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LeBron puts on show in rout over Nets 111 - 92
March 3, 2010
The first impressions the Nets made upon LeBron James this season were not great. The final impressions were even worse. So for the Nets' faithful who hold out some slim hopes King James will have an interest in signing with New Jersey in the off-season, there was not much to go on in Cleveland's 111-92 romp on Wednesday night at the IZOD Center. For James, it was just dominance as usual. He finished with 26 points, 14 assists, seven rebounds and three steals. Five Cavs scored in double-figures, including J.J. Hickson (20 points) and newly-acquired Antawn Jamison (19 points). Cleveland (48-14) extended its winning streak to five games and completed a four-game season sweep over New Jersey. The win marked James' last game at the Meadowlands. "I played here when they were really good, my rookie year when they had J[ason] Kidd and they had all those guys," James recalled. "It was really strong. And I've played here in the worst of times for this team. "I think it's a really good franchise though. They've got a bright future. We'll see what goes on the future for this team." The Nets, losers in six of their last seven, were never in it. Brook Lopez finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds, while rookie Terrence Williams finished with a career-high 21 points off the bench. But New Jersey fired 39.3 percent and watched Cleveland connect on 51.8 percent of its shots.
"It wasn't what they did, I think it was just us," Lopez said. "We weren't really there, you know? They took advantage of that. You can't really be going through the motions against a team like that." "Flat is not the word," added Nets guard Devin Harris, who was held to 11 points. "We just gave them a head start, plain and simple. We really didn't start playing until the second quarter." The Nets' fans lowest point of the season - among many - may have come in the first quarter when they rose in breathless anticipation as James took off on two first-quarter breakaways. Only to see James mildly stuff the ball no stronger than he'd dunk a doughnut in cup of coffee. The boo birds came out in full force as James failed to provide the acrobatics they craved. But ultimately, James wowed the crowd with an assortment of passes that would have made Kidd proud. He had eight assists in the first quarter alone. By the second quarter, he gave the 17,502 fans a thrill with a back-to-the-basket layup off the glass and a thunderous dunk for the Cavs' last points of the first half. "I guess that's how much they love you when they boo you," James joked. "But I had a few others that got them off their feet." Cleveland led by 22 early in the second quarter and took a 59-42 lead into halftime. James gave one last thrill in a reverse, alley-oop dunk on a pass from Mo Williams, giving the Cavs a 77-56 lead with 4:47 left in the third quarter.
New Jersey, which will have around $23 million in cap room this summer, is hoping against hope it might be able to entice James and other star free agents like Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amar'e Stoudemire and Joe Johnson to join the team. It would seem the Nets' chances to land James are slim. He could easily re-sign with Cleveland, or join more appealing situations in Miami or New York. Or perhaps he could be lured by incoming owner and Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov or his friendship with Nets' minority partner Jay-Z. James attended a Jay-Z concert at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. He said his good friend is not letting the Nets' lost season get him down.
"He has a lot of things going on," James added. "But he stays focused. He stays a member of this team. But I don't ask him about the Nets. I've got my own team to worry about." While the team plays out the string looking to avoid the worst record in league history, the Nets' organization is in full looking-forward mode. They will have a press conference on Friday to officially commemorate their move to the Prudential Center in Newark for the next two seasons. And next week, the organization will finally have an official ground breaking at their future, permanent home in Brooklyn - an endeavor that initiated in 2003.