Wade, James set for star-powered game

MIAMI (AP) — Dwyane Wade was watching the Cleveland Cavaliers play the Los Angeles Lakers last week, his eyes focused on LeBron James and Kobe Bryant almost the entire time.

They had, as Wade described it, “the look.”

The Look. It’s what NBA superstars invariably get when matched up against one another, and it’s what Wade will try to have tonight when Miami plays host to James and the Cavaliers in a game that could, among other things, give the Heat a big shot of momentum before heading out for another long road swing.

“Anytime you get to go against one of those matchups, you always get up for it,” Wade said. “I was saying the other day, watching the Lakers and Cleveland play, just looking at both guys they had a different look in their eyes. That’s just what it is. It’ll be the same thing [tonight]. I always enjoy playing against LeBron.”

Wade and James are forever linked in many ways, each going in the top five spots of the 2003 draft and aligning to help the U.S. win Olympic gold in Beijing. They’re also close friends, and have been asked countless times in recent months about the prospects of playing together somewhere starting next season, since both could opt out of their contracts and become free agents this summer.

That’s fun stuff to talk about.

For now and the foreseeable future, they’ll remain friendly rivals.

It’ll be the 21st meeting between the two, James getting 11 wins so far to Wade’s nine. Head-to-head, their stat lines are close to identical — James is averaging 28.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 7.7 assists on 47 percent shooting, Wade has 27.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.7 assists on 46 percent shooting. And each player has topped the 40-point mark four times against the other’s team.

“They’re going to play well,” Wade said. “I think it’s going to be a defensive battle. Both teams are very good defensive teams. The first time we played them, it was a good game, they wound up pulling away at the end. So we’ve just got to be very focused, can’t turn the ball over, make sure we continue to play team basketball the way we have and play for 48 minutes.”

Even with Mo Williams sidelined, the Cavs come in rolling, winners of four straight with the last two of those coming against the Lakers on Thursday and then Oklahoma City on Saturday, a 100-99 victory sealed by James making a huge block against Kevin Durant.

Entering Sunday, Cleveland had opened a four-game lead in the East.