LBJ Scores 51 As Cavaliers Shoot Down Grizzlies In O/T 132-124

I can vividly remember LeBron James talking to a contingent of us from the Cleveland media a few years ago saying he never wanted to score 50 points in game again, because every time he did his team lost. In fact it was a game against the Toronto Raptors where LBJ scored 50 plus, only to see his team lose that led to the firing of James first NBA coach Paul Silas. But LeBron was singing a different tune on Tuesday night after his season high 51 points led the Cleveland Cavaliers to an overtime victory against the Memphis Grizzlies 132-124. James told reporters after the game “When we win, it means a lot. Every point counted tonight. I’ve lost a couple of games scoring 50 points, and I didn’t like it too much. To have that accomplishment, and win the ballgame, means a lot.” The Cavaliers have a 2-2 mark when they All-Star forward has scored in the fifties. Memphis actually out shot Cleveland from the floor, 54.4% to 53.3%, and from outside the arc 50% to 46.2%. But the Cavaliers had a distinct advantage at the line scoring 24 points as opposed to the Grizzlies scoring just 11.

The game went back and forth all night as there were 12 times the lead changed hands, and the opponents were tied 20 times. One of those times was at the end of the first quarter, as the two teams were knotted up at 31-31, Cleveland grabbed an advantage at the half leading 56-53. Cleveland extended the lead to 4 points at the end of the third 85-81, but the 2 clubs were dead locked at 113-113 after Juan Carlos Navarro hit one of his 6 treys in the game with 10.3 seconds left. LBJ tried to win it by taking a long two points hot before the buzzer but did not connect. But LBJ strapped the team on his back in the overtime period as they outscored the Grizzlies 19-11.

James shot 18-28 from the floor, 6-12 from outside the arc, and 9-12 from the line for his 51 points, and just missed a triple-double, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, 1 block. Daniel Gibson was again a spark off the bench scoring 18 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal, Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored 14 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists. Drew Gooden recorded a double-double, 12 points, 11 boards, 1 block, 1 assist, and Anderson Varejao came off the bench scoring 11 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 assists, 1 block.

Rudy Gay who has made vast improvement this season led the Grizzlies with a team high 30 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block. Navarro scored 26 points, 4 assists, 2 steals, 2 rebounds, rookie Michael Conley Jr. had a good game 20 points, 7 assists, 2 steals, 1 rebound. Pau Gasol recorded another double-double, 19 points, 12 boards, 2 blocks, 2 steals, Mike Miller scored 12 points, 6 assists, 2 steals, in the loss. Cleveland improves to 20-18, Memphis is now 10-28.