Cavs get statement win over Boston; Orlando looms

While the Cavaliers were beating Boston in a matchup of East powers, the Orlando Magic were busy showing that the conference could well be a three-team race to the top. LeBron James scored 38 points, harassed Paul Pierce all over the floor and strengthened his case to be the league's MVP front-runner as the Cavaliers improved to 19-0 at home by beating the staggering Celtics 98-83 on Friday night. Boston (29-9), which started the season a league-record 27-2, is just 2-7 since. James scored 23 in the second half. He added seven rebounds...read full article

Celtics beaten but not defeated

Are the Celtics overrated? The Cleveland crowd expressed that opinion as they chanted in the late going of the Cavaliers' 98-83 win over the Celtics Friday night. In any case, a fourth successive defeat has forced the Celtics to take stock of themselves as they visit Toronto today and play host to the Raptors tomorrow. Coach Doc Rivers believes there are positives to this downturn in the Celtics' fortunes. "Sometimes you have to go through something to get something," said Rivers. "Last year, we didn't have this, at all. And I was extremely concerned going into...read full article

This NBA season belongs to LeBron

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ complete dismantling of the Boston Celtics on Friday night made it clear what the rest of the NBA season is about. It’s about LeBron James and his quest to lead Cleveland to an NBA title. Barring injury, James has already wrapped the MVP award. He is playing at such a high level that almost nobody in the NBA can match his talent. The first month of the season focused on the Celtics’ ability to repeat as NBA champions, but at times, James’ hard drives to the basket made Boston look like a midlevel NCAA Division I team. It is becoming...read full article

Pumped-up LeBron James leads Cavaliers over Celtics

For days, LeBron James insisted that facing the NBA champions in January was no ordinary regular-season game. He and the Cleveland Cavaliers proved it Friday night, beating the Boston Celtics, 98-83, in a game filled with playoff-like intensity. James scored 38 points, harassed Paul Pierce all over the floor and continued to make his case for the league's most valuable player as the Cavaliers improved to 19-0. James scored 23 in the second half. He added seven rebounds, six assists, four steals and three blocks. After the Cavaliers had built their lead to...read full article

James inspires Cavs to big win over slumping Celtics

An inspirational LeBron James scored 38 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to an emphatic 98-83 home victory over the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics on Friday. The All-Star forward filled out the stat-sheet with seven rebounds, six assists, four steals and three blocks as Cleveland improved their league-best record to 29-6. The struggling Celtics (29-9) were led by Kevin Garnett, who had 18 points and 15 rebounds, but could not prevent his team from losing for a fourth straight game and for the seventh time in the last nine contests. Last...read full article

LeBron James scores 38 points as Cavaliers rock Celtics 98-83

They circled this game on their calendar months ago. On Friday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers checked it off as another win. Their biggest in a season getting special. LeBron James scored 38 points, harassed Paul Pierce all over the floor and strengthened his case to be the league's MVP front-runner as the Cavaliers, playing with a bottled-up intensity reserved for the playoffs, improved to 19-0 at home by beating the staggering Boston Celtics 98-83 on Friday night.
James scored 23 in the second half. He added seven rebounds, six assists, four...read full article

LeBron James scores 38 as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Boston Celtics

No, officially the contest Friday night at The Q does not count for the postseason. Psychologically? Emotionally? Physically? Yes, yes and yes. To a man, the Cavaliers treated their matchup with the world champion Celtics like a playoff game. For weeks they'd been eyeing Jan. 9 on the schedule. And as soon as it was acceptable -- about five minutes after their win Wednesday night -- they started focusing on it. They didn't feel like they gave Boston their best shot in last season's playoffs or in this season's opener. It had to wait until Friday, when the frustration was...read full article

MVP Statement: LeBron, Cavs rock Celtics 98-83

For days, LeBron James insisted facing the NBA champions in January was no ordinary regular-season game. He and his teammates proved it. James scored 38 points, harassed Paul Pierce all over the floor and strengthened his case to be the league's MVP front-runner as the Cleveland Cavaliers improved to 19-0 at home by beating the staggering Boston Celtics 98-83 Friday night in a game oozing with postseason intensity. James scored 23 in the second half. He added seven rebounds, six assists, four steals and three blocks. After the Cavs had built their...read full article

What we learned: Celtics-Cavaliers

With a little over four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and the game no longer in doubt, a demonstrative Kevin Garnett huddled with Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Sam Cassell on The Celtics bench. The topic: how to get the team out of the worst funk The Big Three have experienced in their 1½ years together. "We were trying to work things out," Cassell said. "Trying to regroup. We're tired of talking about it. This [(expletive] is getting old now. We're tired of excuses. This is what we have in our locker room right here. Hakeem Olajuwon ain't coming...read full article

Cavaliers vs Celtics Highlights

Cavaliers cruise past slumping Celtics

The Cleveland Cavaliers claimed the momentum in the NBA's Eastern Conference race with a 98-83 win over a slumping Boston Celtics on Friday, in a game foreshadowing their potential playoff showdown. LeBron James scored 38 points, harassed Paul Pierce all over the floor and strengthened his case to be the league's MVP front-runner as the Cleveland Cavaliers improved to 19-0 at home. James scored 23 in the second half. He added seven rebounds, six assists, four steals and three blocks as the Cavaliers surged to a 20-point lead in the second...read full article

Celtics, Cavaliers ready to rumble

As little LeBron James Jr. practiced writing his name on the dry-erase board in Cleveland's locker room, his famous father was busy a few feet away. The Boston Celtics were on the flatscreen TV and LeBron James was watching them, studying them, breaking them down. Stepping away from his work, the youngster examined his penmanship. "Daddy, my 'n' looks like a 'w'," he said. On Friday night, his father wouldn't mind seeing a different 'W.' The Cavaliers, owners of the Eastern Conference's best record and the league's only unbeaten team at home, will host...read full article

James, Cavaliers, set for rematch with Celtics

When the NBA champion Celtics take the court in Cleveland on Friday night, LeBron James expects to see the Boston team that opened the season 27-2, not the one that has lost six of its last eight games. "It's not the end of the world. They've lost a few. They'll get it together," James said. "I bet they won't come in here on Friday sluggish." After scoring 21 points in Cleveland's 111-81 home victory over Charlotte on Wednesday night, James gave a running commentary as he watched the final minutes of Boston's 89-85 loss to Houston on television. The...read full article

Bring on the Celtics: Cavaliers prepare for champs with a rout of Charlotte

The Cavaliers may not have been looking ahead to Friday's game with the Celtics while they were playing the Charlotte Bobcats Wednesday night, but it sure didn't take them long to shift focus. In the minutes after their 111-81 blowout of the Bobcats, players huddled around the televisions in the locker room to watch and comment on the Celtics' battle with the Houston Rockets. LeBron James' son, LeBron Jr., raced around his dad's legs as he studied each possession. Other players peeked in from the shower room and the training room, hearing the bellows...read full article

LeBron has easy night, Cavaliers rout Bobcats

LeBron James scored 21 points before grabbing an early seat on the bench as the Cleveland Cavaliers warmed up for their highly anticipated matchup with Boston Celtics by blowing out the Charlotte Bobcats 111-81 in the NBA on Wednesday. Mo Williams added 15 points to help the Cavaliers improve to 18-0 at home. On Friday, the defending champion Celtics will arrive for a game between the Eastern Conference's premier powers, a rematch of last season's heated seven-game conference semifinal and a possible tease of what could come this spring. Boston...read full article

Cavs blow out Bobcats, set up showdown with Celtics

Start the hype. After pounding the Bobcats by 30 Wednesday, the Cavs officially turned their attention to Friday’s showdown with the defending champion Celtics. And it took point guard Mo Williams just a few moments to do so after the 111-81 rout of Charlotte at Quicken Loans Arena.
“They got us up there,” Williams said during the on-court postgame interview, referring to the Celtics’ win over the Cavs on opening night. “It’s our turn. It’s payback time.” The Cavs made sure they headed into Friday’s 8 p.m. game at The Q the right way, by destroying...read full article

NBA Today: Cavs Better Not Look Past ‘Cats

Everyone is talking about the big showdown between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics coming up Friday night, and how that will be the biggest test yet to the Cavs’ home court dominance. The only problem is, Cleveland faces Charlotte Wednesday night – the same team that just beat Boston the other night. Talk about a situation ripe for an upset. Add to this the fact that the Cavs have dropped two of their past three games, including a loss to underwhelming Washington, and you could see how Cleveland looks very vulnerable suddenly...read full article