King James Claims The Court In Cleveland
CLEVELAND, OH (CBS4/AP) - LeBron James has silenced his hometown critics in a first trip back to the town that made him a household name.
James led a 16-0 first-quarter surge that quieted the boos and abuse of fans who used to call him King, scoring 38 points to lead the Miami Heat to a 118-90 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night.
It was James' first game back in the city where he played for seven years before leaving via free agency, angering disbelieving fans who considered him one of their own.
Dwyane Wade added 22 points, James Jones 18 and Chris Bosh 15 for the Heat, a star-studded team which has seldom played like one in going 12-8 so far.
Daniel Gibson had 21 for the Cavaliers, who have lost six of eight and play seven of their next eight on the road.
James had 10 more points than Cleveland's starting lineup.
(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)