Lebron James sets another team record by scoring 24 points in one quarter. He finished the game with 39 points 11 rebounds and 8 assists to beat the Toronto Raptors 93-90.
“I just felt like I was out there by myself,” Lebron said. “Everything was going right for me and I just felt like I was out there in practice. The hoop felt like the ocean.”
“This was impressive because of the circumstances,” Gooden said. “We were down 20 on the road and we could have easily given in. He was attacking the basket and knocking down outside shots.”
“He just took the ballgame over and put us on his back,” Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said. “What a tremendous, tremendous performance by LeBron James in the fourth quarter.”
Larry Hughes scored 14 points and Drew Gooden added 10 points and 12 boards.
The Cavs (17-17) have won three in a row and five-of-six, getting back to .500 for the first time since Dec. 4.
Damon Jones played his first game after he was fined by the Cavaliers for refusing to play in the final minutes of the Miami Heat game. He scored 6 on two 3-pints attempts and had key defensive stops in 18 minutes of play.
The Cavs outscored the Raptors by 16 points in the final 12 minutes, completing a comeback from 20 points behind. It was the biggest lead the Raptors have ever given up at home in their 12-year history.
– LeBron dons hero’s cape
– Jones steps up after hiatus
Cavs guard hits crucial 3-pointers in comeback
News from national media
– Cavaliers superstar in a league of his own (Toronto Star)
– King James reigns over Raptors collapse (Toronto Star)
Much of the talk today will be of LeBron James and his fourth-quarter brilliance yesterday … the 24 points he scored, the passes he made, the way he dominated the game as few in the NBA can.