Post Up: LeBron’s Return

by Adam Figman | @afigman

Miami 118, Cleveland 90

Perhaps you heard about this game? We’ve had plenty of coverage, so you should know how it all went down by now, but let me wrap it up real quick: LeBron returned to Cleveland; was welcomed with boos and chants of ******* and **** *** and ********** and…you get the picture; despite some speculation that he wouldn’t, he did throw talcum powder in the air during his pre-game routine; then the Heat went to work. Miami jumped out to an 8-point lead after one, then a 19-point lead after two, then a 30-point lead after three, and, as you could imagine, it was smooth sailing from there. Bron caught fire in the third, and ended up with a whopping 38 points, which coincided with 8 assists, 5 boards, 1 steal and 1 block. Not too shabby. DWade had a solid 22-9-9 line, and James Jones added 18 points, but let’s face facts: This was the James’ night. Miami has now won three in a row, and though all three Ws were against subpar squads (WashingtonDetroitCleveland), it might’ve been exactly what the Heat needed to get some footing as the team (read: Bron, Wade and Bosh) gains chemistry and learns to play together. That ball should keeping rolling, too, given that their next game is against the Atalanta Hawks (sans Joe Johnson) on Saturday. As for Cleveland, well, they’re now 7-11, and, um, yeah…

Phoenix 107, Golden State 101

After an intense battle that featured some not-so-intense basketball, this was a change of pace—a slightly more relaxed matchup between two high-octane West Coast offenses. The Suns prevailed, hanging just ahead for the game’s entirety and holding on in the final minutes. Phoenix received quality performances from their starting swingman duo of Grant Hill (25 points) and Jason Richardson, who were fed a series of pretty set-ups from point man Stevie Nash (16 dimes). For the Warriors, Monta Ellis matched Bron Bron’s earlier showing, scoring 38, while David Lee dropped 25 and took full advantage of the Robin Lopez-less Suns frontcourt. Coach Gentry’s guys moved to second in the Pacific with the victory, and more importantly, now sit at eighth place and in playoff contention in the crowded Western Conference.

Performance of the Night: LeBron James: 38 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block
Moment of the Night: Hard to boil down what was a pretty ridiculous night into one moment, so I put together a few videos that, in my opinion, sum up what took place—without actually showing any hoops. Enjoy.