CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Cavaliers' matchup with the Toronto Raptors could already have some history in the making, as LeBron James dished out eight assists in the first quarter of his team's highly touted contest.
James eight assists puts him on track to challenge the NBA' single-game assists record, which was set when Orlando Magic guard Scott Skiles handed out 30 helpers in a 1990 game against the Denver Nuggets.
James' helping hand played a large part in a first quarter that featured no shortage of offense between the Cavs and the first-place Raptors. With 3:08 remaining in the quarter, the two teams had combined to make 26 of 32 shot attempts, with the Cavs ultimately taking a 42-38 lead into the second stanza.
Missing five rotation players in Kyle Korver, Rodney Hood, Larry Nance Jr., Tristan Thompson and Cedi Osman, the Cavs could use all the help they can get against the Eastern Conference's top team. As is often the case, James is doing his part -- and then some -- following his 40-point triple-double in the Cavs' win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night.
In addition to his 8 early assists, James added 9 first-quarter points, while Kevin Love has provided 10 points for the Cavs.
For all the latest from Quicken Loans Arena -- including James' unexpected pursuit of history -- on Wednesday, keep it locked on our live blog and join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #3Cavs.
