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 LeBron James connects on another fourth-quarter three in Sunday's win over Toronto. Listen
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LeBron James drives through the Toronto defense for two of his 39 points.
Ron Turenne
NBAE/Getty Images
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On Sunday afternoon, after three quarters of basketball, the Raptors had to feel one of two ways about a struggling LeBron James: Either they were very pleased that the young King was having an off-day, or very concerned that he would explode in the fourth.
It turned out to be the latter, as LeBron put on a performance for the ages, setting a franchise record with 24 points in the fourth quarter and leading the Cavaliers from a 15-point second-half deficit to the stunning 93-90 victory in Toronto.
James had nine points at the half and 15 after three, going just 6-for-19 from the floor heading into the final period. But the sleeping giant was awakened in the fourth, scoring 11 of his 24 through the first half of the quarter as Cleveland made Toronto’s 13-point lead disappear.
Between LeBron’s spectacular shooting in the fourth, the scarcely-used Damon Jones canned a pair of three-pointers from the right corner that cut into Toronto’s double-digit bulge. The Raptors picked themselves up and were able to tie the ballgame – 84-84 – with just over two minutes to play in regulation, but less than a minute later, LeBron found a struggling Daniel Gibson, who canned a trey to give the Cavaliers a five-point lead and just enough breathing room to pull out the win.
“We had 11 turnovers at halftime, four the entire second half,” said Coach Mike Brown. “If we cleaned those two areas up, kept trying to attack, kept trying to be aggressive, we’ve just got to find a way, figure out a way to win. That can happen when you have a guy like Lebron James on your team.”
LeBron was 8-of-10 in the fourth quarter – going 4-for-5 from beyond the arc and 4-of-6 at the stripe. His 24-point period sets the mark for a Cavalier, eclipsing 23-point performances by the late Terry Furlow and the great World B. Free. Overall, James was 14-for-29 from the floor – barely missing a triple-double with 11 boards and eight assists.
“Everything was going right for me and I just feel like I am out there by myself like in practice when you’re by yourself and working out,” said James, about the zone he was in. “The hoop felt like the ocean.”
Drew Gooden also doubled-up with 10 points and 12 boards and Larry Hughes had a solid shooting night from the floor – going 6-for-12 for 14 points.
For the second straight night, the Cavaliers’ bench had a strong outing, with Damon Jones clutch three-pointers, Devin Brown’s tenacious overall play and Anderson Varejao’s heart and hustle. Varejao led both teams with 13 boards, as the Cavaliers out-rebounded Toronto, 52-33, including 20-5 on the offensive glass.
Chris Bosh led the Raptors with 23 points and Anthony Parker pitched in with 20, although he was 0-for-6 in the final period. Jose Calderon led both teams with 11 dimes.
With the win, the Cavaliers hit the .500 mark on the season and have the same mark as Toronto (17-17). The Cavaliers have won two of the three meetings this season against Sam Mitchell’s squad. The Wine and Gold now looks to make a move as they face Seattle on Tuesday night, travel to Atlanta on Wednesday and welcome the Bobcats to The Q on Friday night.
NOTES
Sunday’s game featured three of the top four three-point shooters in the league, one of which is Cavaliers’ sophomore, Daniel Gibson. Boobie was only 1-for-3 in Toronto, but is still shooting at a .484 clip. Last year, the Wine and Gold was represented by Damon Jones. This year, it could be Gibson.
“I’d love to be in it,” smiled the former Longhorn. “But that decision is not up to me. Hopefully, if I can keep making threes, I’ll be out there All-Star Weekend. I think I have a good shot, but you really never know until you get that letter from the league.”
The Cavaliers grabbed a season-high in offensive rebounds on Sunday afternoon with 20.
LeBron James has never made any secret about his passion for football and naturally, with the Ohio State Buckeyes in Monday night’s National Championship game, the Chosen One weighed in with his prediction.
“I’ll say 21-17, Buckeyes,” James asserted. “They have a great passing defense and I think Akron’s own, Beanie Wells, is going to control the game.”
Damon Jones hasn’t seen action since the December 18 loss to the Knicks in New York, but came off the bench to drill a pair of crucial three-pointers against Toronto.
“It’s a tough situation, but when you assemble a team, everyone has to be ready,” offered the DJ. “Everyone is not going to get the time they want because you have 15 good players. It’s been tough, but I was glad to give the team a spark when I did and get the team over the hump.”
Drew Gooden notched his 12th double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 boards on Sunday.
In Canada, hockey is king. And the LeBron James of the NHL is Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby – whose career, in several ways, has paralleled LeBron’s.
“I know he’s great at what he does,” said James. “They call him ‘Sid the Kid,’ he’s been great for the Pittsburgh Penguins and what he’s able to do, as young as he is, is pretty good. I know they compare him to me and I’m excited to be compared to a guy who plays the game the way he does.”
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