounds.
In Oakland, Klay Thompson saved nine of his season-high 30 points for a late run as the Golden State Warriors survived to beat the Phoenix Suns 133-120.
Stephen Curry matched Thompson's point total and Kevin Durant added 29.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
