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Nothing changes for Cavaliers and Knicks on Opening Night

The season might have turned over, but the results looked much the same for the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks in their season-opening matchup on Tuesday night.

Same old LeBron James

James recorded a triple-double, the first player to do so in a season opener since Jason Kidd did it to begin the 2006-07 season. James ended with 14 assists and had more assists than the entire Knicks team combined (13) at the time he was substituted out at the 6:44 mark of the fourth quarter.

Remember that James also had a triple-double in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors. James and Magic Johnson (1982) are the only players in NBA history with a triple-double in the NBA Finals clincher and the following season's opener.

Same old Knicks

If you're wondering how Jeff Hornacek would change the Knicks' offensive strategy, the answer is not much after one game. The Knicks attempted 30 midrange field goals against the Cavaliers. As the Phoenix Suns' coach from the start of the 2013-14 season to Feb. 1, 2016, when he was fired, Hornacek's players attempted 30 midrange shots 10 times in 213 games (so about four times a season). In that same span, the Knicks had 74 games with at least 30 midrange shots.

The Knicks had 26 plays in which a player started and finished the possession without making a pass. On those plays, the Knicks scored 17 points on 33.3 percent shooting and committed four turnovers.

Juxtapose the efforts of the Cavaliers' and Knicks' two primary playmakers:

--James and Kyrie Irving combined to create 35 assist opportunities, 13 of which were uncontested. Of the Cavaliers' 13 uncontested shots off of their passes, eight of them came from inside the 3-point line, with five of them within one foot of the basket.

--Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose combined to create 10 assist opportunities. Of the three uncontested shots the Knicks took off of their passes, none was inside the 3-point line, meaning Anthony or Rose did not create a single uncontested close look.

Meanwhile, Kristaps Porzingis attempted two shots off of passes from Anthony and Rose -- one from each.