Cavaliers top Mavs 102-74 for 12th straight win

By TOM WITHERS, AP Sports Writer Mar 29, 6:19 pm EDT

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CLEVELAND (AP)—LeBron James ran over an unsuspecting referee. The Cleveland Cavaliers flattened another record.

James scored 24 points with 12 assists while orchestrating Cleveland’s show on and off the floor as the Cavs made more history with a 102-74 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, hitting the 60-win mark and extending their winning streak to a franchise record 12 straight.

The Cavs, who earlier this week surpassed the club mark for wins in a season, trailed 35-20 in the first quarter and 49-47 at halftime.

But Cleveland, flexing its defensive muscle, then outscored Dallas 30-11 in the third quarter, 55-25 in the second half and by an astounding 82-39 margin from the 10:13 mark of the second quarter on to improve to a league-best 35-1 at home.

“We just take care of business,” James said.

On the way to Cleveland’s largest margin of victory in 56 games over Dallas, James plowed over official Derek Richardson. He popped right up, but the collision knocked the wind out of the 6-foot-8, 260-pound superstar.

“Flagrant-2,” James said with a laugh. “They should have kicked him out.”

Cleveland is the 61st team to win 60 games in the regular season.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 20 for the Mavericks, who came in with a three-game lead over Phoenix for the No. 8 playoff spot in the West. Dallas was held to a season-low in points.

“Every game’s tough,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle. “This (Cleveland) is a championship-caliber team. You can’t have any letdowns at all. Our letdown in the third quarter really cost us. We don’t have a lot of time to mope. We have a lot of important games coming up this week. We’re going to have to regroup.”

Mo Williams added 22 points, Zydrunas Ilgauskas 14 and Joe Smith had his best game since returning to the Cavs, adding 12 points with 13 rebounds and was Cleveland’s only consistent player in the first half. Smith also made his first 3-pointer since re-signing with the Cavs.

“Joe has given us a lift since he’s put on a Cavaliers uniform,” James said.

Jason Kidd, who missed Dallas’ previous game with a sore back, had nine points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Kidd also volunteered to guard James, his U.S. Olympic teammate, in the first half and later wondered if it was a bad idea.

“He almost had a triple-double in the first half, so I don’t know how much that worked,” Kidd said.

The Cavaliers, who trailed by 15 in the second quarter, didn’t need long to turn things around and run their record to 25-4 against Western Conference teams.

James fed Ilgauskas for three straight jumpers as Cleveland outscored Dallas 10-1 in the opening minutes of the third quarter. The Mavericks couldn’t get anything going against Cleveland’s suffocating defense, and when James pulled up and knocked down a 3-pointer, the Cavs were ahead 71-56 and on their way to win No. 12 in a row.

On Cleveland’s next trip, Williams pulled up for a 3-pointer that missed. But before the shot bounced off the rim, a retreating James didn’t see Richardson and fell over him near midcourt. James crashed hard to the floor and laid there for several moments as Cleveland fans quieted and his teammates gathered around.

“I just lost my breath,” he said. “It don’t matter how big you are, if somebody catches you and you’re running full speed like that … I just stayed down and tried to catch my breath.”

He soon popped to his feet, and it wasn’t long before James was dancing on Cleveland’s sideline during a timeout and mugging for the camera as the Cavs’ reserves finished off the Mavericks.

Following player introductions, James and his teammates held a mock baseball game with Williams hitting an imaginary home run. With James as their ringleader, the Cavs, now 20-2 since the All-Star break, recently began staging elaborate pregame productions.

It’s all in good fun, and no team is having more fun than the Cavs right now.

James was asked if this was the best time he’s ever had on the floor.

“Not yet,” he said. “I had way too much fun playing with the guys in high school. We won state championship after state championship. It’s starting to get there.”

Kidd is impressed with everything about Cleveland.

“Their record speaks for itself,” he said. “They are the best team in the NBA right now.”

Notes

Cleveland had just five turnovers. … On Saturday, James was in Columbus cheering on his alma mater, Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, which won its fifth state basketball title. James sat behind the bench but spent much of the game nervously pacing and chewing his nails. “That’s what I live for,” he said. “St. V is where I played. Once you go there, you’re always part of that tradition. I think everyone wearing green and gold was proud of what happened.” … Mavericks F Josh Howard missed his 11th straight game with a sore left ankle. Dallas’ third-leading scorer hasn’t played since March 5. … The Cavs are 15-1 in March, setting a franchise record for wins in any month.

Updated Mar 29, 6:19 pm EDT
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Cleveland at Charlotte

Fri Nov 27, 2009, 7:00 pm EST

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113 Comments

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  1. RoelV
    113. Posted by RoelV Wed Apr 1 8:27am EDT

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    LBJ deserves to be this seasons MVP, and Cavs is going to be the champion.. i like to see a new team as a champion.. go cavs go!!
  2. respect101
    112. Posted by respect101 Tue Mar 31 10:22am EDT

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    Blowin-nix-2010,as soon as you open your mouth it's enough said
  3. mary kay o
    111. Posted by mary kay o Tue Mar 31 8:57am EDT

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    All the Haters out there are just jealous, because their teams SUCK and they can only dream to have a player like King James, so keep dreaming Haters. Oh and Kobe SUCKS he wishes he had a team like Cleveland and not a One Man Show.
  4. mary kay o
    110. Posted by mary kay o Tue Mar 31 8:51am EDT

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    #19 Cleveland did not get smoked in the Playoffs last year by Boston it came down to the wire and Cleveland was the team that went seven games with them. Kobe did not take it to game seven in the Finals. Cleveland will win it this year.
  5. <i>salinasmarkoliver</i>
    108. Posted by salinasmarkoliver Tue Mar 31 3:11am EDT

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    LBJ will win the MVP this Season, In his ERA right Now i think he's one of the best basketball player
  6. David
    107. Posted by David Mon Mar 30 10:44pm EDT

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    hope cavs make it to the finals so lebron can choke again! great player until it counts.they make a good door mat.should be a good short series.what am i saying,cavs wont make it anyway.
  7. <i>stiffler_oz</i>
    106. Posted by stiffler_oz Mon Mar 30 9:24pm EDT

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    wade mvp?if he give miami 60 wins this season ha has a chnce.cavs are 60-13 ryt now nd no doubt lebron wil b the mvp.peace
  8. NORMAN
    105. Posted by NORMAN Mon Mar 30 8:49pm EDT

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    hoping cavs will get the trophy this time. enough of the usual champion teams..it will be good for the NBA to have a new chamapion, to make other losing teams strive hard to reach what the cavs are having right now. LBJ.... bring the cavs thru the finals.. enough of LA's, celtics, spurs,pistons,
  9. Purple Yam and Magolover
    104. Posted by Purple Yam and Magolover Mon Mar 30 8:37pm EDT

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    Remember the Alamo!!! How soon Cleaveland Calvaliers forget the NBA Finals 2007 against the San Antonio Spurs. How many games did they win against the Spurs??? A big fat "0" as in San Antonio kicked Cleaveland A** 4 games to 0. Where was LeBron "BALLHOG" James leadership in the Finals?? He decided to quit on his team and the Spurs went on to win another Championship!!! I don't think the Cavs will make it to the Finals anyway this year. They have Orlando, Miami, and a Boston team getting healthy again to challenge the Cavs. It's either Orlando, Miami, or Boston that will meet the Lakers in NBA Finals 2009 and not Cleaveland. Enough said!!!
  10. KobeIsKing24
    103. Posted by KobeIsKing24 Mon Mar 30 7:45pm EDT

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    ALL these Cleveland season/ franchise records are nice, BUT they're not gonna mean S*HIT against the LAKERS...... 4-0 SWEEP! just like they did this season, AND against Spurs in the Finals......LoL
    'Zeke is garbage - Varajeo is gaarbage- Wally Szerbiaatch is WEAK- Mo Williams is sum what Decent.
  11. John
    102. Posted by John Mon Mar 30 6:22pm EDT

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    Leron james is one of the best players ever.... bottom line but calling him king james is to much .... but anyway he and the cavs are doing a good job this year
  12. JohnV
    101. Posted by JohnV Mon Mar 30 5:38pm EDT

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    Wait a minute... All players want to win... What's this, "I've never seen a player that wants to win like Lebron."? What about Michael Jordan? How'd you miss him?
  13. respect101
    100. Posted by respect101 Mon Mar 30 5:26pm EDT

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    Watching the NBA since 65 and the CAVS since 71 I have never scene a player that wants to win like LeBron.That alone makes him special.
  14. john o
    99. Posted by john o Mon Mar 30 2:09pm EDT

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    hey B.M.F. , ignoring your silly diatribe, have you seen the look in lebron's eyes this year, they are not going to be overconfident, nor willthey take any game lightly as there mantra goes "every game matters". It will take a great performance by a team over 7 games to knock of these Cavs. You should probably go back behind your curtain, as you obviously live in the land of oz.
  15. yu-eet-pu
    98. Posted by yu-eet-pu Mon Mar 30 1:50pm EDT

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    Bring it on home CAVS!!!!!
  16. Evan S
    97. Posted by Evan S Mon Mar 30 1:36pm EDT

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    LeBron is pretty much a lock to win the MVP this season. You can make a case for Kobe of of course but it's Lebrons year. The cavs do not have that bad of a scheduale the rest of the year. They may lose one or two more (playing boston and orlando) but there is no reason why they should lose to the rest of the teams they have left to play.
  17. The B.M.F. Himself
    96. Posted by The B.M.F. Himself Mon Mar 30 11:47am EDT

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    Everything is going according the B.M.F.'s master-plan. I have arranged for Boston to play HORRIBLE basketball for the remainder of the season and lull Cleveland into a false sense of security. With home court advantage throughout the playoffs, great team chemistry, veteran contributors, solid "D", and depth-the CAVS will be too overconfident! The CAVS are sure to fail with such a good team! Yes, everthing is going according to my plan...he,he,he,he. The B.M.F. Himself is the man behind the curtain, pulling the strings. I AM ALL POWERFUL!!!
  18. Keepnitreal
    94. Posted by Keepnitreal Mon Mar 30 11:29am EDT

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    Wade is an awesome player that has won an NBA championship along with Finals MVP. Yes, he gets respect for playing with such young NBA players. He however cannot be the MVP based on the way it has been chosen year over year. CAVS last year had a middle weight team and LBJ was Fantastic but he didn't win MVP, Kobe deserved and won last year.
    This is the year of LBJ the MVP should be his, no matter what happens in the playoffs as the MVP is chosen before hand.
    GO CAVS! What they are accomplishing thus far is really good basketball, winning the NBA Title is the ultimate goal.
  19. noel o
    93. Posted by noel o Mon Mar 30 11:27am EDT

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    ill bet my pwet LBJ wil not be MVP this season. Heck the Cavs dont even have a chance to make it to the conference finals...
  20. <i>jginnel</i>
    92. Posted by jginnel Mon Mar 30 10:39am EDT

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    hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
  21. KK
    91. Posted by KK Mon Mar 30 10:16am EDT

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    Dj mbenga and josh powell will get a ring befo dirk!!! they shouldda kept those big strong niqs!!
  22. respect101
    90. Posted by respect101 Mon Mar 30 10:05am EDT

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    crowefan, apparently when I was talking about morons with no stones you thought I was talking about you .Strike a nerve people?
  23. EMER
    89. Posted by EMER Mon Mar 30 10:02am EDT

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    Lbj is mvp!!!!!!!!
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Top Performers

 Top Performers
 Dallas
D. Nowitzki Dirk Nowitzki
7-23,  20 Pts
7 Rebs, 4 Assists
 Cleveland
L. James LeBron James
9-22,  24 Pts
6 Rebs, 12 Assists

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