Monday, November 22, 2004
CLEVELAND (AP) -- LeBron James scored 25 points, Jeff McInnis added a season-high 24 and the Cleveland Cavaliers won their sixth straight, 100-84 over the Charlotte Bobcats on Saturday night.
McInnis scored seven straight points during an 11-0 run late in the third quarter when the Cavaliers built an 18-point lead. McInnis had 12 points in the period.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 12 points -- 10 in the second half -- and 12 rebounds for Cleveland, which beat the expansion Bobcats for the second time in three days. The Cavaliers defeated Charlotte by 17 on Thursday.
This one wasn't nearly as easy as the Cavaliers led just 69-62 with 2:54 remaining in the third.
James, whose scoring average is more than seven points higher than during his rookie of the year season, then muscled inside for a tip-in before McInnis went on a one-man scoring mission. He hit a 6-foot floater in the lane, dropped two free throws and drilled a 3-pointer to make it 78-62.
Drew Gooden's two free throws capped the 11-point spurt, and when James converted a three-point play to make it 85-65 early in the fourth, Cavaliers coach Paul Silas felt comfortable enough to rest some of his starters.
But the Bobcats rallied, pulling within 89-76 on Eddie House's basket with 4:57 to go.
That's when Silas decided he had seen enough and brought back his first unit. James' dunk with 3:27 left made it 95-79 and finally put Charlotte away.
Gerald Wallace had 15 points, and rookie Emeka Okafor 13 for Charlotte.