LeBron James returns to Cleveland for victory and tribute – Contra Réplica Puebla

LeBron James celebrated with 22 points and several decisive goals in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 121-115 win on Saturday at the Cleveland Cavaliers’ court, and his former fans paid tribute to him after becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.

Although the 38-year-old “King James” did not have his best shooting percentage (34.8%), making 8 of 9 three-pointers, he was at a decisive moment when the Lakers were rising and approaching the playoff position. Appeared.

The forward finished with 22 points, six rebounds and six assists, leaving most of the offensive advantage to center Anthony Davis, who finished with 32 points and 13 rebounds.

Despite an error from injured Donovan Mitchell (22 points on 4/18 shooting), point guard Darius Garland (6 points) did not participate. In the second quarter, the Cavaliers stayed close to the score throughout the game. Part of the problem is neck discomfort.

With two minutes left in the game, the Cavaliers chased the score to 112-113, but James responded with two consecutive dunks. With 72 seconds left in the game, the Lakers narrowed the point difference to 5 points.

Shooting guard Austin Reaves (15 points, 10 assists) made four free throws to seal the victory for the visiting team.

LeBron James returns to Cleveland for the first time since last February and surpasses the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time scoring leader. Last Tuesday, the forward passed the 39,000-point mark for the first time in his career.

Before the game, the Cavaliers played a video tribute to the forward on the big screen at Rockets Mortgage Arena. Nearly 20,000 spectators paid tribute to the man who led the Cavaliers to win the only championship ring in their history in 2016. Players applaud.

James was born in Akron (a suburb of Cleveland) and wore a Cavaliers uniform for 11 of his 21 seasons in the league.

“It’s always special to come back here,” the current “Lakers” man declared. “After a 52-year drought, winning a championship for this team is something I will never forget, no matter how old I am.”

Prior to the game, a museum dedicated to LeBron’s life and achievements was dedicated at the facility of his family foundation in Akron.

– Embiid reassures Thunder –

In the other of six games on Saturday, Joel Embiid had a triple-double to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 127-123 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder, ending a six-game winning streak.

Embiid scored 35 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists, and made consecutive free throws in the final minutes to ensure the team’s victory.

The Cameroon center made six free throws in the last 9 seconds, and the total score of the game was 19-21.

Led by their star players, Canadian point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31 points) and rookie center Chet Holmgren (33 points), the Thunder Persevered until the last moment.

The Brooklyn Nets took advantage of the Miami Heat’s defeat and won 112-97.

Mexican-American rookie Jaime Jáquez Jr. scored 18 points for the Heat, who played without leaders Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. , the Heat lost a 21-point lead against the New York Knicks.

In the final game of the night, the Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Dallas Mavericks, who featured Luka Doncic (30 points) and Kyrie Irving (26 points), 107-88.

Paul George scored 25 points to become the local scoring leader, while James Harden and Kawhi Leonard also scored 8 points each.

– Saturday NBA results:

Oklahoma City Thunder-Philadelphia 76ers 123-127

Brooklyn Nets-Miami Heat 112-97

Washington Wizards-Atlanta Hawks 108-136

Cleveland Cavaliers-Los Angeles Lakers 115-121

Utah Jazz – New Orleans Pelicans 105-100

Los Angeles Clippers – Dallas Mavericks 107-88

According to Agence France-Presse

Photo by AFP