Cavaliers can do no wrong in rout

CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James’ only action in the fourth quarter Monday night came on the bench during timeouts, when he played to the crowd and danced alongside his teammates.

If the New York Knicks were hoping to impress the Cavaliers superstar in their final meeting before he can become a free agent this summer, they flopped badly in Cleveland’s 124-93 victory.

The Knicks have gutted their roster over the last couple of years in hopes of being far enough under the salary cap to offer a pair of max contracts this summer, when James can lead an All-Star cast of free agents.

Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni was asked if all the losing, and the embarrassing beatings like the one sustained Monday, is worth it.

“I’ll tell you next year,” he said. “Right now it’s pretty frustrating for everybody, but it’s what we’re doing.”

James had 22 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and Cleveland used a 74-point first half to hammer the Knicks in their first game since learning Shaquille O’Neal will miss the rest of the regular season.

The Cavs didn’t need O’Neal — or James — to pummel New York. James sat the entire fourth quarter as Cleveland built a 49-point lead in the second half.

The 31-point margin of victory is the largest this season for Cleveland, which equaled a season high with its 74-point first half — set three weeks ago against the Knicks. The Cavaliers outrebounded New York 60-31 in winning their eighth straight in the series, allowing James to goof off and put J.J. Hickson in a headlock during a timeout in the fourth quarter.

Antawn Jamison had 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Anderson Varejao had 14 points and 10 boards. Hickson had 17 points and nine rebounds, and Delonte West scored 15 points as the Cavaliers exposed New York’s defensive inefficiencies.

James, who dismissed a question about joining the Knicks next season, was asked if he could play for a team that didn’t care about defense.

“I’m a winner. I just want to win,” he said. “I’ve yet to play for a team that doesn’t like defense, but that’s not about the team, it’s about individuals first. Individuals have to want the responsibility to guard the guy in front of them and then it makes it a lot easier as a team.”

Reserve Bill Walker scored a career-high 21 points for New York, Al Harrington had 18.