LeBron James

King James scores 22 points as Cavaliers down Bobcats 104 101

Anderson Varejao was all over the floor _ and all over the arena.

Cleveland's frizzy-haired and frantic forward, who causes chaos over 94 feet, scored 16 points and added 10 rebounds and LeBron James scored 22, leading the Cavaliers to a 104-101 win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night.

The Cavaliers celebrated Varejao's crazy, highlighted hairdo by handing out free wigs to their fans, many of whom wore their bushy giveaways during the game to honour Cleveland's ``Wild Thing.''

``It's kind of scary, 18,000 Andys,'' James said. ``I don't think I could come to the arena if we had wig night all the time.''

Larry Hughes had 16 points and made a key steal and two free throws in the final minute, and Drew Gooden added 16 points as the Cavaliers improved to 10-2 at home and had their starting lineup back on the floor for the first time in 13 games.

Cleveland, which has had a problem of playing up or down to the level of its competition all season, let a 10-point lead slip to two in the fourth quarter before finally putting the game away in the final minute.

``We're a much better team than our record shows,'' Hughes said. ``We've just got to prove it. We should have about four more wins. We know where we want to go, we've just got to figure out how to get there.''

Rookie Adam Morrison led Charlotte with 16, Emeka Okafor had 14 and 11 rebounds and Brevin Knight added 14 assists for the Bobcats, who closed within 98-96 on Knight's jumper with 1:12 remaining.

But after Varejao missed from the outside, Hughes, in his third game back since missing 10 with a sprained ankle, stepped in front of a pass by Sean May and was fouled.

Hughes dropped both free throws to make it 100-96, and after Matt Carroll scored for Charlotte, James saved a wild pass by Hughes and fed Varejao underneath for a dunk to give the Cavs a 102-98 lead.

James, who added eight rebounds and seven assists, made two more free throws and Carroll closed the scoring by dropping a three-pointer at the horn.

Bobcats coach Bernie Bickerstaff felt one of his players had fouled Hughes before he could pass the ball to James.

``I don't know what the deal was,'' Bickerstaff said. ``We tried to foul. We had him (Hughes) locked up over in the corner. There were three guys, two slapping at him. But I guess we didn't hit them hard enough.''

With the season now more than one quarter of the way over, the Cavaliers are still searching for consistency. Before Wednesday, they hadn't had both Gooden and Hughes healthy since Nov. 15. And they need an attitude other than a complacent one.

Their up-and-down play has been a troubling trend that has led to some losses to lesser-talented teams, including a 92-88 setback to the Bobcats (5-16) on Nov. 4.

Leading by 13 at half, the Cavs allowed the Bobcats easy baskets in a 15-5 run. Gerald Wallace's bucket got Charlotte within 70-69 before Cleveland closed the period with a 10-4 spurt to go up 80-73.

Varejao, who was active inside all night, then made two free throws and Jones knocked down a three-pointer in the first minute of the fourth, giving Cleveland a 12-point lead.

But the Bobcats weren't done, and they reeled off eight consecutive points to make it 88-86 with 6:58 remaining.

``That's our identity. We don't quit,'' said forward Sean May, who finished with 13 rebounds. ``We put on a good showing, but man, we'd like to have that one.''

James didn't get his first field goal of the second half until there was 2:11 left, giving Cleveland a 98-91 lead.

Morrison, who came in shooting just 3-of-34 in his last four games, scored 11 points in the second quarter. His jumper brought Charlotte within 55-48, but the Cavaliers closed the half with a 6-0 spurt to lead 61-48 at the break.

Notes: The Cavs are 7-0 when they score at least 100 points. ... Gooden missed two games after injuring his groin while trying to outdunk James in warmups. Cavs coach Mike Brown doesn't plan to place any pregame restrictions on his players. ``I don't know who's putting on a show and who's not,'' he said. ``As long as they're ready when the buzzer sounds, I don't care what they do.'' ... The Bobcats turned over the WNBA's Charlotte Sting to the WNBA on Wednesday, saying they could no longer operate one of the league's original franchises. ... The Bobcats have lost four straight and six of seven. ... Cleveland has won eight of nine all-time vs. Charlotte.

James scores 27 points as Cavaliers defeat Pacers 107 75

Stephen Jackson didn't last until halftime. By then, the Indiana Pacers were done anyway.

LeBron James scored 24 points _ mostly with Jackson trying to guard him _ in the first half and finished with 27 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 107-75 win over the flustered Pacers on Saturday night.

Indiana's ugly loss was compounded by an incident in the first half involving Jackson, who was kicked off the Pacers' bench by coach Rick Carlisle.

Late in the second, Jackson was pulled by Carlisle and the two had words. Carlisle then pointed for Jackson to leave the bench area, banishing the fiery guard to the locker room for the remainder of the game.

``I substituted for him. He came to the bench and an exchange ensued that I thought was inappropriate and detrimental to the team,'' Carlisle said. ``So I made a decision to remove him from the bench.

``These games are difficult. If you don't have everybody with a laser-like focus on one task, which is playing like a team and competing hard, it gets even more difficult.''

It's the latest controversy surrounding Jackson. The 28-year-old is facing charges of firing a gun during a fight outside a strip club in Indianapolis on Oct. 6. He could go to trial in February.

Two years ago, Jackson went into the stands and fought Detroit fans during the Pacers' infamous brawl with fans in Detroit.

Following the game, Jackson was on his way out of Quicken Loans Arena, escorted by two security personnel, when Pacers assistant coach Chuck Person summoned to have him brought back to the locker room.

Jackson went inside for a moment before leaving again. On his way out, Jackson declined an interview request.

``No,'' he said. ``I'm cool.''

Carlisle said he had not yet spoken with Jackson, and at this point no further discipline was planned.

``As of right now, this is a one-game situation and if that changes I'll let you know,'' Carlisle said. ``I expect this is an incident that's isolated and will be dealt with as such.

``I loved the way Jack played the last two games. He was a leader and he was focused. He had a great demeanour and he's one of our better players and that's what we expect from him every night. But when something like this happens, it has to be addressed.''

James had seven rebounds, six assists and spent the entire fourth quarter relaxing on the bench. The Cavaliers built a 24-point lead in the first half and coasted to their most lopsided win this season.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 15 points and Donyell Marshall added a season-high 17 rebounds for the Cavs. Cleveland outrebounded Indiana 57-34.

Darrell Armstrong had 13 points and Danny Granger added 12 points for the Pacers.

Ilgauskas scored just two points on only two shots when the teams met Nov. 24 _ a 10-point win by Indiana. But the seven-foot-three centre was able to move inside as the Pacers were without forward Jermaine O'Neal, who missed his second straight game with a strained left hamstring.

Leading by 14 points at halftime, the Cavaliers outscored Indiana 28-13 to open an 84-55 lead entering the fourth.

James, who went 10-of-11 from the floor in the first half, was replaced with 20 seconds to go in the third and got some rare rest on the bench in the final 12 minutes.

``I'm not very good at sitting, but it was good,'' James said. ``We did a good job jumping on a team and not letting up.

``It was great to finally get a blowout.''

Larry Hughes, who missed Cleveland's previous 10 games with a sprained right ankle, scored eight points in 24 minutes.

However, Hughes' return was tempered by the loss of Cavs forward Drew Gooden, who injured his left groin trying to dunk during pregame warmups.

With no O'Neal to block or impede their way, the Cavaliers drove to the basket at will in the first half for layups, and of course, a few dunks by James.

Cleveland led by 15 points in the first quarter and extended its lead to 24 points when James blasted down the left side for a layup with 3:20 to go before halftime. The bucket incited a chant of ``You can't stop him,'' from fans in the upper deck at about the same time Jackson was being yanked by Carlisle.

The Pacers, though, cut 10 points off Cleveland's lead as the 38-year-old Armstrong scored 10 points in the final 2:26 and started a 14-4 run as Indiana closed to 56-42 at halftime.

Notes: In the final seconds, LeBron James Jr. tossed an orange toy ball on the floor, drawing a roar from the crowd and a laugh from his dad. ... James was an Olympic teammate of Allen Iverson's and wouldn't mind playing again with the 76ers' troubled point guard, who appears to be on the verge of being traded by Philadelphia. ``I'm not trying to stir something up around here, but he's a Hall of Famer, who wouldn't want to play with him?'' James said. ``Anyone in the league would want to play with a guy like that.'' James feels the best thing for Iverson and Philly is to part ways. ``It's very difficult for him to swallow,'' he said. ``But he has to understand that and move on.'' ... The Cavaliers are 20-2 at home since March 5.

LeBron James scores 26 points to lead Cavaliers to 95 91 win over Raptors

LeBron James scored 26 points and did everything Cleveland needed him to in the final minutes, rallying the Cavaliers to a 95-91 win over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.

With Cleveland down by seven, James dished out three assists, grabbed a rebound and scored five points _ two on a dunk _ during a 13-0 burst that put the Cavs ahead 90-86. After Fred Jones drained a three-pointer for Toronto, James fed Donyell Marshall for a three to make it 93-89 with 17.9 seconds remaining.

James finished with 10 assists _ four in the final 12 minutes.

Rookie Daniel Gibson, making his first career start, made two free throws with 11.4 seconds left to help seal it for the Cavs, who turned up their defensive intensity late after allowing the Raptors too many easy baskets.

Marshall added 19 points, Gibson had a season-high 18 and Eric Snow 12 for Cleveland.

Chris Bosh and Anthony Parker had 18 apiece and rookie Andrea Bargnani 14 for the Raptors, who had control and an 84-77 lead with 5:13 to go.

That's when James took over.

He picked up three quick assists, two on three-pointers by Damon Jones and Marshall, before driving the lane to draw a double team and passing underneath to Anderson Varejao for an easy layup to put Cleveland up 85-84 with 3:43 left.

James then drove baseline for a dunk, dropped a free throw and scored on another layin to make it 90-84 with 2:09 left.

The Raptors went cold from the floor and went 3:04 without a point before Bosh scored and Fred Jones hit a three-pointer to pull them within 90-89. But James found Marshall for Cleveland's 10th three-pointer, and Gibson helped put it away at the line.

Gibson's three-pointer in the final second gave the Cavaliers, who trailed by nine in the third quarter, a 68-67 lead entering the fourth.

Coming off a horrible performance at Houston when they scored just 63 points, the Cavaliers managed just 18 in the first quarter and trailed by 10 points when James hit a three-pointer with 6:36 left before halftime.

Cleveland made two more threes, and James scored six points in the final 1:36 _ he had 19 in the first half _ as the Cavs closed within 47-44 at halftime.