Washington Wizards: Wizards v. Cavaliers Game Preview

James may not hit 40 points many more times this season. "If I'm playing 23 minutes one night, I'm gonna try to be the best I can be in those 23", Wade said. "He's the best player in the game - he's the best player in the world".

Like everything James does, it was clearly thought out and undoubtedly a reference to the nonstop talking the Wizards had directed at the Cavaliers, including on Friday, when Wall and Beal went on ESPN and made all kinds of braggadocious statements. And he knew how important this game was for us after losing four in a row. "He put us on his back, and everyone chipped in", Dwyane Wade said after the game.

"I came here to the Cavs to be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem". "So we knew he was feeling good and he carried us".

James needed one more point to take sole ownership of the franchise's scoring record for a single game. Paul Millsap scored 27 Friday to lead the Nuggets past the Heat, which was Denver's fourth win in their last five games. He's averaged 18.0 points and 10.2 rebounds in 19 lifetime games against the Wizards while posting 11 double-doubles. He added 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks in a big win over the Washington Wizards. They're also tied for 22nd in second-chance points allowed (13.7) and defensive field goal percentage (46.6). All those made buckets moved him past Kevin Garnett (10,505 made field goals) and John Havlicek (10,513) for 11th on the all-time list (10,528).

Sliding down the stands due to a 4 game losing streak, the Cavs have looked pretty bad against mediocre teams like the Brooklyn Nets and the Indiana Pacers, and even though the season is just getting started, it's time to be anxious at the Q right now. According to Coach Scott Brooks, Keef will be on a minutes restriction, and most likely will play between 15 and 16 minutes.

Even better than James' performance, though, was his decision to wear a specific pair of Nikes to and from Capital One Arena Friday night - ones with Velcro straps that were adorned with an unmistakable message: "Long Live The King". "You got a lot of new guys that's been in the rotation like D-Wade, JG, D-Rose, Jae".

"When we're not making shots and not scoring I think it becomes mental", Lue said. It matters to him, although in the locker room Friday night he pretended like it didn't, and that he didn't care that he almost erased Irving (who, you recall, didn't want to play with James anymore) from the top line in the record book. The Southwest Division-leading Rockets (7-3) closed a stretch where they played 5 of 6 games away from Houston.

James is now the second player in National Basketball Association history with more than 10 points in 800 consecutive games, the league's analysts said Saturday morning in a Twitter post.

The rest of the Cavs were equally impressed.