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Although a lead is never secure in the NBA, having LeBron James at your disposal is a nice safety net.
The Cavalier superstar has been taking over fourth-quarters on a regular basis as of late, something he continued on Saturday against the Jazz. Playing infront of a sold-out crowd at Quicken Loans Arena, the reigning MVP scored 10 of his 21 points in the game’s final five minutes to secure a 107-103 victory for the home team.
“The way that he has closed these last couple ball games has been remarkable,” said Mike Brown. ”I called it Picasso last time, we’ll call it Rembrandt tonight.”
James scored six points in the first quarter, in which the Cavs jumped out to a 34-22 lead. As a team they shot 15-21 from the floor, led by a seven-point quarter for J.J. Hickson.
Hickson finished the game with a career-high 20 points and also grabbed four rebounds. The Cavaliers are 4-0 since Hickson entered the starting lineup and the 21-year-old is one of the main reasons.
“I understand my role,” said Hickson after the game. ”I think that’s a big part of it. I understand my role in knowing that we have LeBron James and Mo Williams out there, so I just got to space the floor and take advantage when I do get my shots.”
Although Hickson was big in the first quarter, the second quarter belonged to a couple of new Cavaliers.
Jamario Moon and Anthony Parker, both signed as free agents this past off season, each scored eight points in the second. The Cavs led by as many as 16 in the quarter, but saw their lead evaporate rather quickly. The Jazz closed the Cavs advantage to five heading into the half, thanks in large part due to their ability to get to the free-throw line. They shot 12 foul shots in the quarter, compared to just four for the Cavaliers.
The second half began with both teams struggling to score. They combined for just 37 points in the third period as Carlos Boozer lead the Jazz with nine points. The Cavaliers failed to register any points in the final two minutes of the quarter and headed into the final 12 minutes leading just 78-72.
James started the final quarter resting on the bench as usual. With him off the court held the Cavs were able to hold their advantage and lead 89-82 when he returned to the game with 6:26 remaining. From that moment on the game belonged to ‘King James’.
“I’m not afraid of the moment,” said James. “I kind of live for it. I’ve been in this position many, many times, so it’s not something I’m stepping into or haven’t been in before.”
The forward has made it a custom to carry the Cavaliers to victory near the end of the game, at which time he makes it his mission to get to the hoop. He was 8-11 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, but also found a way to get his teammates involved, dishing out three of his game-high nine assists in the final six minutes.
The Cavaliers played without starting center Shaquille O’Neal for the first time all season. O’Neal missed the contest due to a shoulder strain, giving Zydrunas Ilgauskas his first start of the season.
Ilgauskas took advantage of the opportunity, scoring in double-figures for just the third time this season. But Ilgauskas wasn’t the only player to step up in O’Neal absence, as six players scored 10 or more points for the Cavaliers. One of those players, Mo Williams, had his third-straight superb game, scoring 21 points and adding six assists.
Even with the strong play of Williams and others, the Jazz managed to keep things close and even took the lead briefly in the final period. The determination of Utah didn’t go unnoticed by the Cavs main attraction, who made sure his team’s fans didn’t go home unhappy.
“The game got kind of close,” said James. ”As the leader of this team and the player that I’ve made myself into, it was time for me to wake up a little bit and take the game over.”

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Sun, Nov 15, 2009
Lebron James, News