WASHINGTON -- LeBron James was stymied down the stretch by DeShawn Stevenson, Antawn Jamison delivered 31 points and 10 rebounds in his season debut, and the Washington Wizards beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-91 Wednesday night to end a six-game losing streak. Wearing a white protective sleeve over the right shoulder that sidelined him since October, Jamison looked in midseason form from the start, scoring 13 points in the first quarter. James finished with 34 points and nine assists, but he scored only six points in the fourth quarter while shooting 3 for 7. No one else scored more than 10 points for Cleveland, which was without the injured Shaquille O'Neal and Anderson Varejao. The Cavaliers had been figuring out how to play short-handed, winning five consecutive games heading into Wednesday. But after racing to a 17-point lead in the second quarter, they allowed the Wizards to come back, led mainly by Jamison. He did have help. Gilbert Arenas began 3 of 16 -- and finished 6 for 22 -- but wound up with 18 points, eight assists and six rebounds, and Caron Butler had 19 points. The Wizards finally got to put all three of their past All-Stars on the court at the same time. Jamison injured his shoulder during an exhibition game last month against Cleveland, coincidentally, and after that healed, he was sidelined with the flu. After Jamison's jumper put Washington ahead 60-57 midway through the third quarter, James went into take-over-the-game mode for the next 1 1/2 minutes. He made three consecutive 3-pointers, a personal 9-0 run that gave the Cavaliers a 66-60 lead. But Butler and Andray Blatche combined for 11 points during a 16-2 run that put the Wizards ahead 95-78 with a little more than 6 minutes remaining. Much of that stretch came with James taking a breather on the sideline. When he returned to the court, instead of leading a comeback, James became part of the problem. He turned the ball over with an errant pass. He shot an airball on a jumper. He fouled Stevenson, his old pseudo-rival from postseasons past. He missed another jumper, with Stevenson in his face. And then James was whistled for a technical for arguing that a foul -- and not a jump ball -- should have been called when Stevenson's hand stopped the reigning league MVP on a drive to the basket. Game notes James had seven assists in the first quarter. ... The Wizards were without F Fabricio Oberto (left hamstring). ... Cleveland didn't have O'Neal (strained shoulder) or Varejao (bruised hip), but Jamario Moon did play despite spraining his left ankle in Tuesday's victory over Golden State. Moon had 10 points and five rebounds. Local sports stars Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green of the Capitals, and Ryan Zimmerman of the Nationals were in the sellout crowd of 20,173.
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MIAMI -- LeBron James had little to say Thursday about the prospect of playing with Dwyane Wade next season, and that was fine. Having them on the same court was enough of a treat for now. The two All-Stars put on a show in their first showdown of the season, and James scored 34 points to help the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Miami Heat 111-104. Wade scored 36 points but couldn't rally the Heat from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Mo Williams made five 3-pointers and scored 25 points for the Cavs, while Shaquille O'Neal added 14 in a return to his former home court. J.J. Hickson, making his third consecutive start, had a career-high 18 points. But in the end, it was James leading the way. He scored Cleveland's final eight points over the last 2:42. He finished with seven assists and went 16 for 18 from the free-throw line. The Cavs' point total was a season high. They won in Florida for the second time in as many nights after beating Orlando on Wednesday. Michael Beasley scored 24 points for the Heat, who lost for only the second time. James and Wade shared a long embrace just before tipoff, and they joked during a timeout near the end of the first half. They can opt out of their contracts next year, and on Wednesday, Wade said the pair have talked about going to the same team. James then said he won't discuss free agency with reporters any more until the end of the season. For now, at least, the two good friends entertain as opponents. Wade made a 3-pointer, blocked a shot and sank another shot to cut the margin to 103-99 with three minutes left, but the Heat got no closer. James answered with a 3-pointer, then made five free throws to make it 111-102 with 57 seconds to go as the arena quickly emptied. Wade made the first highlight-footage contribution with a driving dunk over 6-foot-11 Anderson Varejao. They drew a double technical moments later for a heated exchange. Wade sank a 3-pointer over James with 4 seconds left in the first quarter. James then hit a running 22-footer at the buzzer to put the Cavs up 35-33. James missed his first five shots but still scored 15 points in the quarter. Williams made seven consecutive shots during one stretch, and his 3-pointers helped the Cavs take a 92-84 lead into the final period. Game notes Michael Jordan watched sitting next to Heat president Pat Riley. They were two rows behind Scottie Pippen, who sat courtside. ... Wade scored at least 20 points for the 21st consecutive time, tying his franchise record.
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ORLANDO, Fla. -- LeBron James scored 36 points, Shaquille O'Neal provided an inside presence and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Orlando Magic 102-93 on Wednesday night in a rematch of the Eastern Conference finals. Only this one had a different look. O'Neal battled boos and bruises to score 10 points and keep Dwight Howard in foul trouble for most of the night, giving James and Co. all the inside strength they sorely lacked last season. Mo Williams added 28 points to help the Cavs take a 15-point halftime lead, go ahead by 20 after three quarters and roll to an easy victory. Vince Carter had 29 points, and Howard had only 11 points for the Magic. Orlando was without suspended All-Star forward Rashard Lewis, and his replacement, Ryan Anderson, who missed the game with a sprained right ankle. But this one had all the muscle and tussle. O'Neal and Howard were banging bodies on the inside, their 500 pounds of combined weight jostling, their powerful elbows swinging large with every move. Each team even went with two centers on the floor -- Howard and Marcin Gortat, O'Neal and Zydrunas Ilgauskas -- at the same time for stretches that crowded the paint and made rebounds a physical punishment. It was Superman vs. Superman. Past vs. Present. Showered with boos on every touch, O'Neal gave glimpses that he could be Cleveland's missing piece even though the 37-year-old is no longer the unstoppable force that put the Magic franchise on the map. But he helped put Howard in foul trouble for most of the first half, helping the Cavs build a 66-51 halftime lead. The former Magic big man soaked up all the attention, too. He had amped-up Amway Arena at his pulse, even leaving his hand up a little longer after making free throws and scoffing at the Superman anthem played after Howard's dunks. Orlando fans have long considered O'Neal their biggest villain. O'Neal helped the Magic to the 1995 NBA finals, returned them to the conference finals in '96, then bolted for Los Angeles that offseason. He won three titles with the Lakers and another with the Miami Heat. Orlando was left in ruin. O'Neal's new team isn't so dependent. The Cavaliers made the move for O'Neal after the Magic eliminated them in six games in the conference finals last season. The loss was so demoralizing that James left without shaking hands with Orlando players and skipped his post-game news conference. While O'Neal is no longer an unstoppable force, his presence allows the Cavs to guard Howard one-on-one. That alone helps Cleveland avoid those matchup problems on the perimeter that was last season's downfall. After the Lakers defeated Orlando in the finals, the Magic felt they also needed help. So they acquired Carter from New Jersey and parted ways with Hedo Turkoglu. But this one was just a sneak preview. The Cavs and Magic don't play again until Feb. 11 in Cleveland, perhaps the first time both will be at full strength and in their groove. Game notes Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said he's planning to continue to play O'Neal for about 28 to 32 minutes a game, not wanting to wear out the aging center. ... Howard picked up his second foul with 9:42 remaining in the first quarter. After being fined $15,000 by the league a day earlier for comments critical of officials on his blog, Howard showed no signs of complaining about the call and walked quietly to the bench.
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NEW YORK -- LeBron James scored 33 points in his only visit to Madison Square Garden this season, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 100-91 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday night. One night after managing just 42 second-half points in an ugly home loss to Chicago, the Cavaliers rang up 40 in the first quarter, leaving New York fans with little left to do besides cheer for the Yankees in attendance and enjoy another mesmerizing performance by James. He added nine assists and eight rebounds, but fell just shy of passing Kobe Bryant as the active scoring leader at the Garden. James improved his average to 30.4 points, with Bryant averaging 30.5 in 11 visits, according to STATS LLC James had scored 50 or more in two of his last three visits, joining Michael Jordan as the only visiting players with multiple 50-point games at the current building. Mo Williams scored 12 points for the Cavaliers, who have won six in a row against the Knicks and four straight at the Garden, where James loves to perform. New Yorkers are desperate for him to make it his full-time home when he becomes a free agent next summer, but the Knicks continue to offer nothing on the court that would make him consider a switch. As it is, he has as many victories at MSG this season as the Knicks, who fell to 1-5 overall. David Lee scored 21 points and former Cavs guard Larry Hughes had 18 for the Knicks, who played their first nationally televised home game since March 19, 2006, and showed they are still miles from being ready for prime time. James said he was still sore from a couple of falls in Thursday's 86-85 home loss, but vowed that wouldn't prevent him from playing the way he always does. Just to prove it, he then nearly outscored the entire Knicks team in the first quarter. James shot 8 of 9 in the period, with his second 3-pointer coming just before the buzzer to give him 19 points and make it 40-21. The Cavs made 16 of 22 shots (73 percent), closing the quarter with a 17-2 run that basically wrapped it up early. Before the second quarter started, the Yankees fan then went to the sideline and joined the crowd that included his pal Jay-Z in a standing ovation for Alex Rodriguez and six other members of the World Series champions who came onto the court between periods. James said before the game he wouldn't think about free agency until July, believing his team could contend for a title this season. The Cavs haven't been showing that yet, coming to New York with only a 3-3 record. They looked like championship material against the Knicks, whose defensive effort had to be disheartening to Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason and Larry Johnson, who were in the crowd. They played for the franchise back when defense was their trademark. The Knicks did cut it to single digits with under 4 minutes to play, but James set up Williams for a basket, then knocked down a turnaround jumper to make it 95-82 with 2:47 remaining. Game notes Former Cleveland ace CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira were among the Yankees who came on the floor after the first quarter. The team celebrated its title with a parade through Lower Manhattan earlier Friday. James said he was asleep and didn't watch. Former Yankees outfielder Bernie Williams, now a musician who has been nominated for a Latin Grammy, played the national anthem on his guitar, and Reggie Jackson also was in the crowd. ... J.J. Hickson made his first start of the season at forward for the Cavaliers, with Anderson Varejao coming off the bench for the first time. Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

CLEVELAND -- Luol Deng scored 15 points and helped stop LeBron James on a drive in the final seconds as the Chicago Bulls ended Cleveland's three-game winning streak with an 86-85 win over the Cavaliers on Thursday night. Derrick Rose had 14 points and 11 assists and John Salmons added 14 points for the Bulls, who handed the Cavs their second loss at home. Cleveland, which lost to Boston in its opener, only lost two regular-season games and went 45-3 at Quicken Loans Arena last season. James, who led the Cavaliers with 25 points, lost the ball out of bounds with 3.2 seconds to go after powering his way to the basket. He drew contact on the play from both Deng and Joakim Noah but the officials didn't feel he was fouled.
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CLEVELAND -- LeBron James scored 27 points, Shaquille O'Neal added a season-high 21 while wearing out Washington's big men and the Cleveland Cavaliers won their third straight, beating the Wizards 102-90 on Tuesday night. The Cavs trailed by 18 in the second quarter before turning up their defense and relying on their superstar combo of James and O'Neal to win their sixth straight at home over the Wizards. Mo Williams scored 15 and Daniel Gibson 14 for the Cavs, who made nine 3-pointers in the second half -- four in the fourth quarter when James was out. Williams and Gibson were a combined 7-for-9 on 3s. Caron Butler and Gilbert Arenas scored 22 apiece to lead the Wizards. O'Neal's integration into their offense has been a slow process for the Cavs, but they are starting to figure out how to best use the perennial All-Star center, who came over in a June trade from Phoenix. O'Neal had easily his best game since coming to Cleveland. He made 7 of 9 field goals, 7 of 10 free throws, grabbed eight rebounds and put Washington's frontline in foul trouble. He also endeared himself to Cleveland fans by flattening Wizards guard DeShawn Stevenson on a drive in the first half. Stevenson has been a pest to the Cavs, engaging in a war of words with James in the playoffs two years ago. The Cavs have been using the 7-foot-1 O'Neal and his 7-foot-3 backup, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, together with mixed results. But the pair are getting more comfortable and confident with every second they spend on the floor and have the potential to be a matchup nightmare for any team. Cleveland only led 78-73 after three, but the Cavs pushed their lead to 94-79 by making four 3s as James rested on the bench. James only played four minutes in the fourth quarter. Butler, back after missing one game with a bruised left knee, scored 17 in the first half but he and his teammates cooled off after halftime and fell into a bad habit of rushing shots. Cleveland trailed by 39-21 with 9:19 to go in the second quarter and were still down 12 when James re-entered the game with 7:35 left before half. But with James scoring 10 points, Gibson hitting two 3-pointers and O'Neal scoring eight and drawing fouls inside, the Cavs were within 54-50 at halftime. The Wizards had no answer for O'Neal and the Cavs used it to their advantage. They slowed the game down and pounded the ball inside to their big man, forcing JaVale McGee, Andray Blatche and Brendan Haywood to hack or pay. McGee picked up four fouls in less than 10 minutes. Game notes James did not vote and wanted to stay out of any discussion on Issue 3, a proposal to allow casinos in Ohio that was strongly supported by Cavs owner Dan Gilbert. "I don't want to get involved in that," James said with a laugh. "That's a sensitive subject in the NBA these days." ... During a timeout, Butler walked to midcourt and hugged a young couple who got engaged while the teams were huddling. ... Cavs G Delonte West was indicted on additional weapons and traffic charges stemming from his Sept. 17 arrest in Maryland. He scored just four points in 20 minutes but was active at both ends. Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

(Washington, DC) - A Prince George's County grand jury indicted Delonte West, a Washington area native who plays for the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers, on six weapons offenses Tuesday in a September incident in which he was arrested on the Capital Beltway with three loaded guns and an 8 1/2-inch bowie knife, authorities said.

In addition to the weapons offenses -- each of which is a misdemeanor carrying a maximum penalty of three years in prison -- the grand jury also indicted West, 26, on one count each of reckless driving and negligent driving.

Prince George's prosecutors routinely seek jail time for people convicted of weapons charges, even first-time offenders. State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey said West's case will be handled no differently than any other.

The Cavs are scheduled to play the Washington Wizards tonight in Cleveland.

Tad Carper, a Cavaliers spokesman, said team officials could not comment because they had yet to see the charges against West. The team had not heard from NBA officials regarding charges, Carper said. Phone calls to NBA headquarters were not answered, and West's attorney could not be reached for comment.

On Saturday, West, a 6-foot-3, 180-pound shooting guard, played for the first time this season, in the Cavaliers' fourth game. West scored 13 points as the Cavs defeated the Charlotte Bobcats.

According to the Associated Press, West took two leaves of absence during the Cavs' training camp and is being treated for bipolar disorder. Last week, West's wife filed a domestic violence report against him, the AP reported.

The weapons charges stem from a Sept. 17 incident in which West was traveling north on the Beltway about 10 p.m. in a three-wheeled motorcycle called a Can-Am Spyder when he allegedly cut off a county police officer near Route 214.

The officer pulled West over for making an unsafe lane change, and as the officer approached the motorcycle, West told him he had a handgun in his waistband.

The officer called for backup and searched West and his vehicle.

Three guns were found -- a 9mm Beretta in West's waistband, a Ruger .357 Magnum strapped to his leg, and a 12-gauge shotgun in a guitar case slung over his back, authorities said.

West also had additional shotgun shells in a backpack, authorities said.

It is not clear why West was so heavily armed. Shortly after the arrest, West's father, Dmitri West, said in an interview that his son was "looking behind his back and protecting himself."

(Copyright 2009 by The Washington Post. All rights reserved.)

CLEVELAND -- Before Delonte West headed to the locker room, Mo Williams grabbed his troubled teammate and pulled him close.

Williams wanted West to hear something and whispered in his ear.

"I told him, 'Stay with us,'" Williams said.

West scored 13 points -- all in the second half -- in his delayed season debut to spark Cleveland, Williams had 24, and LeBron James added an unselfish 14 as the Cavaliers, finally at full strength, beat Charlotte 90-79 on Saturday night.

Williams made four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, and James added nine assists and seven rebounds for the Cavs, 2-2 after an 0-2 start.

West's turbulent offseason finally brought him back to the floor. After missing all eight preseason games and Cleveland's first three of the regular season to deal with personal issues, West was cleared by team doctors, ending more than a month of drama.

He went 5-of-7 from the field and had two rebounds, two assists and a technical in 24 minutes.

"I thought he played terrific. He's been off and we had to walk him through a few plays here and there," Williams said, chuckling. "But besides that, he's just a basketball player. He knows the game. He knows the spots on the floor. He's familiar with us and it was great to have him back."

Vladimir Radmanovic scored 12 points, and D.J. Augustin and Gerald Wallace 11 apiece to lead Charlotte, which has never won in Cleveland.

West's off-court issues have threatened to derail the Cavs' plans to make a strong run at an NBA title. As much as the team has tried to downplay West's absences and insisted that he has not been a distraction, his cloudy and delicate situation has lingered.

Cavs general manager Danny Ferry has been working closely with team doctors and a support team around West. The team had "loosely" targeted Cleveland's second home game as West's return date, Ferry said, and the parties came to a consensus before Saturday's game.

"Steps were followed and this is the next step of his process," Ferry said. "We're taking it one day at a time, but he's doing well."

West, who has not spoken to reporters since media day last month, was not available for comment following the game.

His teammates were more than happy to do that for him.

"He's important to our team," James said. "He can sit out for two weeks and he comes back in and he's right in the flow. I've said it before, he's just that type of guy."

"It's vital that we have everybody as we take this journey," Shaquille O'Neal said.

The 26-year-old West, who has been treated in the past for bipolar disorder, was arrested in September for carrying three concealed weapons. He reported to training camp on time but missed the Cavs' first four practices without an excuse. He came back but then left for a week to deal with his personal matters.

Last week, West's wife filed a domestic violence report against him.

But that was all in the past -- for at least one night.

West hardly looked like he had missed any time, and his return had Cleveland's offense playing better than it has so far in this early season.

"We had a nice flow, and I think that helped him a lot, that we weren't struggling," Williams said. "He just came in and did what he did. He was confident. He made his plays. He made all the right decisions."

The Cavaliers trailed 46-45 early in the third before going on a 21-8 run -- much of it with O'Neal on the bench -- to open a 14-point lead entering the fourth. West was a factor in helping the Cavs distance themselves from the Bobcats, who were understandably exhausted after playing two overtimes Friday in a win over New York.

The Cavs are still getting used to playing with O'Neal, who made his first free throws of the season after 10 consecutive misses. He added eight points and five rebounds in 26 minutes. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, coming off the bench behind O'Neal, went 5-for-5 from the floor and had five blocks.

"Myself and him," O'Neal said. "We are the best center in the game."
James didn't have to dominate -- not that he couldn't have.

"LeBron got 14, but he could have had 50, the way he played," Bobcats coach Larry Brown said. "He's so unselfish."