On Monday night, LeBron James returned to Cleveland as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, and he thoroughly entertained the fans that were able to witness the game.
After James put Cleveland Cavaliers big man Kevin Love on a poster with a highlight dunk and commented on it after the game, Love jokingly messed with his former teammate on social media.
I’m not f*cking with my guy @KingJames for atleast the next 48hrs!!!! 😂😂😂
— Kevin Love (@kevinlove) March 22, 2022
James, a four-time MVP, had 38 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists while serving up multiple exciting plays for the crowd at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
The Cavs led early, but James led a couple of surges for the Lakers, and they were eventually able to down his former team 131-120.
Darius Garland had another outstanding game for the Cavs with 29 points and 17 assists while committing just one turnover. Meanwhile, Lauri Markkanen helped Cleveland’s cause with 18 points and nine boards.
The Cavs’ normally strong defense fell apart against the Lakers, as they allowed L.A. to shoot a scorching 56.4 percent from the field. Throughout the game, the Cavs were also unable to control the tempo to their liking, as the Lakers scored 22 fast-break points and put together transition buckets in bunches.
Although the Cavs are still in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, Monday’s loss could end up being a costly one for them. The Toronto Raptors, who are currently in seventh place, have been surging in recent weeks, and Cleveland needs to avoid falling below the sixth seed if it wants to avoid having to make an appearance in the league’s play-in tournament.
