I do not own anything on this video. No
Copyright Infringement Is Intended. I don't take credits anything from this video. Any Audiovisual content on this video is not owned by me and is owned by
NBA.
All rights reserved to NBA.
Visit their Website at www.nba.com
CLEVELAND (AP)
LeBron James flexed his muscle Tuesday night. Then he led the
Cleveland Cavaliers to their seventh straight win.
James tied a season high with 31 points, including 17 to spark a fourth-quarter comeback, and
Cleveland rallied for a 118-114 victory over the
Utah Jazz.
"
Bron is the greatest player in the game," Cavaliers coach
David Blatt said. "I don't think there's anyone with a higher basketball IQ or a better understanding of the moment."
Cleveland trailed 95-86 midway through the fourth, but James took over and brought the
Quicken Loans Arena crowd to its feet with one of his trademark plays.
With the Cavaliers trailing 95-91, James stole the ball near midcourt and headed to the basket.
Rodney Hood wrapped his arms around James, but the four-time
MVP made a layup anyway and flexed his bicep as
Hood was called for the foul.
James made the foul shot and Cleveland followed with a
10-0 run to go ahead 104-98.
"It was pretty good," James said with a laugh of Hood's bear hug.
Utah cut the lead to 107-105, but James hit a hook shot in the lane and split four free throws.
Tristan Thompson's three-point play off James' assist and four free throws by
Mo Williams, who scored 29 points, sealed the win.
"I felt like the team needed it," James said of his fourth-quarter play. "They pushed us to the brink. Trying to make a push, see if we could change the momentum."
James scored seven points in the first half and the team's struggles continued into the fourth quarter, when it looked like the Jazz were poised to pull the upset.
"
First half he wasn't as engaged as we would've liked him to be or as engaged as he normally would be," Blatt said. "He took over the game and lifted the rest of the guys with him. He did the things that a great player like him, only he can do."
Alec Burks led Utah with 24 points while
Gordon Hayward and
Derrick Favors each added 17.
Kevin Love scored 22 points for Cleveland, which hasn't lost since the season opener in
Chicago.
Love remained in the game after coming down awkwardly on his left leg while missing a breakaway dunk attempt in the third quarter. He was down behind the baseline for a few moments but stayed in after Cleveland called timeout.
James bruised his left quad Friday against
Philadelphia when he scored 31 points and had 13 assists, both season highs. He scored 29 points Sunday against
Indiana.
Cavaliers guard
J.R. Smith (knee, quad injuries) started after missing three games. He scored seven points in 22 minutes.
"This showed us we could play with anybody,"
Hayward said. "We were right there. It was a great experience for us as a team."
Utah center
Rudy Gobert, who scored 15 points, twisted his left ankle in the fourth and left the game. X-rays were negative.
Cleveland committed 17 turnovers, resulting in 29 points.
- published: 11 Nov 2015
- views: 67318