The Sports Xchange
Nov 22, 2017
CLEVELAND -- LeBron James scored 23 points in the fourth quarter, including an 18-point run on his own, and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Brooklyn Nets 119-109 on Wednesday night.
James, who left the game early in the third quarter to get stitches for a facial laceration, finished with 33 points, six rebounds and five assists. The Cavs led 100-99 with 4:25 remaining when James stepped to the line for free throws that sparked his 18 consecutive points.
When James was finished -- on a 3-pointer with 55.6 seconds to go -- the Cavs led 118-107 and it was all over.
Cleveland (11-7) has won six straight and is 8-2 since losing to the Nets on Oct. 25. Kevin Love added 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Cavs, who also received 18 points off the bench from Dwyane Wade.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson led the Nets (6-11) with 20 points. Joe Harris was one point off his career high with 18 off the bench.
Harris was taken in the second round of the 2014 draft by Cleveland, and he was on the team for its first Finals match with the Golden State Warriors in 2015. The Cavs traded Harris to Orlando on Jan. 12, 2016, to clear a roster spot. He was waived and signed with the Nets the following summer.
James left the game with 9:33 to go in the third quarter after sustaining the facial laceration. The injury appeared to occur after he and Tyler Zeller made contact under the Nets' basket. James returned to the game about five minutes later with Cleveland trailing 69-62, but when the quarter was over, the game was tied at 77.
James actually missed a dunk in the first quarter, in rare and embarrassing fashion. He intercepted a pass from Caris LeVert and was en route to a breakaway slam, but after whipping the ball around the air, clanged it off the rim with 3:49 left in the period.
The Cavs were ahead 18-10 at the time and led just 20-17 at the end of the quarter.
Brooklyn took a 46-45 lead into halftime despite committing 10 turnovers that turned into 10 Cleveland points.
NOTES: Cavs F LeBron James became the 26th player in NBA history with 1,500 career 3-pointers. He needed two to reach the milestone Wednesday. ... Cleveland owns Brooklyn's 2018 first-round pick, and the teams play each other two more times this season. ... Cavs G Iman Shumpert (left knee soreness) is targeted for a Monday return, coach Tyronn Lue said. Shumpert missed his second consecutive game Wednesday. ... Nets C Trevor Booker didn't play because a sprained left ankle sustained Sunday. He tested it before the game but couldn't go. ... There are different ways to play pro basketball on Black Friday. The Nets play a home matinee at noon (in the shopping capital of the world, no less) against Portland. The Cavs don't play until 8 p.m. at home against the Hornets, and they are asking all fans to wear black.