The Lakers made their visit to Rocket Arena on Wednesday to play the Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron’s return home to where it all started had a buzz around it with the Spectrum Sportsnet crew for a few days prior to tonight’s tip-off.
Rightfully so. Could this be the final time we see LeBron in a Lakers uniform play in Cleveland? More importantly, could this be the final time we see LeBron James play basketball in Cleveland, period? Just some of the questions that none of us know the answer to but at least we still have the opportunity to witness a legend give us what he has left for the love of the game.
How was he going to respond to fans, the tribute on the jumbotron by the Cavs, and the feeling of coming home in season 23 of his storied career? The Lakers kicked off the first quarter with an 8-0 run. Luka then awkwardly lands on his ankle and has to make his way to the locker room before returning to the floor with a few minutes left in the first quarter.
Slowly but surely, the Cavaliers would begin to find their groove from the three point line which helped them counter any run that the Lakers would go on.
Turnovers started to plague the Lakers throughout the second quarter, but they managed to keep it within two points, trailing 55-57 heading into halftime.
Everything shifted in favor of the Cavs during the third quarter. Most notably, Donovan Mitchell began to really get things going to give the Cavs a double digit lead and completely run away with it from there. He ended the nights with 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
Missed free throws, turnovers and losing the rebound battle all contributed to the Lakeshow dropping this one on the road.
Tonight had the potential to be another special homecoming for LeBron but things fell short after the half and they could never recover. We would not see much of him in the fourth quarter at all.
Midway through the final twelve minutes, the crowd began to chant for Bronny James as he checked into the game and he did not disappoint. A quick 8 points for Bronny in the fourth quarter included a steal that led to a dunk and two from three point land.
The Lakers continue their Grammy road trip and head to Washington, D.C. to play the Wizards on Friday before heading to New York to visit the Knicks and the Nets. We’ll see if they can battle back and earn themselves a few road wins before coming back to a busy February at home.
Luka Dončić: 29 PTS – 5 REB – 6 AST
LeBron James: 11 PTS – 3 REB – 5 AST
Gabe Vincent: 11 PTS – 3 REB. – 1 AST.
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City Champs Media
City Champs Media 