President Obama added his voice to those predicting the climate in Cleveland tonight when LeBron James appears with the Miami Heat.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- There's a lot of news in the nation's capital today, with hot and heavy debate about tax cuts, unemployment insurance and immigration rights. Then there was President Barack Obama's luncheon with newly elected governors at Blair House, across from the White House.

Obama said little to press pool reporters when they tried to get him to discuss matters on Capitol Hill. But when it came to sports, he opened up, just a tad.

He said he was sure the United States soccer team will "make it to the finals next time."

And when asked about LeBron James going back to Cleveland for the Cavs-Heat game, the president said, "It's going to be brutal."

Join our live blog and chat to get instant updates, polls and analysis as the Cavaliers take on the Heat.

View full sizecleveland.comWe're live at The Q for LeBron's return to Cleveland.

We're live at The Q and we'll be bringing you instant updates and analysis of what's happening on and off the court. Join cleveland.com's Dan Labbe along with local bloggers and share your comments as the Cavaliers and Heat square off.

Note: This is a moderated live blog and chat. Comments must be approved. Approval will depend upon the comment's content and the number of comments coming in at one time.

Watch live streaming below video now from the Cavs vs. Heat Watch Party at the Winking Lizard in Lakewood. Tip-off is at 8 p.m.

Watch live streaming below video now from the Cavaliers vs. Heat Watch Party at the Winking Lizard in Lakewood.

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You can also watch or listen to Digital Sports Network's live pre-game show from Quicken Loans Arena at 7:30 p.m.

Starting at 8 p.m., chat live with our expert and get instant updates from press row.

Email us your watch party photos and videos to edit@cleveland.com.

cleveland.com will be at the Cavs vs. Heat watch party at the Winking Lizard in Lakewood at 8 p.m.

Four area high school football teams are knocking on the state title door.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerIn a scene played out in one form or another at four Northeast Ohio high schools during this state championship week, Chagrin Falls football players Marc Geraci (3) and Dan Driscoll (55), prior to Friday's Div. IV title game against Columbus Bishop Hartley.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Northeast Ohio has four high school teams playing for state football titles this weekend in St. Edward, Maple Heights, Buchtel and Chagrin Falls.

Four teams with men who have never coached their teams to a state title.

Four teams with men who have never been a head coach anywhere else.

Four schools of which only one -- Buchtel -- has won a state title before.

Four teams where probably one school -- Maple Heights -- could have been favored to still be on the field as the calendar turned to December.

"Our goal for the season was ... finish," said Maple Heights coach Todd Filtz.

That's right, just one word: Finish.

The Mustangs were a bit of a surprise last season when they reached the Division II finals in Filtz's second season. They lost, 42-12, to Cincinnati Winton Woods, ending the year at 12-3.

But with star quarterback Shaq Washington and several other key players returning, it's no longer a shock to see Maple Heights back again, playing for the school's first state title Friday against Trotwood-Madison at 7 p.m. in Massillon.

But how about St. Edward in the Division I finals? Did anyone see that coming for the Lakewood school? Yes, the Eagles always have talent, but they were 4-6 in 2009 under rookie head coach Rick Finotti.

Yes, Finotti showed a picture of Canton's Fawcett Stadium -- the site of the finals -- each week when he spoke to his players about leadership, setting goals and character.

View full sizePD photoOur players just don't want to come up short again," said Maple Heights head coach Todd Filtz.

But after the uncertainty that came with Finotti being the third head coach in a four-year span -- he lost some players who didn't buy into his demanding style -- who'd imagine the Eagles would be in position to win the school's first state football title when they face Huber Heights Wayne at 7 p.m. Saturday?

Or that Chagrin Falls would return to the Division IV finals to battle Columbus Bishop Hartley Friday at 11 a.m. in Massillon, despite losing 18 seniors from last year's team that fell, 37-7, to Kettering Archbishop Alter in the title game?

"I didn't see this coming," admitted coach Mark Iammarino. "That makes it even more special."

Finally, there's Buchtel in the Division III finals against Columbus Bishop Watterson at 3 p.m. Saturday in Massillon.

Coach Ricky Powers is in his fourth season at the Akron school, his first in the playoffs. He thought the team had the talent. He watched the culture of discipline grow in the past four years, along with the team grade-point average -- which he said rose from barely 2.0 when he took over to 3.1 this season.

"It comes down to the kids," said Powers. "They make it happen. We can preach it, but they have to buy in. For us, coming from an inner-city school, to get this far -- it's a credit to them. And right now, they don't think anyone can beat them."

Reaching the football summit

Six titles on the line, four area schools still alive. That's four out of the 35 area schools that made the playoffs in early November.

View full sizeThomas Ondrey / The Plain Dealer"We have a great blend of public and private schools in this area," said Chagrin Falls' Mark Iammarino. "To dig through all that is tough. To do it two years in a row is even harder. It's really a testimony to the players."

"We have a great blend of public and private schools in this area," said Chagrin Falls' Iammarino. "Some great coaches and programs with years and years of success. To dig through all that is tough. To do it two years in a row is even harder. It's really a testimony to the players."

None of this guarantees a state title for Northeast Ohio. Just check last year, when Glenville, Maple Heights and Chagrin Falls all reached the finals, and lost.

"Our players just don't want to come up short again," said Maple Heights' Filtz. "This is a different team in that we are undefeated. We went 4-0 when Shaq was hurt, and that really showed me that they were motivated [to get back to the finals]."

The 28-year-old Steubenville native was an assistant for three years at Maple before being promoted to head coach in 2008.

Iammarino has been Chagrin Falls' head coach since 1995. With all the Tigers' recent success, it's difficult to recall he took over a team that was on an 18-game losing streak.

"Then we lost our first eight games, making it 26," he said. "That was in 1995. In 1996, we were 2-8. Since then, we've had winning seasons."

But never a state title.

Then there's Buchtel, where Powers knows exactly what it's like to win the state's biggest game. He did it twice as a star running back for coach Tim Flossie's teams in 1987 and 1988.

View full sizeGus Chan / The Plain Dealer"It comes down to the kids," said Powers. "They make it happen. We can preach it, but they have to buy in."

Under Powers, Buchtel rose from 2-8 to 5-5 to 7-3 to 11-3. This is his first head coaching job. Given that he took over after former coach Claude Brown lost his job after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual battery for having sex with a student, Powers deserves enormous credit for putting Buchtel back on the right track.

Tough-minded teams

The last area state football title winners were in 2008, St. Ignatius in Division I and Aurora in Division III. Before that, it was Benedictine in 2004 as the Division III winner.

So this looms as a big year for area schools, especially St. Edward. The school has won 40 state titles in sports such as wrestling, hockey, basketball and baseball. But never in football. This is the Eagles' fourth title game, the last being a 31-7 loss to Cincinnati Elder in 2003.

Finotti came to St. Edward in 2009 after being a respected defensive coordinator at Mayfield. He also was an assistant coach on Benedictine's 2004 state title team.

The Eagles knocked off Mentor, Glenville and Solon in the playoffs. They beat traditional powers St. Ignatius and Cincinnati Moeller in the regular season. En route to their 14-0 record, they won six games over teams that were in the 2009 playoffs.

"Many of our players are legacy kids," said Finotti. "They had fathers or older brothers who played football here. They want to not only win this for everyone at the school now, they want to bring it home for those who came before them."

There have been two turning points for the Eagles, Finotti said. The first was a loss to Moeller near the end of the 2009 season.

"We didn't just get beat, we were manhandled," he said. "They physically overpowered us. It showed us that we needed to work harder, to get into the weight room and become more disciplined."

View full sizeThomas Ondrey / The Plain Dealer"It's been five weeks of playing under pressure, five weeks of knowing that the next game can be your last," St. Edward's Rick Finotti said about his Eagles, although it applies to Buchtel, Maple Heights and Chagrin Falls as well. "And they have really come through."

After that 4-6 season, Finotti announced that no positions were guaranteed. Nor were any jersey numbers.

"Those who had the best attendance in the weight room got to pick their numbers first," he said. "We wanted to reward dedication, not just raw talent."

The next was a 20-3 victory at Cincinnati Elder in Game 5 of this season.

"We went down to Cincinnati the night before and stayed in a hotel," he said. "Then we got up, and had to be out of the hotel by noon. Our game wasn't until 7 p.m. We had a walk through practice in the parking lot. We had to kill time until the game, but stay focused. When we played so well, I knew these players had what was needed mentally to succeed."

On Saturday the Eagles will have 115 players in uniform, including 35 seniors and 35 juniors.

"I am so proud of what these players have done," he said. "It's been five weeks of playing under pressure, five weeks of knowing that the next game can be your last. And they have really come through."

The same can be said of the other three area teams, all with one more game, one more chance to make school history.

Scribbles before the return of Zydrunas Ilgauskas and some other guy to Quicken Loans Arena.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz / The Plain DealerJ.J. Hickson was among the Cavaliers who greeted LeBron James (with Zydrunas Ilgauskas) during warmups before Thursday night's game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Scribbles before the return of Zydrunas Ilgauskas and some other guy to Quicken Loans Arena...

1. Some fans are wondering if the Cavs can build a case for tampering between Miami and LeBron James. Odds are against it, especially since the Cavs agreed to take draft picks and a $14.5 million trade exception as part of a sign-and-trade deal for James with the Heat. They may be able to make Heat president Pat Riley sweat as he deals with the charges. But in the end, the Cavs did receive something for James. The league can decide to fine the Heat or perhaps take away a draft choice. But it seems by making a deal with Miami, the Cavs' tampering charge lost some of its sizzle.

2. Yes, another former Cavalier is coming back, but let's hope the biggest ovation of the night -- at least before the game -- goes to Zydrunas Ilgauskas. The former Cavalier center has said he's not sure how the fans will greet him. He seems to wonder if his decision to sign with Miami will be viewed in the same negative light as that of LeBron James.

3. The 35-year-old Ilgauskas is nearing the end of his career. The fact that he starts for the Heat indicates their lack of depth. The Cavs were willing to re-sign Ilgauskas, but their interest was light as they are focused on rebuilding the team. Ilgauskas was looking for a good team that could use a solid backup center. Miami opened the door.

4. Also, Byron Scott's motion offense is not suited for Ilgauskas, who is most effective in two-man, pick-and-pop plays. That's where Ilgauskas sets a pick, then floats off the side, catching a pass and shooting a 15-foot jumper. He's averaging 6.3 points and 5.2 rebounds in 18 minutes a game, shooting 57 percent.

5. A few weeks ago, I asked Scott how he thought James would do in the Princeton offense. He first said, "Great." The coach then went into a long explanation of how James would take his game to a higher level by moving without the ball, cutting to the basket and helping the offense flow. It was much like what the triangle offense did for Michael Jordan -- it forced him not to hold the ball for a long time. The question is if James would have bought into it.

6. I laughed out loud when there was a discussion of how James is not playing a pick-and-roll with Dwyane Wade. They meant James doesn't set picks. Guess what? He doesn't like to set picks. He occasionally did it with Mo Williams, and it was very effective. But James wants the ball, and have someone pick for him.

7. I also heard that this game supposedly will "energize" James. The real question is, why does he need to be energized? Why is he in such a funk? Most nights with the Cavs, he played with energy -- which is forgotten after how he was an MIA in the last two games of the Boston series.

8. While tonight's game will have that playoff, big game feel, the truth is there won't be many games like this for the Cavs this season. The reality is that the man who took his talents to South Beach also took any chance the Cavs had to dream about contention. His departure also means that when the Cavs face a good team that is in the mood to play near its ability -- witness the recent Orlando, San Antonio and Boston games -- the Cavs have very little chance to even keep it close for four quarters. They just don't have the talent.

The Miami Dolphins popularized the Wildcat formation in 2008. Now that everyone has copied it, the Dolphins may lead the trend to retire the gimmick offense.

View full sizeAlan Diaz / Associated PressRonnie Brown and the Dolphins found immediate success with the Wildcat offense when Miami's talent-starved offense needed it most in 2008. As the team's talent has improved, the use of the formation has declined.

BEREA, Ohio -- Whether you are a fan of the Wildcat formation or not, you can credit or blame the unconventional configuration on the Miami Dolphins.

They introduced the offensive gimmick to unsuspecting NFL defenses in the 2008 season. The Dolphins rode on the shoulders of running backs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams for a surprising 11 wins.

But like most trendsetters, the Dolphins may also be the ones to lay the Wildcat to rest. Especially if wily coordinator Dan Henning retires after this season, as many in south Florida suspect.

Henning actually instituted a Wildcat look back in the 2006 season when he oversaw the offense of the Carolina Panthers. Then-starting quarterback Jake Delhomme was out with a thumb injury, leaving Henning with Chris Weinke as his only passing option.

Henning began a game with 12 consecutive direct snaps to a running back with no quarterback on the field. The Panthers won by running 52 times and throwing it seven. In football, necessity absolutely is the mother of invention.

At the time, the University of Arkansas was using the Wildcat formation regularly with eye-opening success.

"Darren [McFadden] and Felix [Jones] were Ronnie and Ricky," said Peyton Hillis, who was the third back on that team. "I was a blocker in an H-back role."

David Lee was Arkansas' offensive coordinator. Two years later, he and Henning teamed up in Miami to run the Dolphins' offense. They saw an offensive roster with Brown and Williams and not much else. It didn't take a light bulb to shed light on where they were heading.

"We didn't have some of the weapons that we have right now," said coach Tony Sparano. "At the time, it was our way to get Ronnie and Ricky on the field at the same time and create a little bit of space in the run game."

They sprung it on Bill Belichick's New England defense. Using the no-quarterback look on six, well-spaced plays, the Dolphins scored three rushing touchdowns and one passing in a huge upset win.

It was never as effective as the first time, but the Dolphins continued to expand the package. Defensive coordinators scurried to study video of Arkansas to catch up. Overall, the Dolphins ran 95 plays in the Wildcat that year. It produced 10 touchdowns and an average gain of 10 yards.

"Nobody was really doing it at that point," Sparano said. "We thought we might have gotten ahead [of the curve]."

The trend was set. The following year, almost every team incorporated a form of Wildcat, including the Browns. Every single team practiced defending it. Miami used it for 100 plays in 2009, and production dropped to nine touchdowns and an average gain of 4.63 yards.

Now in Year 3 of the Wildcat, "everybody's doing it, practicing it," Sparano said, "so the element of surprise [is gone]."

The Dolphins have cut back dramatically. They've used it on 41 plays and have yet to score a touchdown. Average gain has plummeted to 2.75 yards.

"I think from our end, we just feel there's other ways to get people the ball," Sparano said.

The Dolphins virtually scrapped the Wildcat after it netted six yards in seven plays against the New York Jets in Game 3. It resurfaced for seven plays for 49 yards against Tennessee three weeks ago. Last week, Henning used it a season-high 12 times against Oakland for 34 yards.

So the Browns are not convinced the Wildcat is dead.

Linebacker David Bowens said, "Henning, what he does is, he'll do everything in his playbook once. He'll do it all. And if something's successful, he'll repeat it. If some teams are bad at stopping the Wildcat, they'll do it the whole game. If they're good at stopping it, they'll get away from it."

The Dolphins are much more complete on offense now and are pressing to develop quarterback Chad Henne. He has terrific targets in Brandon Marshall, Davone Bess, Brian Hartline and Anthony Fasano. Henne threw for 307 yards and two touchdowns in their 33-17 victory in Oakland. While the Wildcat plays produced an average of only 2.83 yards, the Dolphins rolled up an average of 6.24 yards on their 70 traditional plays.

"With Henning, you're going to get ... a couple different throws, a couple unique formations, some combinations, some reverses," said coach Eric Mangini. "When you have a lot of different weapons, it makes it harder."

Still, the feeling is the Wildcat is in its last days before being mothballed for another era. Everything takes turns being in vogue.

"It all depends on how people defend it," Bowens said. "If people don't stop it, then you'll see more of it."

Remember when the Browns talked so much in training camp about springing a Wildcat package of Josh Cribbs and Seneca Wallace on the NFL? Injuries to both players reduced those hopes. Cribbs has 16 runs for 69 yards and no touchdowns out of the Wildcat.

The biggest Wildcat play all year for the Browns was a pass from Hillis to Colt McCoy in the New Orleans game. Hillis, it turned out, was an old hand at the Wildcat from his Arkansas days.

The RedHawks (8-4, 7-1) face 24th-ranked Northern Illinois (10-2, 8-0) at Detroit's Ford Field in the MAC Championship game on Friday.

View full sizeCarlos Osorio / Associated PressThe payoff of a season of practices at dawn were clear for the Miami Redhawks and coach Mike Haywood as they surveyed Ford Field prior to Friday's Mid-American Conference title game against Northern Illinois.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The talent on the field has not changed much for Miami University's football team or coach Mike Haywood.

But a change of practice habits has made a huge impact on the RedHawks. After going 1-10 in 2009, they are the Mid-American Conference's East Division champions for 2010. Friday, the RedHawks (8-4, 7-1) will face 24th-ranked Northern Illinois (10-2, 8-0) at Detroit's Ford Field in the MAC Championship game.

Haywood abandoned traditional afternoon practices in favor of 6 a.m. or 6:50 a.m. starts. The move was initially made to have players available for practice who had afternoon classes and study tables. But the added benefits, Haywood said, have been key to this championship season.

With the exception of QB Zac Dysert (lacerated spleen), the RedHawks should be at full strength against NIU. Haywood said the new practice routine has helped players academically and given them more time to rehabilitate injuries.

"We went to the 6 a.m. practice last spring, which was extremely rewarding because we didn't lose one player for any academic issues or any other issues," Haywood explained. "We continued it this fall.

"We usually give the players off on Monday. So on Tuesday and Thursday we practice at 6:50 in the morning. On Wednesday we practice at 6 a.m.

"The most important thing is we've only had two players have to go take a test in the morning and miss a practice, as opposed to 45 or 50 last year. At the same time, for us going into this game against Northern Illinois, we're going to have 561/2 hours rest before we walk on the field for pregame workout."

"We're getting guys back a lot faster, because we're getting three to four treatments a day, more time for rehab," the coach said. "Last year we had 23 guys at the end of the season who weren't able to play the last game of the season. This year we had five."

Another plus has been no off-field issues with players, because early practice means early bed time. Coaches have more time for both game plans and personal time with their families.

With the success of this season, Haywood said does not expect to change back anytime soon.

"Our coaches, once we got acclimated to it, loved this morning practice," Haywood said. "It gives us so much more time, and we even go home at a reasonable hour and get to raise your kids.

"We're definitely going to continue with our morning practices."

In a surprise, FIFA went to two more untraditional markets, following in the footsteps of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The Associated PressA Qatari girl celebrates in the city of Doha.

ZURICH -- Picture football fans partying where tanks and missiles paraded on Red Square in the Cold War's darkest days. Imagine high-tech air-conditioned stadiums chilled so players and spectators don't keel over in the sweltering desert heat of the Middle East.

For all the allegations of corruption and rigged voting that have been leveled lately against FIFA, the much-maligned governing body of football certainly has a taste for adventure.

In taking the World Cup to the uncharted lands of Russia in 2018 and tiny but oil-wealthy Qatar in 2022, FIFA — like the International Olympic Committee — is leading the charge for the argument that sports can reshape history and influence the destinies and the way people and nations are seen by the rest of the world.

FIFA could have played it safe by going to the sport's motherland of England or to the ready-built stadiums of the United States. Both promised minimal worry and lots of cash. But the desire of FIFA's all-powerful, 74-year-old president, Sepp Blatter, to carry football and its considerable influence to promising and largely untapped markets won the day.

"We go to new lands," said Blatter, who next June will seek another four-year presidential term.

In doing so, FIFA is marching in lockstep with the Olympics, which went to China for the first time in 2008, celebrating the U-turn over one generation from Maoism to frontier capitalism in the world's most populous country. The IOC is now preparing for the first Olympics in South America, in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, rewarding Brazil's emergence as a major power. FIFA, meanwhile, is still basking in the praise it won for taking the World Cup to Africa for the first time in June, where vuvuzela-blowing black and white South Africans demonstrated how far they have moved on from apartheid.

Russia and Qatar are not without risk for FIFA — although with reserves of $1 billion and the sport wealthier and more popular than ever, it can afford a gamble or two.

In awarding two World Cups at the same time, FIFA aims to give itself more stable and long-term revenues from the tournament that underpins its wealth. It also means Blatter's influence will outlive his presidency. But it also leaves him and the 21 other VIPs on FIFA's executive committee open to suspicions that bidding nations might have colluded to secure their votes. The committee members voted behind closed doors and were furiously lobbied by statesmen, sheiks, sports stars and Britain's Prince William, who tossed in a joke about his upcoming wedding.

Russia, already spending massively on the Sochi Winter Olympics it will host in 2014, now has the added and greater challenge of readying airports, modern stadiums, trains and other public works it will need not only to host 32 football teams and millions of visitors but also to transport them efficiently from cities spread from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Ural Mountains that form the European boundary with Asia.

This will mark the first time the world's largest country, or even Eastern Europe, has organized a World Cup, a fact its team of lobbyists used to tweak FIFA voters' consciences.

Qatar, with a population of 841,000, has not only never hosted a World Cup but not even played in one. FIFA inspectors who toured the country, which is half the size of Israel, cautioned that the intense heat in summer, when the tournament will be played, posed a potential health risk for players and fans.

Qatar allayed the fears of some — but not all — FIFA voters by promising that stadiums, training venues and areas for fans to party will be cooled with solar-powered air conditioning. But it has yet to be proven that the technology will work on such a broad scale, which prompted the American on FIFA's committee, Chuck Blazer, to quip: "I don't see how you can air-condition an entire country."

But star U.S. player Landon Donovan expects Qatar's heat-beating technology to work.

"I grew up in the desert, in California, and running in 100-degree heat was miserable and at times dangerous," he said. "I'm sure it's not cheap, the technology to do that, but I can't imagine after all they put into this bid that they are not going to follow through and make sure that the World Cup is run very well."

At malls in Doha, people gathered at electronic shops to watch the voting on television. With other 2022 bidders Australia, Japan and South Korea eliminated in earlier rounds, Qatar beat the United States in the final vote 14-8. There were roars when Blatter pulled "Qatar" out of the envelope. Qataris and others — including workers from south Asia — immediately started dancing in the streets along Doha's Gulf waterfront, some blowing vuvuzelas that provided the droning soundtrack to South Africa's World Cup.

Qatar is promising to spend $50 billion on infrastructure upgrades and $4 billion to build nine stadiums and renovate three others. It also is promising more sports for women — in contrast to the hostility shown to female athletes in neighboring Saudi Arabia.

The Qatari bid chairman, Sheik Mohammed bin Hamad Al-Thani, said he hopes its World Cup can change the "wrong perception" that women are oppressed in the Middle East.

Russia comfortably beat England and joint bids from Spain-Portugal and Belgium-Netherlands for 2018. Russia Prime Minister Vladimir Putin immediately hopped on a plane to Zurich, having earlier opted not to join the last-minute lobbying efforts.

Putin had said he didn't want to pressure FIFA's committee members, who, ahead of their vote, faced intense media scrutiny about alleged corruption and vote-trading. FIFA suspended two committee members for ethics rule-violations, leaving 22 voters. Putin may have won some over in taking their side against what he called a "clear" smear campaign.

Effort wasn't compensating real well for the Heat's edge in pure talent. Watch video

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Halftime observations from the boofest.

1. Had to love J.J. Hickson's early dunk, with inside position, while the heralded chase-down blocker, LeBron James, flailed impotently behind him. James got much the better of the first quarter matchup with Joey Graham and Jamario Moon, but Hickson contributed more than style points. Almost everybody in The Q wanted to see James force-fed least a dose of humiliation.

2. Beyond boos and chants referring to a body part, "Yes we hate you!" was a constant refrain. James smiled when he was at the foul line during one of the latter refrains, then swished the free throw.

3. He did throw the powder before the game started, a gesture he copied from Kevin Garnett by way of Michael Jordan. Any thought that the rosin toss belonged here and would be retired when he left quickly became as out of date as thoughts that James' sense of loyalty was bigger than his sense of entitlement.

4. The Cavs were down 10 in the second quarter when another moan of little b's and double-o's broke out. It was sort of like covering a golf tournament by the gallery's cheers. At Augusta National, you might think, "Oh, Tiger just birdied in Amen Corner." Only it was, "oh, LeBron just got off the bench to check in."

5. Mixed reception, but more cheers than boos, for Z. Why not? He fought through a lot of injuries and adversity here and no longer figured in the team's plans. He looks 20 pounds lighter, at least.

6. Floppsy James drew a foul from Graham in the second quarter when a push light as a zephyr sent him sprawling. He tacked on a 3-pointer at the end of the possession, just because he could. He was also quite the conversationalist with the Cavs assistant coaches when Mo Williams was trying foul shots at the other end seconds later.

7. This is a terrible matchup for the Cavs. The teams that own the Heat (Boston, Orlando) can pound them to dust inside. But the Cavs are undersized and must rely on hustle by Anderson Varejao and on committee reboudning by everyone else. Effort wasn't compensating real well for the Heat's edge in pure talent.

LeBron James returned to Cleveland for the first time to play the Cavaliers after making "The Decision" last summer to take his talents to South Beach and play for the Miami Heat. Watch video

"Crazy" reception greets James, Ilgauskas

View full sizeJohn Kuntz / The Plain DealerLeBron James was apparently unaffected by the Cavaliers fans' outrage, scoring 14 points in the first half of Thursday's game.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Zydrunas Ilgauskas walked into The Q on Thursday night, took one look at the media mob and smiled.

"I've been here so many times, but I've never seen so many reporters and media lining the hallways 21/2 hours before the game," he said. "It was crazy. I really have not seen anything like that yet as far as attention on one game."

Like LeBron James, Ilgauskas was making his first visit to the Q since signing as a free agent with the Heat last summer. After clearing security, he took a short walk down the hall to the tiny visitors locker room, which was crowded with reporters waiting to talk to him.

"Visitors locker room after 14 years is a little bit odd," admitted Ilgauskas, who is the franchise's all-time leader in games played, rebounds and blocked shots. "I've never been in this locker room before."

Once again, Ilgauskas reiterated his love for the city, and the feeling apparently is mutual as he received a nice ovation when he was introduced as the Heat's starting center.

"I had a great time here," he said. "Everybody knows how I feel about the city. I don't need to keep repeating it. I miss certain things. I miss people. I miss my friends, some of the places I used to eat. I don't miss the weather. Little things you miss. It's home. I've been here a long time. It's where I grew up basically."

James grew up here, too, and Ilgauskas said James had not changed at all. He said the two had talked about what to expect, but when he was asked how he thought James would be received, he was realistic.

"It doesn't make any difference what I hope," he said. "It's going to be a harsh reception. You've got to be an idiot not to figure that out. I just hope nothing stupid is going to happen. I would not want to see this city getting embarrassed. It's my home. So hopefully everybody behaves. You can express your feelings but not go overboard."

Ilgauskas said he has grown used to the magnifying glass on his team, and he said he thought this game was blown out of proportion. But he admitted all the negative reaction to the Heat has united the players.

"I think from all the hatred that has been created from outside the world helped this team come together because we really had nobody to turn to but ourselves," he said.

Rough landing: Not that there wasn't enough drama, but the Heat experienced airplane troubles en route. Jackie Mayo, a spokeswoman for Cleveland Hopkins airport, told the Associated Press that the crew of the Heat's plane reported a wing-flap "issue" early Thursday as the aircraft was on its approach. An alert was issued at the airport and two fire trucks were sent out to the runway, which is standard procedure.

Mayo said the plane landed safely around 2:30 a.m. Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said the team was unaware there was a problem.

"None of us knew anything happened," he said before the game. "All we did was circle the airport. All of us were semi-asleep at that point. I had no idea."

Color commentary: TNT announcer Steve Kerr played for the Cavs for less than four seasons and he's been gone since 1992, but he admits he can't help feeling bad for what's happened to the team since James' departure.

"I know how much LeBron meant to the area, the resurgence of the Cavs franchise and the downtown area," Kerr said. "I was really sad when he left. I was hoping he was going to stay. At the same time, he was a free agent. He had every right to do what he did.

"Eventually, everybody has to move on. So in some ways this will be a good game for everybody -- for LeBron, for the Cleveland fans. It will be good for everybody to get this one behind them, but it will be a lot of fun to watch and to be a part of, too. We're all witnesses."

The last word: From President Barack Obama, asked about James' return to Cleveland, "It's going to be brutal."

The Golden Flashes scorched the nets from behind the arc to lift their record to 7-1 on the season.

KENT, Ohio -- A little rest for the legs helps the jump shot a lot.

Kent State proved that last night as the Golden Flashes scorched the nets from behind the arc to earn a 69-53 victory over Louisiana-Monroe Thursday night to lift their record to 7-1 on the season.

The going gets much tougher now as Kent travels for road games at Alabama-Birmingham and Florida before returning home for an equally tough game against South Florida from the Big East.

One big positive Thursday was with six days rest, the Golden Flashes were 10-of-21 from behind the arc for a team that shot just 28.7 percent on threes entering the game.

Junior guard Carlton Guyton paced the outside attack with 17 points, going 5-of-7 on 3-pointers, including two in the opening half that helped Kent build a 30-19 lead at the break. This opened the inside for leading scorer Justin Greene, who also finished with 17 points, making seven of the eight shots.

A 16-5 run in the second half, anchored by five straight points from freshman Eric Gaines, gave Kent a 50-35 cushion.

The 6-4 Guyton, however, was the catalyst as he also had seven rebounds and a pair of assists to snap out of a recent slump. After going 5-of-5 from long distance in the second game of the season, he missed 18 of his next 23 shot before snapping out of it against the Warhawks.

"I was playing mind games with myself," Guyton said of the slump. "I was in the gym every night trying to get it back."

For Monroe coach Keith Richard, the eruption left him scratching his head.

"Obviously, Guyton had a big night," Richard said. "I don't know if he's that good of a shooter, or if he was so wide open he was playing horse."

But there was more to Kent's victory. Freshman Robert Johnson, a 6-6 forward from Bedford, had his best all-around game to date with five points, three assists and three steals in 17 minutes off the bench. Gaines was also strong with seven points, including a high-flying dunk that seemed to jump-start the Golden Flashes early.

"Eric attacks," Kent coach Geno Ford said. "He's fearless. When he goes to the rim it's at a high rate of speed."

Now it's time to see if Kent can take its act on the road.

Allowing the Warhawks, who were without their best player, to shoot 46.9 percent from the field, and keep pace with KSU on the boards, 28-28, is proof the hard edge and defensive tenacity that traditionally separates KSU from the opposition is not there yet.

"It's time to find out where we are," Ford said. "UAB is very good. Hopefully we've learned from winning. We'll find out Sunday."

They waited in freezing temperatures. In doctored jerseys and T-shirts that expressed their disgust with the guest of dishonor. They would have waited forever.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter / The Plain DealerLeBron James had no problem scoring points for the Heat Thursday night, but he failed to make many points with fans determined to let him know their anger.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Fans arrived early for the unwelcome home party.

A line at the south entrance of The Q snaked around the side of the arena until the doors opened. They waited in freezing temperatures. In doctored jerseys and T-shirts that expressed their disgust with the guest of dishonor: "The Lyin' King," "Quitness," "Traitors: Modell, Albert, Manny, Thome, Boozer & James."

They would have waited forever.

Emotionally, they'd been waiting almost five months for the return of Akron-born and bred LeBron James, the best player ever to wear a Cavs' uniform. But that was before he left for Miami. Before he left fans with the impression he laid down in the playoffs.

"You quit!" Chuck Gasior, a courtside season ticket-holder from Akron, shrieked over and over at LeBron James during pregame warmups.

"Quitter! Quitter!" shouted his buddy, Bob Hoose, the veins in his neck popping out.

Maverick Carter, James' friend, seated three seats down, didn't say a word.

"It's kind of cathartic," said Hoose.

For one night, the Cleveland sports fan unleashed what at times sounded like decades of pent-up frustration every time James handled the ball -- not just for James' flippant departure for Miami, but decades of losing, championship near-misses and all-stars bailing on them.Choreographed just before the opening tip, Cleveland heroes streamed from an arena tunnel to deafening cheers -- Bernie Kosar, Josh Cribbs, Drew Carey among them.

Between boos, fans greeted James with "Akron hates you" and other chants that were more personal than business.

"Tell him to take his talents back to South Beach and stay there," said Antoine Moss of Berea, in a Heat jersey tweaked to read, "Hate 6."

"He's Dwyane Wade's sidekick now," said Acey White of Garfield Heights, in a "The Sidekick" T-shirt with "Witness" crossed out. "He's not the king anymore."

Some feared fan reaction might provide the final piece of an infamous, embarrassing Cleveland trifecta -- Indians 10-cent Beer Night of '74, Browns Bottlegate of '01, and The Return.

But halfway through third quarter, with the Cavs down by more than 30, fans mostly unleashed their anger with jeers, hand-made posters and Cleveland pride on their chests.

Tony Maselli wore a number 23 Cavs jersey with "Leaveland" on the back, and his buddy in one with "Public Enemy" where a player's last name usually goes.

The message they hoped to deliver?

"Just know that he broke our hearts and to be a man," said Maselli, of Lorain. "Grow up. Get rid of those clowns around you."

The chants continued. "Scot-tie Pip-pen...Scot-tie Pip-pen,'' comparing James to Michael Jordan's sidekick.

Deep into the third quarter, as the Heat's lead widened and James turned into a scoring machine, fans began to bail.

"Honestly, the hatred fired him up more,'' said Dave Stadtler of Mentor. "It made him better. I think he made the wrong decision, but I'll always respect his talent.''

"After tonight, I think less of him,'' said Aaron Bush of Warren, who paid about $800 for four tickets and couldn't even mention James by name. "I could have done without the smiling and the gestures.''

Spurts of unruliness popped up into the fourth quarters. A 20-something fan was ejected for getting in a Heat fan's face. Other fans were seen being led out. A Cavs spokesman said one person was arrested and four people ejected during the evening.

Outside, Pastor Toby Gillespie-Mobley and Deacon Tina Williams, of the Glenville New Life Community Church, encouraged fans to take the high road.

"Let's rise above it! 'Tis the season of forgiveness," read one of their signs. "We just came to encourage kindness," Williams said.

Just then, a fan entered the arena in a Cavs' James' jersey with a mock bloody knife in his back.

To many, it was also the season to vent.

Cavaliers fans were at their best when so many expected the worst.

View full sizeJohn Kuntz / The Plain DealerFans made their sentiments clear, but never crossed the line in booing LeBron James Thursday night, says Terry Pluto. He just wishes the Cavaliers had displayed the same energy.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cavaliers fans certainly dealt with the return of LeBron James to Cleveland with far more class than the defending Most Valuable Player handled his move to Miami.

That's a credit to this these fans and this city.

It's probably a downer to some in the national media who arrived in town for Thursday night's game much like that ghoulish segment of fans who attend auto races hoping for a major crash.

After all, we are supposed to be the land of the Great Unwashed, where people still live in caves, killing dinosaurs for dinner and then eating them with our bare hands. Beer Night, Bottlegate and general ugliness is supposed to rule in this cultural wasteland.

Don't you get tired of all that? Aren't you sick of seeing video of those few guys who burned James" jersey when he announced that he was "Taking my talents to South Beach"? Or that somehow we would fail to survive the loss of a 25-year-old basketball player?

Instead, the crowd supplied mostly laughs with its signs and chants.

There was "Akron hates you" a few times when James had a the ball. There were some clever signs such as Merry Quitness and Traitor James.

One of my favorites was WWMJD: What Would Michael Jordan Do?

The Hall of Famer certainly wouldn't go on television to announce his decision to leave the Chicago Bulls, where it took him seven seasons to win the first of what became six NBA titles. But it seems we no longer live in a world of patiently building a winner and staying loyal to a fan base that has embraced you.

Security was tight and any hint of misbehavior led to a quick ejection.

Before the game, walking on to the court were some current and former Browns: Shaun Rogers, Joshua Cribbs and Bernie Kosar. Travis Hafner and Jensen Lewis represented the Indians. Browns rookie defensive back Joe Haden was in the crowd, and received a huge ovation when spotted by the scoreboard camera.

Perhaps the loudest cheer went to Dan Gilbert, when the Cavs owner briefly appeared on the scoreboard. The boos thundered for James when he was introduced.

Former Cavalier Zydrunas Ilgauskas is Miami's starting center, and he received a tremendous and deserved ovation. For hardcore Cavs fans, it had to be discouraging watching 13-year Cavalier veteran in a Heat jersey, just as it hurt to see the final score: Miami 118, Cavs 90.

Northeast Ohio can be proud of its fans, but the Cavs were horrible. After jumping to a 17-12 lead, they were overwhelmed by James and the Heat. By the end of the first quarter, they were behind, 31-23. At the half, it was 59-40. It just kept getting worse.

As the Cavs crumbled, the Heat united around James, who had an MVP-type game with 38 points, five rebounds and eight assists. Who knows if Miami (12-8) uses this game -- its third victory in a row -- to help turn its season around? Frankly, who in Northeast Ohio cares?

The Cavaliers were chastised by coach Byron Scott for a lazy approach. During the game as he was pouring in the points, James walked over to the bench a few times and chatted with some of his former teammates.

The Cavaliers should be embarrassed by their lack of effort.

But not the fans. They were at their best when so many people expected the worst.

James scores 38 points and is dominant throughout Miami's lopsided romp.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerThe Cavaliers never came close to defending LeBron James -- or the rest of the Miami Heat -- as the visitors romped from late in the first quarter to the finish of a 118-90 rout of Cleveland at Quicken Loans Arena Thursday night.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- They came to boo LeBron James, but they had to stop themselves from booing the Cavaliers.

In a game that not only didn't live up to the hype but was so one-sided that even the jilted fans barely worked up enough enthusiasm to continue their verbal onslaught, the star-studded Miami Heat finally looked like the team everyone thought they would be in a dominating 118-90 victory over the pathetic Cavs Thursday night in The Q.

Cavs coach Byron Scott was remarkably calm after the devastating defeat, especially in light of the laughing and joking that went on between James and the Cavs bench during the worst loss of the season.

"I'm not really worried about that," Scott said as the Cavs stumbled to 7-11. "I'm more worried about us."

With good reason. In the team's biggest game, one that should have sent a message about the past and set the tone for the future, the Cavaliers shot 35 percent and committed 14 turnovers while allowing the previously soft Heat to compile a 43-35 edge on the boards and score 36 points in the paint.

It's tough to get revenge when you're in full retreat.

"I'm not discouraged," Scott insisted. "I'm not embarrassed. I'm disappointed. I've got a lot of faith in those guys in the locker room, and we're going to keep fighting."

Keep fighting? When exactly did they exhibit any fight? When they went up 17-12 before James got his bearings?

Oh, there was that little tiff between Daniel Gibson and Eddie House when both got technicals in the fourth quarter. It led to House having to be held back by teammates and security after the game as he tried to make his way to the Cavs' locker room.

But, frankly, even the half dozen or so fans who were ejected, including one reported arrest, showed more fight than the Cavaliers. It was eerily reminiscent of how last season ended against Boston, only this time James was wearing the opponent's jersey -- and he looked great.

He scored a season-high 38 points, including 24 in the third quarter when he absolutely took the Cavs apart. It was never a game after that, as if it had been up to that point.

As fans saw repeatedly in his seven years with the team, James used the boos to fuel his fire.

"It's all right," James told TNT's Craig Sager at halftime. "I understand how passionate the fans are. I've got a lot of love for these fans, but I'm a Miami Heat player now looking to get this win."

James took the court about 17 minutes before tipoff to massive booing and slammed the ball through the hoop just as it reached a crescendo that was as loud as anything heard here during the playoffs or NBA Finals. He repeatedly looked toward the Cavs end of the floor for someone to hug -- sort of like Jim Valvano after winning the NCAA title all those years ago. Finally, Mo Williams obliged.

The fans booed, that, too, but all those boos turned to cheers moments later as a parade of Cleveland native sons -- and adopted favorites -- strolled out, including actor Drew Carey, former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar, current Browns Josh Cribbs and Shaun Rogers and the Indians' Travis Hafner and took their seats. At the end of that line was team owner Dan Gilbert, whose reception threatened to tear the roof off the arena.

Thus energized, the Cavs jumped off to that 17-12 lead. That was it.

James laughed off the boos while making two free throws to tie the score at 17 and scored eight of the Heat's final 14 points in the quarter as the Heat took a 31-24 lead.

Game over. The Cavs never made a statement, never took a stand. Instead, the Heat players may have found themselves.

"We came here with one goal," James said. "That was to win a basketball game. We did that. This is the most complete game that we had all year from start to finish."

LeBron James resides in Miami now, but he lived large between the lines at The Q Thursday in Miami's rout of the Cavaliers.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter / The Plain DealerWith his work complete in three dominating and impressive quarters, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade could enjoy the final minutes of the Heat's romp over the Cavaliers Thursday night.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Stranger in a familiar land.

LeBron James used to sit in the corner of the huge home locker room at The Q, next to the room where trainers kneaded sore flesh and taped ankles. On the wall of the dressing stall was a page from a San Antonio newspaper, showing him dunking over Tim Duncan early in the 2006-07 season.

It didn't matter that the Spurs got revenge for that dunk by sweeping the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals that season, or that their box-and-one defense, spearheaded by Bruce Bowen, reduced James to impotence. What mattered was what the picture said about James.

As a boy, James kept a Michael Jordan poster on his bedroom wall, just as did countless others who grew up to be NBA players. But when he grew up, James put his own poster on the locker room wall. He was his own idol.

Now he is with Miami, and Thursday night he was stationed in the cramped, crowded visitors' locker room. The Akron native is like a college freshman, away from home for, really, the first time. But his is an environment in which the unfamiliar home of South Beach is his only respite, nationwide, from being reviled.

He is like Kobe Bryant when Bryant was facing sex assault charges a few years ago. This season will determine whether he has enough mental toughness to cope with being the villain every night.

Against the Cavs, he did just fine with that black hat -- well, make it a black headband -- thing.

As Miami took a 31-23 first-quarter lead, James made his first shot, a 15-foot baseline jumper over Joey Graham, then missed a long three-pointer on his second. He came into the game shooting 28.6 percent from the arc, a career low, and chucked seven more, missing five. The rest, though, was almost all peaks, no valleys.

Miami laid 59 points on Byron Scott's beleaguered team and held a 19-point halftime lead increasing it to a humbling 38 points in the third quarter.

The signature Cavaliers' moment of the forgettable night came when J.J. Hickson went end-to-end for a slam dunk in the early minutes. With his inside position walling off James' chance from a chase-down block, Hickson whipped down a dunk before James could get to the ball with a flailing arm.

The stuff seemed to spur James to strut his own, though.

If you can step outside the bubble of pure venom in which James lives -- and this is not an easy thing to do after his shameful exit and disgraceful Boston series -- and take the performance solely as a display of technical basketball virtuosity, you must admire the game he plays. He scored 38 points with five rebounds and eight assists in Miami's 118-90 rout.

This makes the way his Cavs career ended all the more galling, of course.

Late in the first quarter, he went to the free-throw line, where he has never been very trustworthy, and he stood in the eye of a storm of derision. A chant "Yes, we hate you!" (later "Akron hates you!") was roaring from the stands. James, after making his first free throw, grinned through the protective armor of his mouthpiece at the crowd, then swished the second.

The rout was on by the third quarter. James, a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, New York Yankees and Chicago Bulls as a boy, can front-run with anyone. He scored a ridiculous 24 points in the third quarter, without ever being roughed up or put on his butt by an objecting Cavalier.

He made 10 of 12 shots, scoring on layups and intermediate jumpers, long-distance stuff and at the line. He scored his team's last 13 points. It was a half-Detroit, recalling the 25 straight points he scored in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2007, in what seems like another lifetime.

He soared, and he scored, despite being booed every time he touched the ball. It recalled a fierce first-round series with Boston in 1985, and the abuse the fans showered on Larry Bird.

"If they boo me, I might just have a field day," said Bird, who closed out the Cavs in the next game.

James had his field day. Along the way, he reminded us of how uncommonly well he can play basketball, when he is not impugning the game's integrity and ruining his own.

Cleveland State handled another early-season challenge and scored a rare road victory in the Horizon League.

Rob Demovsky

Green Bay Press-Gazette

GREEN BAY, Wis. – It's one thing to go 8-0 in a non-conference schedule that included only one game outside of Ohio. It's another to go on the road and win a conference opener in a place where you've lost the last five times.

But Cleveland State handled another early-season challenge and scored a rare road victory in the Horizon League, beating Wisconsin-Green Bay, 83-75, Thursday night at the Resch Center.

"We made a point that we wanted to win this game because we hadn't won here during my tenure at CSU," Vikings coach Gary Waters said. "We wanted to make a change on this entire trip [to Wisconsin]."

They did it an unconventional way -- at least for them. A team that entered Thursday's game shooting just 28.8 percent from 3-point range knocked down 10-of-14 from long range.

"I knew there was going to be a game that we'd shoot well," Waters said. "We haven't shot well at all, and we can shoot the ball well. I knew eventually we were going to come out of it."

Trevon Harmon, a 33.3-percent 3-point shooter coming in, hit 4-of-5 on the way to scoring 19 points. Charlie Woods, who made just 4-of-13 3s in the first eight games, made 2-of-3 and after not scoring in the last four games, he put up nine points.

Tim Kamczyc, who was just 3-of-12 on 3s this season, made his only attempt of the game. Norris Cole, Jeremy Montgomery and Josh McCoy each made one. Safe to say, that kind of shooting wasn't anywhere on UWGB's scouting report on the Vikings (9-0 overall, 1-0 Horizon).

"No, it wasn't," said UWGB guard Bryquis Perine, who led the Phoenix with 22 points. "They're not a good 3-point shooting team as of lately. We contested shots, but we didn't defend how we normally should defend."

Cole, the league's leading scorer at 21.5, finished with a game-high 26 points. All but nine came in the second half. The senior guard started hot. He scored nine points in the first nine minutes but left with two fouls. The Vikings had a 19-10 lead at that point. Their lead grew to 10, 25-15, thanks to 3-pointers on consecutive possessions by reserves McCoy and Woods after Green Bay switched to zone.

But Phoenix coach Brian Wardle ditched that defense in a hurry, and the Phoenix got back into the game. UWGB led twice briefly in the first half thanks to a 3-pointer by Troy Snyder that gave UWGB a 32-31 lead and a steal and a dunk that made it 34-33 with 1:30 to play.

But Harmon, who had 13 first-half points, answered with a 3 to help the Vikings to a 39-36 halftime lead. They made 7-of-9 from beyond the arc in the first half and shot 57.1 percent overall.

The Vikings didn't exactly cool off in the second half. They made two of their first three, including another by Woods from the left wing that gave the Vikings a 56-47 lead with 10:40 to play.

They eventually cooled off but still finished at 52.5 percent for the game. They also made 31 of 38 free throws in a game slowed by 52 fouls.

"That was an ugly game, a real ugly game that lasted too long with too many fouls called," Waters said. "It was really what I call an interrupted game. No flow in the game. I see 52 percent [shooting], and I can't complain.

"The streak continues."

The Vikings continue their road trip at UW-Milwaukee on Saturday.

Rob Demovsky is a writer for the Green Bay Press-Gazette

The Indians signed Joe Smith and Jensen Lewis to one-year deals worth $870,000 and $650,000, respectively. All other players on the 40-man roster were tendered contracts.

View full sizeChuck Crow / The Plain DealerCleveland Indians' relief pitcher Joe Smith was happy to sign a new deal with the Indians on Thursday.

Updated: 11:55 p.m.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Indians went 2-for-2 Thursday in avoiding salary arbitration with  relievers Joe Smith and Jensen Lewis.

They signed Smith and Lewis to one year deals. Smith received $870,000 plus bonuses. Lewis will get $650,000.

 Teams had until midnight to offer 2011 contracts to the unsigned players on their 40-man rosters. If a player wasn't offered a contract, he became a free agent.

Smith made $427,500 and Lewis $422,400 last season. The Indians were trying to sign them to avoid the raises they would receive in arbitration.

Lewis and Smith, both right-handers, bounced between Cleveland and Class AAA Columbus last season. Lewis was up and down five times. He went 4-2 with a 2.97 ERA (12 earned runs in 36 1/3 innings) in 37 appearances with Cleveland. The opposition hit .215 against him. He was 2-1 with a 2.67 ERA with two saves in 24 appearances at Columbus.

Lefties hit .264 (14-for-53) and righties .182 (14-for-77) against Lewis.

Smith, a sidearmer, was 2-2 with a 3.83 ERA (17 earned runs in 40 innings) in 53 games with the Indians. The opposition hit .208 against him and he had 17 holds. Smith was 2-1 with a 1.96 ERA and two saves in 20 games with Columbus.

Lefties hit .342 (13-for-38) and righties .160 (17-for-106) against Smith.

"I'm happy," said Smith. "Guaranteed money is never a bad thing. Cleveland is a good spot. We have a good group of guys who take care of each other. And it's close to home."

Smith is from Cincinnati.

Hot corner: Jayson Nix spent three days working with infield coach Steve Smith in California before heading to Puerto Rico to play third base for San Juan.

"It went well," said Smith, in a text. "He needs game experience. Puerto Rico will be good for him."

Nix, a converted second baseman, played his first game Wednesday. He went 0-for-5 and made an error on a missed catch.

Voices of the game: Mike Hegan, entering his 23rd season as an Indians announcer, will reduce his travel in 2011. Hegan will do all home games with partner Tom Hamilton in the WTAM/1100 radio booth and road games that do not require long travel.

Jim Rosenhaus, who debuted in the WTAM booth last season, will partner with Hamilton for the rest of the schedule.

Hegan, who played 12 years in the big leagues, missed some games last season because of breathing problems.

LeBron James is "exhausted" after surviving his return to Cleveland with a season-high 38 points.

View full sizeJoshua Gunter / The Plain DealerLeBron James absorbed the fans' abuse before the game started, but he was responding quite sufficiently on the floor as the Heat built a 19-point halftime lead.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Each time he hit a basket in the third quarter, each time another long-distance jumper fell through the net, LeBron James seemed to be right in front of the Cavaliers bench.

Right in front of his old teammates, right in front of all the people he played in front of for seven seasons in Cleveland.

Every time the points added up, totaling 24 in the quarter for a new Miami record, James turned toward the bench and pointed. Or grinned. Or said something he knew would get to their hearts.

"I know those guys," James said. "We've had a lot of battles on the same court. It was fun to have an opportunity to go against them."

It was fun for James because he walked out with a season-high 38 points, his Miami team had a 118-90 victory and James had not only survived his return to Cleveland, but thrived.

He encountered all the chants that Cavaliers fans threatened -- from "Ak-ron hates you!" to "Scot-tie Pip-pen!" -- saw skirmishes break out across the arena, particularly when the game was out of hand, and endured 48 minutes of boos.

It was as emotionally exhausting as he'd expected.

"I'm tired, now," James said. "I'm very exhausted. I didn't get much sleep last night, didn't get much sleep today, either."

It didn't seem to bother him, though. James arrived at The Q at 5:35 p.m., entering the arena to be greeted by a tunnel of media that had been waiting for nearly an hour. He warmed up as cameras clicked and whirred recording his every motion. He dressed in the visitor's locker room -- a first for him since his days at Akron's St. Mary-St. Vincent High School -- with two security guards keeping media about 10 feet away from his sneakers.

His focus was there from the start, as James and the Heat used a 16-0 first-quarter spurt to grab the lead it would never relinquish.

James hit his first jumper from the baseline. He smiled when the arena echoed with "Akron hates you!" as he shot free throws.

Afterward he said he battled through emotions to remain so calm.

"So many things went through my mind," he said. "I have nothing bad to say about these fans at all. I had seven great years [here]. We grew from the year before I got here -- a 17-win season -- to the last two years I was here being the best team in the league in the regular season.

"I understand their frustration. I was frustrated, also, because we didn't accomplish what we wanted to at the end of the day."

James accomplished what he wanted to Thursday, though. He finished with 38 points on 15-of-25 shooting, added eight assists and five rebounds. He accounted for the final 14 points of the third quarter, sitting for all of the fourth.

Even when the fans booed and jeered him throughout the game, he said he still appreciates all they did for him in his career. He might, he said, even feel a little bad about the way he handled "The Decision."

"At the end of the day, do I regret what I did? I never regret any decisions I made," James said. "You just try to learn from things in life, in general. If it's from sports or being a father or a friend. If you make a mistake or feel like you made a mistake you just learn for next time. There's not a clock you can turn back, you can't do it all over again.

"My intentions were on point, maybe the execution was a little off."

Miami Heat forward LeBron James talks about the game, the atmosphere and his feelings about Cleveland fans following the Heat's 118-90 win over the Cavaliers on Thursday, December 2 at Quicken Loans Arena. Watch video