LeBron James scores 30 as Cavaliers beat up Wizards 116-86 in Game 2 of playoffs
By TOM WITHERS | Associated Press | Apr 21, 08 9:00 PM CDT in
Sports
Maybe Gilbert Arenas was talking about some other Cavaliers.
The Cleveland team he and the Washington Wizards faced Monday night doesn't look so beatable.
LeBron James scored 30 points, Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 16, and the Cavaliers played their best game in months, blowing out Arenas and Co. 116-86 to take a 2-0 lead in an opening-round playoff series oozing with bad blood.
The 30-point margin of victory was the largest in Cleveland's postseason history. The Cavs were playing in their 112th playoff game.
James scored 14 points in the third quarter when the Cavs opened a 25-point lead over the Wizards, whose defensive scheme coming into their third series in as many years with Cleveland was to slow James by roughing him up with hard, clean fouls.
It may be time for Plan B.
The Wizards hardly bothered James, who finished with 12 assists and nine rebounds to barely missed his third career postseason triple-double. James went to the bench with 6:12 left. At that point, the Cavaliers were leading by 24 points and coach Mike Brown inserted seldom-used reserves Dwayne Jones and Damon Jones.
Wally Szczerbiak added 15 points for the defending Eastern Conference champions, who have struggled since a big trade in February changed their roster. As the playoffs neared, Arenas called the Cavs out, saying "I think everybody wants Cleveland in that first round" and "We don't think they can beat us in the playoffs three years straight."
Those comments followed Wizards forward DeShawn Stevenson calling James "overrated."
Washington has lost eight straight games to Cleveland in the playoffs, and the Wizards will have to figure something out before Thursday night's Game 3 in Washington or they'll be heading off on summer vacation, again courtesy of the Cavs.
Arenas went just 2-for-10 from the field and Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison were both 4-of-13 as the Wizards' Big Three combined for 28 points. The trio spent much of the fourth quarter sitting and thinking about what happened and the task ahead.
(This version CORRECTS score in headlines.)
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