Cavaliers cruise to lopsided victory

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LeBron James scored 24 of his 27 points in the first half.

CLEVELAND (AP) — LeBron James scored 24 of his 27 points in the first half and Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 15, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 107-75 win over the flustered Indiana Pacers on Saturday night.

James had seven rebounds, six assists and spent the entire fourth quarter relaxing on the bench. The Cavaliers built a 24-point lead in the first half and coasted to their most lopsided win this season.

Donyell Marshall added a season-high 17 rebounds for the Cavs, who outrebounded Indiana 57-34.

Darrell Armstrong had 13 points and Danny Granger 12 for the Pacers.

Ilgauskas scored just two points on only two shots when the teams met on Nov. 24 — a 10-point win by Indiana. But the 7-foot-3 center was able to maneuver inside as the Pacers were without forward Jermaine O'Neal, who missed his second straight game with a strained left hamstring.

Tough stretch

Already short-handed, Indiana coach Rick Carlisle tossed guard Stephen Jackson from his bench in the second quarter for "conduct detrimental to the team." Jackson, who scored four points in the first half, was told by Carlisle not to come back to the floor after halftime.

It's the latest controversy surrounding Jackson. The 28-year-old is facing charges of firing a gun during a fight outside a strip club in Indianapolis on Oct. 6. He could go to trial in February.

Two years ago, Jackson went into the stands and fought Detroit fans during the Pacers' infamous brawl with fans in Detroit.

Leading by 14 at halftime, the Cavaliers outscored Indiana 28-13 to open an 84-55 lead entering the fourth.

James, who went 10-of-11 from the floor in the first half, was replaced with 20 seconds to go in the third and got some rare rest on the bench in the final 12 minutes.

Larry Hughes, who missed Cleveland's previous 10 games with a sprained right ankle, scored eight points in 24 minutes.

Hughes' return was tempered by the loss of Cavs forward Drew Gooden, who injured his left groin during warmups.

Sunday, December 10, 2006