Cleveland: LeBron James posted a season-high 42 points with 11 rebounds and five assists on Thursday to lead Cleveland to a 110-99 NBA victory over league-leading Golden State.
In a game touted as a possible NBA finals preview, James insisted the Cavaliers weren’t out to make a statement against the Warriors, but they did so nevertheless.
Cleveland avenged a 112-94 loss to the Warriors in January as they notched their fourth straight victory and an 18th win in their last 20 games.
Kyrie Irving contributed 24 points and Kevin Love chipped in 16 points and eight rebounds for the hosts.
“We’re not trying to send a message, we’re just trying to improve every time we get an opportunity to come out on the floor and play,” said James. His Cavs are finally clicking in the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player’s first season back in Cleveland after four years and two title runs in Miami.
“We’ve been doing some good things the last couple of months, but we’ve still got a lot of room to improve. Hopefully we’ll continue that,” James said after posting his 55th career 40-point game.
The Cavaliers have taken a slim lead over Chicago top the Central Division, and their 37-22 record puts them third overall in the Eastern Conference behind Atlanta and Toronto.
