LBJ Comes Up Big Again As Cavaliers Beat Bucks 99-93

Posted by Matt Loede under NBA Game Recap

The Cleveland Cavaliers continue to have a killer instinct in 2008 so far that maybe has not been there in the past few seasons. Tuesday night at home against a young and still developing Milwaukee Bucks team, the Cavs allowed them to hang around, but in the end, it was King James show once again, as Cleveland won for the fourth time at home against no losses in a 99-93 victory.

LeBron James’ line score was pretty much just like the other night in Chicago – 16-for-24 from the field, 8-for-10 from the free throw line, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 41 points. He took the game over late, and never took his foot off the Bucks throats in making sure a sub-par team like Milwaukee would not leave Cleveland with a victory.

The other starters did their part, as Mo Williams added 16 points and five assists, and Zydrunas Illgauskas had 15 points and 10 rebounds. Anderson Varejao had 13 points and 10 boards off the bench, and per usual, he was a pest down under against a Bucks team that could never get the big rebound when they needed it. Varejao looks better than just about at any point in his career. He has dropped weight, and looks quicker and more aggressive than last season.

The Cavs run of wins also has included better shooting all the way around. They shot 48 percent against the Bucks, but overall have done a better job from the outside, and also went 26-for-32 from the free throw line. The defense did its part, holding the Bucks to just 38 percent shooting.

Milwaukee, a team still looking to learn to win under new head coach Scott Skiles, was led by Richard Jefferson, who has killed the Cavs for years. He had 19 points and six rebounds. Luke Ridnouralso had a good night with 17 points, but overall, each time the Bucs got close, the Cavs came up with a big play to pull away.

“We’ll take the win,” said James in the locker room postgame. “But we have to continue to get better for the long term.”

He’s right. But for now, the team is beating the teams that are being put in front of them, and now at 6-2, 4-0 at home, they have another beatable team in the Denver Nuggets, who just traded Allen Iverson last week, coming in on Thursday for a prime-time matchup at 8pm.

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