Cavs topple Charlotte in West’s season debut

CLEVELAND (AP) — Delonte West scored 13 points in his delayed season debut, Mo Williams added 24 and LeBron James 14 as the Cleveland Cavaliers, back at full strength, rolled to a 90-79 win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Saturday night.

Williams scored 12 in the fourth quarter — all on 3-pointers — and James added nine assists and seven rebounds for the Cavs, now 2-2 after an 0-2 start.

West’s turbulent offseason finally brought him back to the floor. After missing all eight preseason games and Cleveland’s first three of the regular season to deal with personal issues, the troubled and valuable West was cleared by team doctors, ending more than a month of drama.

He went 5 of 7 from the field in 24 minutes.

Vladimir Radmanovic scored 12 and D.J. Augustin 11 to lead Charlotte, which has never won in Cleveland.

The Cavaliers trailed 46-45 early in the third before going on a 21-8 run — much of it with center Shaquille O’Neal on the bench — to open a 14-point lead entering the fourth. West was a factor in helping the Cavs distance themselves from the Bobcats, who were understandably exhausted after playing two overtimes on Friday night in a win over New York.

James scored six straight points as Cleveland opened a 57-51 lead and West followed with his first basket of the season. Getting the ball on the right side, he gave a shoulder fake to Gerald Henderson and dropped a step-back jumper for his first basket this season.

Before the third quarter closed, West made two free throws and a 3-pointer as the Cavs pushed their lead to 66-54.

The Cavs are still getting used to playing with the 14-time All-Star O’Neal, who made his first free throws of the season after 10 consecutive misses. He had eight points and five rebounds in 26 minutes. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, now coming off the bench with O’Neal around, went 5 for 5 from the floor.