James scores 38 points and is dominant throughout Miami's lopsided romp.
View full sizeThe 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."