Cavs-Nets: The Impending Annhiliation

Tonight, the NBA's best team will host the NBA's worst team.

That right, folks, it's a matchup with epic possibilities. LeBron James and the Cavs (41-11, 22-3 home) host...um...Brook Lopez and the Nets (4-46, 1-26 away). Cleveland is riding an 11-game winning streak and appears headed for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. At their current rate, it would take the Nets 125 games to earn win No. 11.

Suffice to say, we have ourselves a mismatch. The Cavs operated on cruise control in their first two games against the Nets this season, winning by just 10 and eight points. I wonder what would happen if the Cavs really tried...

JAMES GETS '88 SPECIAL' IN HISTORIC BLOWOUT

CLEVELAND--LeBron James exploded for the second-highest point total in NBA history, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 144-68 thrashing of the hapless New Jersey Nets.

The Cavs' 12th straight win was never in doubt, though some in attendance wondered if the Nets would even finish the game. At one point, a dazed Chris Douglas-Roberts lay prostrate under his own basket, unable to get up after James had "broken his ankles" for a fifth consecutive time.

"We played well today," a grinning James said afterwards, sweat barely visible on his face. "We shut it down in the second half, but we could've had 200."

With the game tied at 4 early in the first quarter, Nets' center Brook Lopez rammed home a putback dunk, punctuating the play with a fist pump in the direction of the Cavs' bench. That seemed to irk James and Co., who reeled off a 57-0 run that finally ended when Devin Harris banked in a desperation halfcourt shot to end the first period.

James led the assault, finishing the quarter with 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. Informed by the official scorer that he'd completed a historic first quarter triple-double, James grinned and said: "I'm just getting started."

Indeed he was. Early in the second period, James punctuated a coast-to-coast drive with a thunderous dunk, jumping completely over Lopez's head and shattering the backboard with a two-handed slam.

By the end of the first half, the Cavs led 120-16. James ended the second quarter with a fullcourt, behind-the-head shot that swished through the hoop at the buzzer. The threeball gave "The Chosen One" 88 points, and he celebrated by finishing his cigar and calmly strolling into the locker room.

"At this point," said amused Cleveland coach Mike Brown, "we decided to ease up a little."

In the second half, James was forbidden to shoot or use his right hand. The NBA scoring leader concentrated instead on assists and blocks, getting 20 dimes in the quarter and swatting 14 of the Nets' 20 third-period shot attempts.

The two Nets fans in the building, incensed that James would continue to play with his team up 100+ points, began to boo vociferously.

"Come on, man," James protested afterwards. "I mean, my right hand was literally tied behind my back. And most of the time I pulled my headband down over my eyes so I couldn't see."

In the fourth quarter, Cleveland used just three players, allowing the Nets to claw back for the final margin. The Cavs curiously began feeding injured shooting guard Mo Williams, who went 4-4 on three-pointers while sitting on the bench.

"I know they didn't count," Williams snapped. "But how awesome was that? I mean, I didn't even smudge my suit."

James finished with the 88 Special and added 34 rebounds and 39 assists. Shaquille O'Neal had his best game in years, finishing with 40 points and 20 rebounds despite leaving the court for emergency oxygen treatments after just 10 minutes of action.

Despite the comically lopsided loss, Nets' coach Kiki Vandeweghe remained optimistic.

"What was it, 144-68?" he asked reporters. "That's only a 78-point loss. Just wait until we play the Knicks again."