CLEVELAND — LeBron James, like he has countless times in this arena on this floor, planted his foot on the court and exploded for a one-handed slam — his signature play in the city where he once brought a championship.
They were his first points of the game — a night where he’d be celebrated by Cavaliers fans not only for his return to northeast Ohio but because he came home with his son, Bronny, as a teammate.
But by the time he left the court, flipping the ball to the ref in frustration after his sixth turnover, the party was over. At least for the oldest James on the Lakers’ roster.
“We want Bronny” chants filled the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse at nearly every stoppage in the fourth until JJ Redick relented and put the rookie guard into the game near his hometown.
LeBron James dunks during the Lakers’ loss to the Cavaliers.
(Sue Ogrocki / Associated Press)
It was all there was left to see Wednesday night, the Cavaliers remaining unbeaten while handing James his worst loss in Cleveland, the Lakers losing 134-110 in a game they were out of for nearly the entire 48 minutes.
Cleveland attacked the Lakers with size and physicality, neutralizing Anthony Davis and James at the basket. And their shooting, which new Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson warned pregame might be a bit of fool’s gold, didn’t come close to slowing down.
The Cavs made eight threes in the first quarter in just 13 attempts while making all nine of their two-point shots, a masterpiece in modern basketball where teams try to hunt shots at the rim and behind the line.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 26 points and Davis scored 22 with 13 rebounds, but neither impacted the game in meaningful ways. No Laker did.
And while the Cavs blitzed the Lakers from three early, it was their transition and interior defense that ended up getting most brutalized. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley combined for 44 points on nearly 60% shooting.
Cleveland led by 19 after the first quarter, and the game was never close after that.
Bronny James rewarded the patience of the Cleveland fans who stayed, hitting a mid-range jumper late in the fourth for his first NBA points.