Relentless LeBron scores
38 points in Cleveland

WASHINGTON – “The traitor” returned to Cleveland in what for seven seasons was his home. LeBron James, welcomed by the whistles of the 20,000 Quicken Loans Arena fans, with 38 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. A masterpiece in terms of basketball, which was not enough to reconcile LeBron James with his former team, but which allowed ‘King James’ to return as king to his former city. In the other challenge played in the night Phoenix beat the Golden State Warriors 107-101 away.

SURREAL CLIMATE– “I knew I would find a hostile environment, but it would have surprised me the other way – LeBron James said at the end -. I tried to concentrate on the game, without thinking about the external environment. And I don’t think I have anything to forgive the public. They are a passionate audience, and I loved every day of my seven years here. What matters, however, is that we wanted to win and we did it, playing an aggressive basketball. ” The game was announced in the United States as the “event” of the year. President Barack Obama himself, as a basketball fan, had said he expected a “bestial” match. So it was: Cleveland-Miami was played in an incandescent climate, between strengthened security measures to contain “hatred” of the 20,000 of the Quicken Loan Arena, as they themselves had written on hundreds of signs. Welcomed by broadsides of “buuuu” every time he touched the ball, LeBron James replied as a king, scoring one basket after the other, and never falling into provocations. He won the challenge, and finally embraced Williams, the new Cleveland star, under the eyes of the fans, less and less hating, increasingly marked by traces of admiring nostalgia.

ONE WAY GAME – With the match already decided at the break, the attention is focused exclusively on James. He is not intimidated by those who reproach him in a colorful way for the anonymous performances offered in the last playoffs. He takes his team into his hands and becomes the absolute protagonist, as he so often happened to him in the 7 years as a ‘knight’. In 30′ of play, given that in the last quarter he remains to watch surrounded by security personnel, he closes with 15/25 from the field (2/7 from 3 points), 8 assists and 5 rebounds. Alone, scores 10 points more than the entire Cleveland quintet. With the individual loot of the third period, he could stand up to the whole opposing team (25 points). The suspicion that the challenge was a personal matter, therefore, is well founded. The Heat, who have a record of 12-8, for the first time the real ‘big three’ show on the floor. Dwyane Wade flirts with the triple double (22 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists). Chris Bosh produced 15 points and 5 rebounds. Definitely too much for Cleveland (7-11), wiped out despite Daniel Gibson’s 21 points.

(03 December 2010)