Los Angeles: LeBron James conjured a double-double and a defensive masterclass as the Cleveland Cavaliers notched a 10th straight win on Thursday while Kyrie Irving got Boston back in the groove with a 36-point display.

Two days after being tossed out of a game for the first time in his career, James scored 24 points with 12 assists in a 121-114 win over Atlanta.

The Cavs’ 10th victory in a row saw them improve to 15-7 in the Eastern Conference standings, their early season woes an increasingly distant memory.

James was backed by Kevin Love, who also had a double-double with 25 points and 16 rebounds.

But it was James’ defensive display in subduing the threat of Atlanta’s Dennis Schroder which dominated the post-game discussion.

Schroder finished with 27 points, which included a burst of scoring that took the Hawks into a 67-58 lead in the first half.

James however stepped up to halt Schroder’s flow of points, enabling the Cavaliers to regain the lead at 99-90 heading into the final quarter.

“I take a lot of pride in my defensive abilities no matter if I’m guarding a point guard, a power forward, a center or a small forward. I take the challenge,” James said.

In Boston, meanwhile, James’ former Cavs team-mate Irving once again came to the Celtics’ rescue with a dazzling display of scoring to overpower the Philadelphia 76ers.

Irving’s 36-point haul at the TD Garden had the Boston crowd chanting “M-V-P” in appreciation of another standout showing.

The victory at the TD Garden saw Boston move to 19-4 to tighten their grip at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.

The Sixers meanwhile fell to 12-9 after the defeat, with Croatian power forward Dario Saric leading their scoring with 18 points.

In Denver, the Nuggets needed a driving layup from Will Barton with 3.2 seconds left on the clock to snatch a 111-110 victory over the Chicago Bulls. In Los Angeles, the Clippers’ woes continued with a blowout 126-107 defeat against the Utah Jazz.

Agence France-Presse