CLEVELAND — The emotion and energy in the building when LeBron James is in town is distinctly different. Every move that he makes elicits a reaction from the crowd. It did when he was 18. And it does when he’s
41-years old.
This creates an interesting atmosphere to play a basketball game, like the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers attempted to do on Wednesday.
James received the loudest ovation during the pregame intros, and then he teared up during the tribute video the Cavs ran for him during the first timeout. He’s always shown appreciation for the hometown crowd, but never to this level.
This led to a somewhat unfocused effort on the court for James. For one of the very few times in his career, he wasn’t able to reach back and throw his best fastball on a night he would’ve liked to.
The Cavs took advantage.
Cleveland opened the game on a 7-0 run to put the Lakers on their backfoot.
Los Angeles fought back and reasserted control of the game in the second quarter. Luka Dončić’s 13 points in that frame had a lot to do with that.
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The Cavaliers closed the second well, taking a two-point lead into the break before breaking it open in the third quarter.
Cleveland was the aggressor out of the gate and quickly opened a double-digit lead. Then, they expanded it to 17 with a 9-0 run, and kept their foot on the gas until they were up 22 heading into the fourth, putting it out of reach for any possible comeback.
The Cavs won the second half 72-44 en route to their 30-point victory.
The bench powered the shorthanded Cavs — who were playing without Darius Garland (toe) and Evan Mobley (calf) — to the one-sided victory.
Jaylon Tyson’s emergence as not just a rotation player, but someone who can be a meaningful foundational piece of the team’s future was on display. He was comfortable attacking off-the-dribble, playmaking for others, and was incredibly useful as a perimeter defender.
More than that, Tyson plays with an infectious energy that affects the whole team. It’s difficult to sit back and watch when he’s playing like this and telling ESPN that “he fears no man” when asked about facing his favorite player growing up.
Tyson ended the night with 20 points on 8-15 shooting to go along with six rebounds and six assists.
Nae’Qwan Tomlin followed Tyson’s lead. He played with the same reckless abandon that led to him having an emphatic fastbreak and rejection of a James layup on the other end.
De’Andre Hunter provided the reserve shotmaking that many within the organization were hoping he would when the Cavs traded for him a year ago. He poured in 19 points on 7-15 shooting in the win.
The Cavaliers also benefited from solid games from their two best remaining players. Donovan Mitchel led the team with 25 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Jarrett Allen controlled the paint, finishing with 17 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and a steal.
This was a win the Cavs needed. This team hasn’t always responded well to high-pressure games. They passed that test as they picked up a much-needed win before heading on a five-game Western Conference roadtrip.
Cleveland has now won five straight, eight of their last 10, and 12 of their last 16. This team is starting to come into form, even though we still haven’t been able to see what a fully healthy version of this group looks like.
Dončić led the Lakers with an empty calories 29 points on 12-20 shooting with six assists and five rebounds.
James was the story of the game, but not for anything he did on the court. It was a somewhat unfocused performance that was somewhat reminiscent of his first home game in Cleveland back in 2014. He never established anything, was passive to a fault, and wasn’t able to turn it around when the game started slipping away.
James ended his homecoming with just 11 points on 3-10 shooting with five assists and three rebounds.
The Cavs will be back in action as they start their roadtrip against the Phoenix Suns on Friday. Gametime is 9 PM.
