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LEBRON JAMES LEADS FOURTH QUARTER COMBACK
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March 2, 2009
- LeBron James watched Dwyane Wade steal the ball, drive for a reverse dunk that gave the Miami Heat an 11-point
lead in the fourth quarter, and summoned Mo Williams for a quick meeting. "It's up to us,'' James told Williams.
With that, the comeback got started. James scored 42 points, Williams got 15 of his 30 points in the final 7:14 to
lead a stirring rally, and the Cleveland Cavaliers dominated the final minutes to beat the Heat 107-100 on Monday
night. "It was tough. It was tough,'' James said. "It's probably one of the better wins we've had this year, man.''
A historic win, too. The Cavs are now 47-12 - 35 games over .500 for the first time in franchise history.
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Jermaine O'Neal scored 16 points, Mario Chalmers added 15 and Moon had 11 for Miami, which shot 2-for-17
with four turnovers in the final 6:52 to waste what was a 91-80 lead. Not to mention wasting the second
straight 40-plus scoring effort by Wade, who pulled off that feat for the second time in his career. It
was also the second time James and Wade have each had 40-plus in a game: James had 47 and Wade 44 on April
1, 2006, when Cleveland won at home over Miami 106-99. "We don't want each other to have bragging rights,''
said James, who got his second win in 11 tries at Miami. "We definitely go at it when we play each other.''
Cleveland was 11-for-17 from 3-point range - James was 6-for-7 - while Miami was a mere 5-for-18. - NBA.com
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LEBRON JAMES PHOTOS
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CAVALIERS VS. HEAT
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While the Cavaliers were 12-4 without West, his presence was missed on both ends of the floor. "He's a multitalened
player who can do a lot of things,'' James said. "We missed having him.'' Cleveland built the lead to 36 in the third
quarter. James, who was able to sit out the fourth quarter, added nine assists and five rebounds. He also recorded a
resounding block of Iverson's layup attempt in the third quarter. - NBA.com
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LEBRON JAMES AND WEST EXHAUST PISTONS
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February 22, 2009
- It's not often someone other than LeBron James gets top billing in a victory by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Delonte West
provided a rare exception Sunday night. "Was Delonte injured?'' joked James, who had 20 points in 31 minutes after scoring
55 Friday night against Milwaukee. "Wow. He played like he was never out. It was great to have him back out there.''
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The Cavaliers, who trailed only at 2-0, had three big runs in the first half, the first two coming less than 15 minutes in.
Leading 9-8 early in the first quarter, Cleveland went on a 15-0 run, sparked by two 3-pointers by West and five points by
James, pushing the lead to 16. The Cavaliers added a 12-0 spurt early in the second quarter, building the lead to 43-19.
That burst featured two 3-pointers from Mo Williams and six points by Zydrunas Ilgauskas. A 13-0 run later in the period,
sparked by seven points by James and five by West, including another 3-pointer, pushed the lead to 63-29 with 1:46 left before
halftime.
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LEBRON JAMES PHOTOS
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CAVALIERS VS. PISTONS
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While the Cavaliers were 12-4 without West, his presence was missed on both ends of the floor. "He's a multitalened
player who can do a lot of things,'' James said. "We missed having him.'' Cleveland built the lead to 36 in the third
quarter. James, who was able to sit out the fourth quarter, added nine assists and five rebounds. He also recorded a
resounding block of Iverson's layup attempt in the third quarter. - NBA.com
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LEBRON JAMES HAS THE HOT HAND WITH 55 POINTS
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February 20, 2009
- LeBron James heaved a 33-foot shot through the net to beat the buzzer and headed into halftime with 25 points
under his belt. Turns out, he was just getting warmed up. James erased the Cleveland Cavaliers' halftime deficit
by scoring 16 points in less than three minutes to begin the third quarter, on his way to 55 for the night - one
shy of his career high - in a 111-103 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday. "Just got in the zone, man,''
James said. "I saw a few go down, so I just kept going at it, man. Every shot that I made tonight, every shot that
we all made tonight, we needed.'' James' big night included his remarkable run in the first 2:50 of the third quarter,
almost single-handedly turning a six-point halftime deficit into an eight-point Cavaliers lead. And he could have scored
two more in that stretch if he hadn't missed a pair of free throws.
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"It was almost like watching a video game,'' Zydrunas Ilgauskas said. Cavaliers coach Mike Brown fought the urge to cringe
as James kept taking long-range 3 after long-range 3, each shot seemingly longer than the next. "I've just got to coach myself,''
Brown said. "I've got to make sure that I'm not overcoaching. And I just need to sit down, be quiet, and watch the show like
everybody else.'' And as if that wasn't enough action for one night, Milwaukee's Charlie Villanueva was ejected after a heated
on-court confrontation with Ilgauskas in the fourth quarter. Still, James was the main attraction - especially on Cleveland's
18-4 third quarter run that began with Mo Williams' steal and layup. The rest was all James.
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LEBRON JAMES PHOTOS
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CAVALIERS VS. BUCKS
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He banked in a jump shot, then proceeded to drain long 3-pointers on four of the Cavaliers' next five possessions. James hit back-to-back 3s, then was fouled on the next
possession and missed both free throws. On the Cavs' next possession, James connected on a 3 from the left side over Milwaukee's Richard Jefferson. Jefferson answered with
a jumper, but James hit yet another 3 - this time from the right side, bringing the Cavaliers' bench players to their feet in a raucous celebration. James' scoring spree
wasn't over. After an offensive foul on Milwaukee, James hit a pull-up jumper on the wing with 9:10 left in the quarter, putting Cleveland up 69-61 and forcing Milwaukee to
call a timeout. How much fun was that? "I always have fun,'' James said. "That's the name of the game for me. I'm out there competing, wanting to continue to get better every day.'' - NBA.com
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LEBRON JAMES FEELS THE CAVALIERS ARE BETTER NOW THAN '07
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February 18, 2009
- LeBron James had 20 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 22 points in the Cavaliers' 93-76
victory over Toronto on Wednesday night. James said the Cavaliers have improved in the two years since they were swept by San
Antonio in the finals. "We're a better team now in '09 than we were in '07 at this point, but there's a lot of games left,''
James said. With the Cavaliers (41-11) on pace for the best record in team history, guard Mo Williams said there's no need to
make a deal, meaning the players are relaxed as the deadline draws near. "We're already good,'' Williams said. "We know that.
When you're at the level that we are right now, they're not just going to blow up the team. Guys are not on pins and needles.''
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Needing two rebounds and one assist in the final quarter for his 21st career triple-double, James had six points but only one
rebound before leaving the game for good with just over 3 minutes remaining. James scored only four points in the first two
quarters but got 10 in the third as Cleveland outscored Toronto 24-15 to take a 71-56 lead into the fourth. "He can have two
points in the first half and you just know there's a good chance he's going to end up with 20-plus,'' Brown said. "Not only that,
he's going to affect the game in other areas. He almost ended up with a triple-double tonight and you wouldn't have thought that
at halftime.'' Williams scored 17 points, Wally Szczerbiak had 11, and Anderson Varejao finished with 14 rebounds for the Cavaliers,
6-2 in their last eight games. Ilgauskas shot 11-for-17, falling one point shy of his season-high.
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LEBRON JAMES PHOTOS
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CAVALIERS VS. RAPTORS
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Raptors coach Jay Triano was ejected for arguing with 5 minutes left. Triano picked up a double technical for arguing
that Anthony Parker had been fouled by James on a missed jump shot. Assistant coach Mike Evans tried to restrain Triano,
but couldn't prevent him from being ejected by referee Kevin Fehr. Evans took over as Triano headed to the locker room.
"It's very frustrating when you know you're getting fouled and all the calls are going their way,'' Graham said. "We felt
like we were playing eight guys out there.'' Toronto led 19-10 with 4:36 left in the first but the Cavaliers closed the
quarter with a 15-4 run to lead 24-23 after one. James didn't take a shot in 5 minutes in the second, but Ilgauskas scored
eight points and Williams added six as the Cavaliers took a 47-41 lead into the intermission. - NBA.com
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LEBRON JAMES AND ALL-STAR MO WILLIAMS SET SUNS
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February 11, 2009
- Before packing for Phoenix, Mo Williams padded his All-Star stats. Playing in his first home game since
finally being made an All-Star after being skipped over twice, Williams scored a career-high 44 points and
LeBron James added 26 as the Cleveland Cavaliers reached the break by winning their 40th game, 109-92 over
the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night. The Cavs, who believe they were wronged by a controversial call in the
final seconds of a one-point loss at Indiana on Tuesday, bounced back from their first two-game losing slide
this season with an impressive performance. They had their 23-game home winning streak stopped on Sunday by
the Los Angeles Lakers. But with Williams going 18-of-26 from the floor, making seven 3-pointers and adding
seven assists, Cleveland embarked on a new home streak while its point guard provided a final argument he should
have been an Eastern Conference All-Star from the outset.
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"We all believed he should have been there,'' James said. "I think that's part of the reason he played so well tonight,
to let everybody know that he really belongs there.'' The Cavaliers easily outran the speedy Suns, who were without starting
point guard Steve Nash. He didn't dress to get extra rest for numerous sore spots. Amare Stoudemire scored 27 and Grant Hill
14 for Phoenix (28-23), which will host this weekend's All-Star activities and could undergo a makeover before the Feb. 21
trading deadline. Stoudemire and Shaquille O'Neal have both been mentioned in trade rumors that are expected to intensify in
the coming days; the Suns have been a disappointment to this point. "The rumors I can deal with,'' Stoudemire said. "That's part
of the game. Losing is not. I'm definitely not used to it. This is something new to me.'' Stoudemire doesn't know what the future
holds. "I'm not sure,'' Stoudemire said. "I still think I'll be in Phoenix next week, but you never know.''
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LEBRON JAMES PHOTOS
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CAVALIERS VS. SUNS
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After leading by 12 at the half, the Cavaliers pushed their lead to 15 before they got complacent and allowed the Suns
to trim a 15-point deficit to five in the third quarter. But that's when Williams and James, Cleveland's All-Star reps,
took over. Williams hit a 3-pointer, James scored on a drive and Williams made another long-range shot as the Cavs pushed
their lead back to 16 by the end of the third period. With Williams three points away from breaking his previous career
high of 43, set on Jan. 27 against Sacramento, the point guard buried another 3-pointer from the right wing with 6:20 left
to give the Cavaliers a 103-79 lead. At the next whistle, Williams was replaced as Cavs fans gave him a standing ovation;
he got a hug from James as he reached the bench. "Mo was on fire,'' Stoudemire said. "We couldn't contain him. He had his
shotgun cocked and loaded. Props to him on the way he shot the ball.'' - NBA.com
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LEBRON JAMES COMMITTS STUPID FOUL IN CLOSING SECONDS
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February 10, 2009
- LeBron James grudgingly lived with the NBA's non-star treatment Tuesday night. Cleveland coach Mike Brown could not.
After James scored 47 points and almost single-handedly rallied the Cavaliers to force overtime, the unthinkable happened.
James, the NBA's No. 2 scorer, drew a foul with 0.2 seconds left, and Danny Granger made 1-of-2 free throws to seal an
improbable 96-95 victory that sent James to the locker room in disgust and the usually composed Brown into a tirade. "That
last call, on the run, is the worst call that I have ever been a part of,'' Brown said. "I cannot imagine another worse call
than that. It was an awful call and for him to take away a basketball game from a team with .4 seconds on the clock is
irresponsible.'' A few moments earlier, the Pacers thought they had been wronged.
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Leading 95-93 with 0.8 seconds left, the Cavs tried an alley-oop play to James off
the inbounds pass. Granger stepped in front of James, who couldn't catch the ball
but drew the foul, and then made both free throws to tie it at 95. After a timeout,
the Pacers ran the same play. This time, with Granger cutting to the basket and James
chasing, Granger got the call. "Luckily, we ran a good play and got the same call,''
Granger said. But NBA stars, especially those in the realm of James, aren't supposed
to be treated this way - especially in a game they've dominated. It didn't make any
difference Tuesday, much to the chagrin of James and his fuming coach. "For it to end
that way, it's definitely tough on us,'' a subdued James said. "You never want a game
to end that way.'' Brown, however, was less diplomatic.
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LEBRON JAMES PHOTOS
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CAVALIERS VS. PACERS
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He repeatedly criticized the officials in his postgame interview, possibly setting himself up for a league fine
that he, apparently, is willing to pay after watching this one. "I don't care if I get fined. It is what it is.
I saw the two plays; just a bad call determined the outcome of that game,'' Brown said. "If they want to fine me
for telling the truth, fine me. This isn't me. I never do this.'' For 47 minutes, 59.8 seconds, James was his usual
spectacular self. He connected on 15 of 21 shots, 13 of 14 free throws, made 4 of 7 3-pointers, had seven rebounds
and four assists. He repeatedly had the crowd on its feet with high-flying dunks, nifty no-look passes, one spectacular
block and an array of head fakes, crossover dribbles and acrobatic moves. Yet somehow, perhaps with a little help from
the officials, the short-handed Pacers absorbed the body blows and survived. - NBA.com
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LEBRON JAMES LOSES TO A FLU RIDDEN BRYANT
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February 8, 2009
- Kobe Bryant was sick. The Cleveland Cavaliers just looked it. With Bryant suffering from the flu, Lamar Odom scored a
season-high 28 points - 15 in the third quarter- and Paul Gasol scored 18 as the streak-busting Los Angeles Lakers dominated
the second half and handed Cleveland its first home loss this season, 101-91 on Sunday to complete a 6-0 road trip. Bryant was
not himself. The superstar vomited before the game, shivered with chills throughout and needed intravenous fluids at halftime.
But Odom picked up the offensive slack, helped contain LeBron James on defense, and was the biggest factor in the Lakers outscoring
the Cavaliers 50-30 after halftime. "That was one of the best games he's played for us,'' Lakers coach Phil Jackson said of the
enigmatic Odom. "He's had some spectacular games, but that was a terrific game. It was the total package of his game. He broke
people down with his speed and quickness to the basket and got some easy shots.''
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It's been a tough few days for Cleveland. First, guard Mo Williams was bypassed for the second time as an All-Star. Then, James had his
apparent historic triple-double in New York downgraded by an NBA review, and now, the Cavaliers have had their invincibility at home
stripped by the road-weary Lakers. "You have to give the Lakers credit,'' said James, who scored 16 but missed 15 of his 20 field-goal
tries. "I missed a lot of easy looks that I usually make.'' The Cavaliers came in 23-0 at Quicken Loans Arena, but were stopped by the
Lakers, who are gaining a reputation for stopping streaks. They ended Boston's 19-game winning streak on Christmas Day and halted a 12-game
run by the Celtics earlier this week. This was Cleveland's first loss at home since Game 5 against Washington in the first round of last
season's playoffs. "I didn't want it to happen,'' James said. "But I'm glad it's over.''
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LEBRON JAMES PHOTOS
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CAVALIERS VS. LAKERS
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The Lakers weren't intimidated in one of the NBA's rowdiest arena and went undefeated on a road trip that also included stops in Minnesota,
Memphis, New York, Toronto and Boston. Los Angeles' trip started rocky with center Andrew Bynum injuring his knee against the Grizzlies, but
it couldn't have ended any better. Beginning with Bryant's record-setting 61-point performance against the Knicks, the Lakers have gone 4-0
without Bynum. They didn't commit a turnover in the final 19:28 against the Cavs. "We're playing for perfection,'' Odom said, "and in order to
do that, it takes a lot of energy, focus and commitment to winning and doing whatever it takes. We got production from everyone.'' Zydrunas
Ilgauskas scored 22 to lead Cleveland, which shot just 28 percent (11-of-39) in the second half and didn't play its customary shutdown defense.
Williams, whose All-Star snub had infuriated the Cavs, scored 19 and James finished with 12 assists and eight rebounds. - NBA.com
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LEBRON JAMES TIES JORDAN SCORING 50 AT MSG
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February 4, 2009
- LeBron James couldn't catch Kobe Bryant, so he settled for matching Michael Jordan. James scored a season-high 52
points in his 21st career triple-double, joined Jordan as the only players with multiple 50-point games at the present
Madison Square Garden, and led Cleveland to a 107-102 victory over New York on Wednesday night. Two nights after Bryant
set a record at the present building with 61 points, James was on pace to break it after scoring 20 in the first quarter.
His scoring eventually tailed off a bit, especially after he briefly left the game in the fourth quarter after cramping
up, but the skills that make him perhaps the NBA's premier all-around player remained throughout. James added 11 assists
and 10 rebounds, becoming the first player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975 to have a triple-double in a 50-point game.
James grabbed his final rebound with under 2 seconds left, then tumbled out of bounds as time expired.
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They were similar numbers to James' game here last March, when he finished with 50 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.
Jordan is the only other player to twice score 50 here, with a high of 55 that was the opponent record before Bryant broke
it Monday night. Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored 15 points, and Wally Szczerbiak had 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Cavaliers,
who have won four straight and eight of nine. They are off until a showdown with Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday
in Cleveland, where the Cavaliers are 23-0. Al Harrington scored 39 points for the Knicks, who fell to 0-2 during they're
referring to as "Dream Week,'' games against the Lakers, Cavs and Boston Celtics. David Lee had 12 points and 10 rebounds.
The focus on James' first trip here in November was his free agency in 2010, days after the Knicks made a pair of trades to
clear salary cap space for a run at him. This time, the building was still buzzing from Bryant's performance, and the talk
was on whether James could top it. He said he wouldn't try - unless the situation called for it. "We go out and try to win
ball games. Myself and Kobe go out and win ballgames and sometimes we make games like that,'' James said before the game.
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LEBRON JAMES PHOTOS
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CAVALIERS VS. KNICKS
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"It just so happens where we get high numbers or we make an unbelievable play. It just happens that way. But we're out there
first of all trying to win the basketball game. I never go into a game saying I'm going to try to put up a decent amount of
numbers or anything like that. I've never been that type of player.'' Yet he was looking for his own shot to start and was
ahead of Bryant's pace early on, draining a jumper at the buzzer to give him 20 points in the first quarter - two more than
Bryant had - and Cleveland a 36-24 lead. The Knicks used a 16-3 spurt to cut a 14-point deficit to 43-42 midway through the
second, but the Cavs came out of a timeout with a play that led to an alley-oop pass for James' dunk. He had 28 in the half,
then found Ben Wallace alone for a layup as time expired that sent Cleveland to the locker room with a 57-52 advantage. Unlike
Monday, when the MSG crowd was loudly cheered for Bryant, the fans were behind the Knicks in this one. They responded with a
spirited performance after being blown out in the previous two meetings with Cleveland - James didn't even play in the fourth
quarter of either - and were down only one with 2 minutes to play. James then scored on a drive to give him 50 points, and set
up Ilgauskas for a bucket that gave the Cavs breathing room at 104-100 with 52 seconds remaining. - NBA.com
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LEBRON JAMES REACHES 12,000 CAREER POINTS
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February 3, 2009
- LeBron James scored 33 and eclipsed 12,000 points for his career, and the Cleveland Cavaliers remained flawless on their floor
by winning their 23rd straight home game, 101-83 over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night. James became the fastest player in NBA
history to reach the 12,000-point plateau. At 24 years, 35 days, he did it quicker than Los Angeles superstar Kobe Bryant, who was
25 years, 220 days, when he did it. Daniel Gibson scored 18 and Mo Williams 16 as the Cavaliers broke the club record for consecutive
home wins set during the 1988-89 season. Cleveland, which built a 23-point lead in the first quarter, also became the first team since
the 1949-50 Rochester Royals to win their first 23 home games by at least four points. Chris Bosh scored 29 and Jermaine O'Neal 20 to
pace Toronto. Trailing by 19 at halftime and showing little fight, the Raptors regrouped and outscored the Cavaliers 26-15 in the third
quarter to close to 74-66 entering the fourth. Cleveland shot just 4-of-18 from the field in the third, and too often settled for outside
jumpers instead of attacking the basket. But that changed midway through the fourth when James, who did not make a field goal in the
second half, decided it was time to put Toronto away.
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First, he was fouled on a drive and made both free throws. On the Raptors' next trip, James challenged a soaring Bosh on a dunk attempt
and got just enough of the ball to alter its course. James was again fouled while powering inside and made his free throws - he finished
13-of-13 at the line - to make it 87-75. Gibson's 3-pointer made it 90-75 and the Raptors were unable to get any closer. James, the Eastern
Conference's player of the month in January, scored 16 in the first quarter and had 25 in the first half on an array of shots. Nearly
everything dropped for Cleveland's All-Star, who will now head to Madison Square Garden on Wednesday and possibly take aim at Bryant's
scoring record in the "world's most famous arena.'' Bryant scored 61 on Monday night against the Knicks, and New York coach Mike D'Antoni
is well aware that James could rewrite the record book quickly. "We set the bar up high for him. He'd have to play really well,'' D'Antoni
said. It's rare that he doesn't. James scored 50 at the Garden last season, leaving the court to chants of "M-V-P!'' just as Bryant did.
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LEBRON JAMES PHOTOS
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CAVALIERS VS. RAPTORS
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James outscored the Raptors 16-15 in the first quarter as the Cavaliers, moving the ball around the perimeter, had one of their
best offensive periods this season. They made 7-of-10 3-pointers, committed just one turnover and blasted to a 37-15 lead after
12 minutes. James made his first six shots and Williams had six assists in the period. Williams, snubbed as an All-Star reserve
by coaches, may get another shot at going to Phoenix for the league's showcase of stars. With Orlando's Jameer Nelson likely to
miss several weeks - at least - with a shoulder injury, Williams could be selected by commissioner David Stern. "You don't wish
injury on anybody, it is unfortunate Jameer got hurt,'' said Cavs coach Mike Brown, who will coach the East. "But if they have to
select somebody, you hope it's Mo. We believe our team should still be represented.'' The Cavaliers were at less than full speed
because of the flu. Starting swingman Sasha Pavlovic, reserve center Lorenzen Wright and longtime play-by-play announcer Joe Tait
were all sick and missed the game. - NBA.com
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LEBRON JAMES FINISHES OF PISTONS IN A TIMELY MANNER
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February 1, 2009
- LeBron James was a cheerleader when the Cleveland Cavaliers took over against the Detroit Pistons. Then, the superstar
finished them off. James scored 33 points and got some timely help from Mo Williams and Daniel Gibson in Cleveland's 90-80
win over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. "It's been different this season because we have guys who can control the offense
and control the defense,'' James said. "There's not been a time this season when I felt pressure to not come off the floor.
"I know these guys can take care of things.'' With James resting, Williams and Gibson outscored Detroit by themselves in a
15-2 run to take a 73-68 lead early in the fourth quarter. James shouted, "C'mon Mo! C'mon Mo!'' from the scorer's table
during the final possession of the winning surge, then celebrated with Williams after his jumper led to Detroit calling a
timeout. The 24-year-old phenom sealed the victory on a driving layup, an assist, 3-pointer and free throw to put the Cavs
ahead by nine with 2 1/2 minutes left. The Central Division-leading Cavs have won six of their last seven and are 12 games
ahead of Detroit. They had lost four straight at The Palace in the regular season.
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"This is a good win in a building where we've always had a lot of trouble,'' Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "It seems like they've had our
number here, so this feels good.'' The Pistons haven't felt good in a while, losing four straight home games for the first time in eight
years. Allen Iverson scored 22 points for Detroit, which has lost nine of 12 and are 21-21 with him. "I'm surprised, but I've seen the
flashes of how good we can be,'' Iverson said. "And, I see the reasons that we lose games.'' Detroit has wins against five of the NBA's
six division leaders, beating the Western Conference's top teams on the road, but has lost to bad teams such as the Oklahoma City Thunder.
"Our whole thing is, it better be figured out by the time we get to the playoffs,'' Iverson said. "Regardless of where we're seeded, we need
to be playing at a high level and that's the only thing I'm concerned about.'' Rookie coach Michael Curry, though, has plenty to be worried
about. "Success breeds confidence,'' he said. Detroit dooms its chances in many games with lackluster stretches offensively and defensively,
looking out of sync as they struggle to play with Iverson in the starting lineup and Richard Hamilton coming off the bench. The Pistons are
coming off their first losing month since February 2004, the month in which they acquired Rasheed Wallace and went on to win the NBA title.
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LEBRON JAMES PHOTOS
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CAVALIERS VS. PISTONS
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But they're "totally different'' than that team, according to a player who would know because of the Iverson-for-Billups trade.
"Billups brought a lot of leadership to the team and made sure everybody got the ball where they needed to get it,'' Cleveland's
Ben Wallace said. "He was more of a floor general. Iverson is more of a scorer. Chauncey would make sure everybody got their looks
and if he needed to score, he would. "It definitely hurt the chemistry of the team. I guess it'll take a little getting used to.''
The Cavs have grown accustom to having more than a go-to player. Williams, who has become James' best sidekick on the perimeter,
scored 22 points and Gibson scored all seven of his points in the fourth. "It makes it easier for (James) because you can't leave
Mo,'' Iverson said. "But it's not just Mo.'' Cleveland's Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 13 points on 5-of-16 shooting, playing his second
game after being sidelined for 13 games with an ankle injury. The Cavs have been unbeatable at home through 22 games and solid on
the road, winning 15 of 24. "Any road win is special, but the rivalry we have with these guys adds some fire,'' James said. Wallace
scored just nine points and Rodney Stuckey only six. Hamilton scored 16 points, Tayshaun Prince had 11 and Amir Johnson scored 10
points for the first time in a month. Cleveland led 18-16 after a sluggish first quarter, then trailed by three at halftime. - NBA.com
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