CLEVELAND — LeBron James scored 33 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter, and the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 105-100 on Tuesday.
James added 10 rebounds and three assists while forward Kevin Love scored 18 points and guard Matthew Dellavedova had 17 for the Cavaliers, who ended their three-game slide.
James missed Saturday’s game against the Miami Heat to rest and looked refreshed, carrying Cleveland when it mattered with an explosive fourth quarter just as he did in Friday’s overtime loss at the New Orleans Hornets.
Portland guard Damian Lillard scored 33 points and guard C.J. McCollum had 24, but the Blazers lost for the second time in as many nights.
Cavaliers coach David Blatt juggled his lineup to begin the third quarter, pulling ineffective center Timofey Mozgov and replacing him with guard Jared Cunningham. Kevin Love shifted to center and James moved to power forward. The results were evident immediately.
Portland turned the ball over on five of their first eight possessions of the quarter and ended the third with more turnovers (nine) than they had in the entire first half (eight). Some of them were unforced, but many seemed due to Cleveland’s increased pressure.
The turnovers sparked a turnaround. Richard Jefferson’s 3-pointer with 4:32 left in the third gave the Cavaliers a 65-63 lead, their first since the game’s opening minute.
The aggression carried into the fourth. Dellavedova earned a flagrant foul for flinging Mason Plumlee to the ground – despite giving up seven inches and about 50 pounds to Plumlee.
James soon followed with a 3-pointer to give Cleveland a 96-90 lead with 2:53 left, then stepped in front of Plumlee for a charge at the other end. Plumlee fouled out as a result while James hollered at anyone who would listen.
The Cavaliers had been prone to slow starts recently and James seemed concerned Tuesday morning it could happen again, dismissing any advantage they may have just because the Blazers were playing the second night of a back-to-back after a last-second loss Monday at the Milwaukee Bucks.
“Sometimes the team coming off the back to back is in more rhythm,” James said. “It’s a 40-minute flight (from Milwaukee to Cleveland) so it’s not like they got in late.”
James was correct. Portland raced out to an 18-6 lead in the first quarter after McCollum and Lillard combined for 16 of the Blazers’ points. Cleveland ultimately fell behind by double figures for the fourth straight game, including trailing by at least 18 for the second time in as many home games. But this time they showed enough fight to come all the way back.