Based on the late-game heroics of the Cardiac Cavaliers on their recent West Coast roadie, when the Wine and Gold were down 14 points to start the fourth quarter, you could say they had the Kings right where they wanted them.
As he had one night earlier in the Valley of the Sun, Sasha Pavlovic canned a pair of huge three-pointers late in the fourth quarter, as the Cavaliers mounted yet another thrilling comeback win, topping Sacramento in overtime – 126-123 – on Friday night at ARCO Arena.
Sasha might have drilled the clutch bombs, but again it was LeBron James who did the Cavaliers’ heavy lifting – notching his third 50-point performance of the season and locking down on Kevin Martin, who had torched Cleveland throughout the second half.
“(The coaches) told me they wanted me to take him, and I wanted to take him,” said James. “I just took the challenge. I wanted to end the road trip the right way. I’m a competitor, and I hate to lose.”
The Kings might have seen the storm brewing when LeBron crushed home a right-handed dunk to start the fourth. LeBron’s offensive barrage continued throughout the fourth quarter, but it was his steal at halfcourt and a single free throw with 24 seconds remaining – and a swat of Kevin Martin’s potential game-winner – that sent the game into an extra session.
Once the shorthanded Cavaliers – playing without an injured Delonte West and Ben Wallace – got a second life in overtime, the Kings were obviously not the same team that scored 98 points through the first three quarters. LeBron started the scoring with a three-point play to give the Cavaliers their first lead since halftime and his 28-foot dagger put the Cavaliers up six – 122-116.
Will Solomon connected on a three of his own to get the Kings within a point with 5.3 remaining in OT, but Mo Williams calmly drained a pair of free throws to seal the deal.
LeBron scored 16 of his game-high 51 in the fourth quarter, going 4-for-6 from the floor and 8-for-9 from the stripe – adding four assists and a pair of blocked shots. Overall, the Chosen One was 16-for-30 from the floor and 15-for-17 from the line. He led both squads with nine assists and three blocked shots, along with a pair of steals – including the theft that sent the game into overtime.
Anderson Varejao was just as clutch as the young King, going 8-for-8 from the field for 18 points and a game-high 12 rebounds – five off the offensive glass.
Wally Szczerbiak followed up with 12 points, all of which he scored in the first half. Mo Williams rounded out the Cavaliers in double-figures, pitching in with 10 points, including four key free throws late in regulation and overtime.
The Cavaliers allowed the red-hot Kings just 18 points in the fourth quarter – after giving up 39 one period previous. LeBron’s lockdown of Kevin Martin was the key defensive move of the game. James checked the former Zanesville star with just over two minutes to play in regulation, and Martin – who finished with 34 points – didn’t score again.
The Cavaliers close out their final extended road trip of the season at 3-0, and will finish the 2008-09 campaign with 12 of their final 17 at the corner of Huron and Ontario – beginning with Sunday night’s showdown with the Knicks.
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