Drew Gooden was another key figure with 20 points and 13 rebounds.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Two nights after an achy right knee kept him out of the lineup, LeBron James returned with 31 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in Cleveland's 101-88 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves Tuesday night.
James wasted little time showing his teammates and the Timberwolves that his knee was just fine, scoring 15 points and grabbing five rebounds in the first quarter, then adding three monster dunks for effect.
Kevin Garnett had 22 points and 12 rebounds and was the only starter in double figures for the Timberwolves, who were overwhelmed by the tag team of James and Drew Gooden, who had 20 points and 13 rebounds.
Playoffs loom
With the playoffs looming for Cleveland, the wear and tear on James' body has become a hot topic. The Cavs started the night trailing the Pistons by 31/2 games for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, making every game down the stretch a crucial one, especially Sunday at Detroit.
But coach Mike Brown also wants to make sure James is fully rested and ready to go once the postseason starts.
Before the game, James said he wasn't 100 percent after receiving treatment for tendinitis the past two days, and some worry that a summer spent playing for Team USA at the world championships may be catching up with him.
Garnett knows what that feels like, having played in the Olympics and the world championships.
"Absolutely, especially when you have the responsibility of carrying a team, taking the bulk of the shots, making other guys better," Garnett said.
That's James in a nutshell. It would be hard to find a team that relies more heavily on one player.
His crown may be heavy, and his knee may be sore, but King James put on a show Tuesday night.
Curtain call
James made 5-of-6 shots and grabbed five rebounds in the first quarter to set the tone, and was hobbled early in the third after knocking knees with Marko Jaric before showing everyone that there is still plenty of juice left in his legs.
James threw down a fast-break dunk late in the third quarter, then soared through the lane to hammer home an alley-oop pass from Larry Hughes to give Cleveland a 20-point lead.
He punctuated the evening with a steal and swooping windmill dunk 90 seconds into the final period, drawing oohs and ahhs from a Minnesota crowd that got what it paid for.
Randy Foye had 18 points and six assists for Minnesota, which fell to 11-23 since Randy Wittman took over for the fired Dwane Casey in January.
Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Drew Gooden was another key figure with 20 points and 13 rebounds.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Two nights after an achy right knee kept him out of the lineup, LeBron James returned with 31 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in Cleveland's 101-88 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves Tuesday night.
James wasted little time showing his teammates and the Timberwolves that his knee was just fine, scoring 15 points and grabbing five rebounds in the first quarter, then adding three monster dunks for effect.
Kevin Garnett had 22 points and 12 rebounds and was the only starter in double figures for the Timberwolves, who were overwhelmed by the tag team of James and Drew Gooden, who had 20 points and 13 rebounds.
Playoffs loom
With the playoffs looming for Cleveland, the wear and tear on James' body has become a hot topic. The Cavs started the night trailing the Pistons by 31/2 games for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, making every game down the stretch a crucial one, especially Sunday at Detroit.
But coach Mike Brown also wants to make sure James is fully rested and ready to go once the postseason starts.
Before the game, James said he wasn't 100 percent after receiving treatment for tendinitis the past two days, and some worry that a summer spent playing for Team USA at the world championships may be catching up with him.
Garnett knows what that feels like, having played in the Olympics and the world championships.
"Absolutely, especially when you have the responsibility of carrying a team, taking the bulk of the shots, making other guys better," Garnett said.
That's James in a nutshell. It would be hard to find a team that relies more heavily on one player.
His crown may be heavy, and his knee may be sore, but King James put on a show Tuesday night.
Curtain call
James made 5-of-6 shots and grabbed five rebounds in the first quarter to set the tone, and was hobbled early in the third after knocking knees with Marko Jaric before showing everyone that there is still plenty of juice left in his legs.
James threw down a fast-break dunk late in the third quarter, then soared through the lane to hammer home an alley-oop pass from Larry Hughes to give Cleveland a 20-point lead.
He punctuated the evening with a steal and swooping windmill dunk 90 seconds into the final period, drawing oohs and ahhs from a Minnesota crowd that got what it paid for.
Randy Foye had 18 points and six assists for Minnesota, which fell to 11-23 since Randy Wittman took over for the fired Dwane Casey in January.
Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Two nights after an achy right knee kept him out of the lineup, LeBron James returned with 31 points, 12 rebounds and...
