Cleveland, OH: LeBron James returned to Cleveland to a hero’s welcome, but the hometown cheers couldn’t prevent a lopsided loss. The Cleveland Cavaliers routed the Los Angeles Lakers 129-99, spoiling what could be James’s final game in his native Ohio.
The atmosphere at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse was electric. Fans gave James a standing ovation during the pregame introductions, and a tribute video honoring his career moved the 41-year-old superstar to tears.
However, the Lakers struggled on the court. James, in his 23rd NBA season and eighth with Los Angeles, scored just 11 points on 3-of-10 shooting, including 0-of-3 from 3-point range, though he was 5-of-6 from the free-throw line in 27 minutes. It marked the first time in 13 trips to Cleveland as a visiting player that he failed to reach 20 points, and it was his worst loss in the city as a visitor.
Cleveland jumped out to a 7-0 lead early and never looked back. The Lakers briefly narrowed the gap in the second quarter, led by Luka Dončić’s 13 points, but the Cavaliers carried a two-point edge into halftime. In the third quarter, Cleveland surged ahead with a 25-8 run, outscoring Los Angeles 42-22 and shooting 17-of-25 from the field.
Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with 25 points, Jaylon Tyson added 20, De’Andre Hunter scored 19, and Jarrett Allen contributed 17 points and nine rebounds. The victory marked Cleveland’s fifth consecutive win and improved their record to 29-20, while Los Angeles fell to 28-18 and 3-2 on their seven-game road trip.
After the match at a press conference, James said he was deeply moved by his hometown return and uncertain about the future.
“I haven’t made a decision on the future, but it very well could be,” James said after the Lakers’ most lopsided loss of the season. “It means a little bit more for me personally because I grew up 35 minutes south of here.”
James, who led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their only NBA title in 2016, has not committed to playing beyond this season, his record 23rd NBA campaign. “I don’t know what the future holds. Just trying to live in the moment, not take for granted the opportunity and be present,” he added.
The 41-year-old playmaker, a four-time NBA champion and four-time NBA Most Valuable Player, scored 11 points, handed out five assists, grabbed three rebounds, and recorded a steal. “I hate the way we played tonight, but that happens in the NBA,” James said.
He was cheered by a sellout crowd during a special “welcome home” videoboard display and used a towel to wipe tears as fans gave him a standing ovation. “Definitely got to me a little bit for sure. I don’t know if it’s my last game here or not. Lot of memories here. Lot of history. Just super grateful and thankful for the time. Looking up in the rafters and seeing our championship banner, of course there was a lot of reflecting,” James said.
Despite the emotional return, James stressed that this season is not a farewell tour. “I’ve never even thought to the point of a farewell tour or whatever the case may be because I haven’t had that conversation with myself and my family on when it’s over,” he said.
Source: NBA, Yahoo Sports, ESPN, Sportstar
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