One NBA player lords over LeBron James. Carmelo Anthony rules Cleveland's hoops King. "I know he hates losing to me," Anthony said with a laugh. Anthony scored 27 points, All-Star sidekick Allen Iverson added 25 and the Denver Nuggets rolled to a 113-83 win Sunday night over the injury-depleted Cavaliers. Anthony, who got to rest in the fourth quarter, improved to 8-2 in his pro career against good friend James, who scored 30 points -- in three quarters -- but got little help from a Cleveland team missing four key players, including two starters. Though shorthanded, the Cavs have been able to get by playing good defense and came in 16-5 since Dec. 25. But from the opening tip on they didn't do nearly enough to slow the Nuggets, who handed Cleveland its worst home loss since April 5, 2005. Denver led by 11 points after one quarter, 18 at halftime and pushed its advantage to 26 by the end of the third. At the end of that period, James stormed off the court, took a seat at the far end of Cleveland's bench and didn't take part in coach Mike Brown's huddle before the fourth quarter began. "It was definitely frustrating," James said. "We know we can play better. It was one game. That's something we can fix." As a displeased James sat alone on the bench and stared straight ahead, Cavaliers guard Damon Jones let his teammates know that their performance was unacceptable by yelling at all of them. "I just think something had to be said at that point," Jones said. "No big thing." Although he was looking in James' direction, Jones said his comments were intended for everyone wearing white jerseys. "In those situations you have to band together as a team. I wasn't singling anybody out," Jones said. "Everybody, including myself, we have to find ways to fight through situations like that." James didn't play in the fourth quarter when the Cavs fell behind by 37 and played all their reserves. Anthony, coming off a 49-point performance in a win against Washington, went 11-of-19 from the floor and added eight rebounds in 32 minutes. He, too, spent the fourth quarter on the sideline, savoring Denver's fifth straight win over Cleveland. "It was one of the most complete games we've had," Anthony said. "We didn't come in here expecting a blowout, but that's what happened." Iverson added 13 assists and Marcus Camby 17 rebounds for Denver, which shot 63 percent in the first quarter. "We jumped on them from the beginning," Iverson said. "We took advantage of the shots they were missing. We were able to do everything right on both ends of the floor." The Cavaliers were again a shell of themselves as injuries continued to plague the Eastern Conference champions. Drew Gooden missed his third game in a row with a strained right groin and Daniel Gibson, the team's top long-range shooter, sat out his second straight because of a strained hamstring. On top of that, Cleveland didn't have forward Anderson Varejao (sprained ankle) or swingman Sasha Pavlovic (sprained foot). Also, Jones went to the locker room in the fourth quarter with a sprained ankle and center Zydrunas Ilgauskas was also forced to spend the final 12 minutes getting treatment for back spasms. The Cavs, however, were hurting long before that. Denver led 63-45 at halftime and quickly upped its lead to 23 after Iverson opened the third quarter with a 3-pointer and Kenyon Martin scored inside. James helped trim Denver's lead to 15, but Iverson and Anthony never relaxed and the Nuggets pushed their lead to 90-64 entering the fourth. The Nuggets beat the Cavs 122-100 earlier this season. "It's disappointing they whooped our behinds twice like this," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "I don't think we can look in the mirror and say we fought tonight." Denver coach George Karl took his team's lopsided win in stride, knowing the Cavaliers weren't at full strength. "They're so banged up and beat up," he said. "They couldn't make a shot and we had an easier game because we did some good things. It was one of those games where can go home and say we played, but they were shorthanded too." Game notes James was pleased Anthony was named a starter for next weekend's All-Star Game, the first time Denver's forward has gotten the nod. "People realize he's one of the best players in our league, definitely one of the best scorers," James said. "It took five years to finally get the opportunity." ... Nuggets big man Steven Hunter missed his second straight game with a sore right knee. ... Gibson's injury could keep him out of next weekend's All-Star activities in New Orleans. He's scheduled to play in the rookie-sophomore challenge and 3-point shootout. ... Pavlovic, who could miss two months, is scheduled to have a cast removed in the next few days. "Finally," he said. "I'm sick of it."

Visit http://www.nba.com/video for more highlights. Preview of the first-round playoff series between the Wizards and Cavaliers.

Allen Iverson keeps scoring and the Philadelphia 76ers keep winning. One night after a 41-point effort in Philadelphia's most lopsided win of the season, Iverson scored an NBA season-high and career-best 54 in a 107-103 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. "It was like he was playing horse tonight," said 76ers guard Aaron McKie, who had 20 points and nine assists. "His jumper was deadly." Using mostly jump shots, Iverson went 20-of-30 from the field. He also hit 10-of-13 free-throw attempts en route to his third career 50-point game and first since February 6 against Sacramento. "When your jumper is on, the basket seems like an ocean and the basketball seems like a rock," he said. "That is the way it felt tonight. "My teammates are the ones that set the screens for me and got me the ball in spots where I need the ball. My coach calls the plays and I wouldn't set a career high without those guys." The 1998-99 NBA scoring champion, Iverson broke his own Gund Arena record for points. He has fond memories of this building, having scored 50 points in a 125-118 loss in April 1997 after being named Most Valuable Player of the rookie game at All-Star Weekend that same year. "Coming here is something special because I remember I came in here and won the MVP of the rookie game in 1997," he said. "All I heard was boos and didn't understand it. I always look forward to coming back here to play in front of these people." The 76ers extended their winning streak to six games and improved the league's best record to 24-8. They have won eight straight on the road, three shy of a franchise record. Theo Ratliff chipped in 12 points, nine rebounds and nine blocks for Philadelphia, which was coming off Friday night's 121-89 home rout of Seattle. Despite Iverson's 54 points, the Sixers could not shake Cleveland, which closed within 103-99 on a three-point play by Lamond Murray with 67 seconds left but could not get any closer. "I thought our guys gave what they could," coach Randy Wittman said. "They ran into a guy that had it going tonight. I thought we gave a great effort but just couldn't overcome his 54 points." Andre Miller had 22 points and 14 assists for the Cavaliers, who have lost three straight and eight of nine after a six-game winning streak. The Cavs got within four points five times before Miller cappedthe scoring with a dunk, but the trio of Iverson, McKie and Ratliff foiled them each time. Murray's three-point play with 67 seconds left got Cleveland within four points but Ratliff followed with a 15-footer and Iverson added two free throws for a 107-99 lead with 22 seconds to play. Playing for the second straight night, the Sixers trailed 15-4 less than five minutes into the game. But Iverson scored eight points and Ratliff added six during an 18-6 run that gave Philadelphia a 27-25 lead after one period. The Sixers never trailed again, leading by as many as 11 points three times. Iverson, McKie and Ratliff combined for 26 of 29 Sixers points as they turned a 15-4 deficit into a 33-29 lead 3:15 into the second quarter. The lead hovered between five and 10 points until a layup by Rodney Buford made it 55-44 with 73 seconds to play in the first half. The Sixers took a 56-48 lead into the locker room behind Iverson's 28 points. Iverson scored Philadelphia's first 13 points of the third quarter on a trio of jumpers, a 3-pointer, a three-point play and a free throw for a 69-61 lead with 6 1/2 minutes left in the period. "He was amazing," Sixers coach Larry Brown said. "He shot the ball as well as you can shoot it because there weren't a lot of easy shots. People had a hand in his face." "What a Larry Brown team does really well is spread the floor well for Allen," Cleveland guard Jim Jackson said. "It's really hard to stop a guy like that on the perimeter." The Cavs got within 72-69 on a basket by Miller with 2:59 left in the third but the Sixers never withered under the pressure, maintaining at least a four-point lead the rest of the way. Tyrone Hill scored nine points for Philadelphia, which shot 53 percent from the field (39-of-73) to overcome 21 turnovers. Iverson, McKie and Ratliff combined to go 31-of-52 from the floor. The Sixers also held a 42-39 edge in rebounding as Cavs rookie center Chris Mihm suffered a knee injury early in the second quarter and did not return. Murray and Clarence Weatherspoon scored 19 points apiece and Chris Gatling added 18 for Cleveland, which shot 48 percent from the floor (41-of-86) and 83 percent from the line (20-of-24).

Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James were the headliners, but Allen Iverson and J.R. Smith stole the show. Iverson scored a season-high 37 points and Smith added 29 to help the Denver Nuggets beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 122-100 on Monday night. "They didn't steal my spotlight," said Anthony, who had 22 points and nine rebounds. "They did what they were supposed to do. They took advantage of the defense that they threw at us." Iverson set the tone early with his sharp shooting. He had 18 points at halftime, when the Nuggets took a 58-43 lead. He came out firing in the second half, scoring 11 points in the first six minutes, including two 3-poiners, to push Denver's lead to 78-51. "I got into a rhythm in the second half," said Iverson, who finished 14-for-20 from the field and added eight assists. "The basket looked like an ocean; I was throwing rocks in. It feels good when you catch a rhythm like that." James led Cleveland with 27 points, but the Nuggets were able to contain the rest of the Cavaliers. "Even though LeBron had a great game, his great game came from getting fouled," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "We took away what we wanted to take away, him making other people better." The Cavaliers struggled offensively. They shot 41.9 percent from the field and were 21-for-38 from the foul line. "I'm not too disappointed," James said. "We did a lot of things that we wanted to do differently. We didn't execute offensively or defensively. I think we tried to do some things right." Even though his team was playing its fifth game in seven days, Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown said fatigue was not an excuse. "Denver got off a [four]-game road trip in a short amount of time," he said. "It wasn't as if they were sitting here for five days waiting on us." The Nuggets (5-3) were coming off a dramatic win in Indiana on Saturday, when they rallied from 25 down to beat the Pacers. "We rode that momentum from the last game," Iverson said. "The confidence level was high, coming back from 25 down." The Nuggets led by as many as 27 in the second half Monday, but Shannon Brown hit two jumpers to start the final period that cut Denver's lead to 88-72. That's when Smith came alive. He scored 15 points in the fourth quarter and was 4-for-5 from behind the 3-point line to push the lead back to 25. "I just did what my team needed me to do -- make open shots, get my teammates the ball, rebound and play defense," Smith said. "Just go out there and have fun." The Cavaliers (4-4) trailed 21-18 after the first quarter despite shooting 25 percent. Cleveland benefited from seven Denver turnovers that helped keep the score close. The Nuggets used a 13-2 run, highlighted by an Iverson alley-oop pass to Smith, to take a 39-24 with 5:52 left in the first half. The Cavaliers (4-4) got within 11, but two 3-pointers by Smith at the end of the second quarter gave the Nuggets a 15-point lead at the break. Cleveland guard Larry Hughes didn't finish the game. After missing a 3-pointer with 7:42 left in the first half, Hughes felt he had been fouled and had some words for referee Bill Spooner, who quickly gave Hughes two technical fouls and ejected him. "I got hit four straight times on four jump shots by Melo," he said. "I got smacked good on four straight shots. I asked him to call a foul. I said what needed to be said." Game notes The Nuggets are 7-2 against Cleveland since Anthony and James joined the league in 2003. ... The 122 points were the most Cleveland has surrendered since allowing 120 to Philadelphia on Nov. 19, 2005, which was Brown's first year on the bench. ... Cavaliers G/F Sasha Pavlovic did not play. Pavlovic experienced back spasms against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night and left the game in the second quarter. ... Smith's 29 points were a season high.

Entering his prime, this version of MJ was just untouchable - finishing with 35ppg, 5.5rebs, 5.9asts, 3.2stls, 1.6blks, 54%fg, the MVP, the Defensive Player of the Year, the scoring title, the steals title, the PER title, the First Defensive team and the First NBA team all in the year of 1988. With absurd athleticism matched with skill and will, this era of MJ was the most exciting as an individual spectacle. In this game, MJ dominated with his usual dazzling array of acrobatic drives and hanging jumpers to score a cool and effortless 52 points on 20-31 shooting and 12-12 free throws. MJ displayed an uncanny ability to enter a zone of jumpers while mixing it up by entering a zone of creative drives. With the Cavs becoming early rivals of the Bulls, MJ always seemed to take his game to another level when they came to town. The most exciting player ever was at his most exciting in these years just before he became a champion.

Stupid decision!

2008 Gator Bowl - Virginia Cavaliers x Texas Tech Red Raiders: Highlights of CHRIS LONG

Allen Iverson's biggest assist to Chris Webber didn't come on a no-look pass. It came in words of encouragement to Philly's slumping newcomer. "Just get your swagger back," Webber said Iverson told him. "That's really what I did. It helped me out." Webber had his best performance in his four games with Philadelphia, scoring 24 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, and Iverson added 31 points to lead the 76ers to a 98-89 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night. Samuel Dalembert had 15 points for the Sixers, who won for the second time in four games with Webber in the lineup. Webber looked a little more like the All-Star the 76ers hoped they were getting in their blockbuster trade. While Philadelphia remained 2½ games behind Boston in the Atlantic Division, Webber gave a glimpse of what he could contribute down the stretch. "I think every little bit helps your confidence," Webber said. "One day you're averaging a number that many people don't do in three categories and the next day you're worthless. And that's from myself, I don't even care what everyone else is saying." Iverson, who had nine assists, knew Webber was trying too hard to meet monstrous expectations. "I just know how tough it is on him," Iverson said. "He wants to play well so bad. He wants to fit in with the team. A lot of times when you're thinking about something like that instead of just playing basketball, you struggle." LeBron James scored 34 points and Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 22 points and 11 rebounds for the suddenly-fading Cavaliers. Cleveland's five-game losing streak is its longest of the season. After leading the Central Division for much of the first half, the Cavaliers are sliding back in the Eastern Conference race. The Cavaliers also dropped their seventh straight road game, losing their composure in the fourth quarter and allowing the Sixers to coast in the last few minutes. The Cavaliers had a season-high 27 turnovers that led to 27 Philadelphia points. James wasn't too worried about the slump. "We lost nine games in a row last year and got out of it," he said. "We're not hanging our heads low. I've been through this before and it's only my second season." James lost his cool after he thought he was fouled on a layup that pulled the Cavs to 83-80. He argued over the non-call and was hit with a technical foul. The Sixers pulled away from there. Kyle Korver hit the free throw, and Webber hit long jumpers before and after a basket by Dalembert to give the 76ers a 10-point lead. After making his second jumper, Webber whirled around, smiled and pumped his fist. While his shooting percentage wasn't great -- 11-for-28 -- Webber made a few nifty plays that showed why the Sixers thought they made a steal of a deal to get him from Sacramento. Webber struggled in his first three games with Philadelphia, shooting a combined 17-for-54, and not immediately clicking with Iverson to provide the potent inside-outside game that was expected. Against the Cavs, Webber took a small step toward fitting in. "There comes a point where you have to have self pride and say, 'I'm going to make this work and fit in," Webber said. He missed seven of his 10 shots in the first quarter before shooting 50 percent in the second quarter and 60 percent in the third. In the third quarter, Webber's no-look pass in the lane allowed Dalembert to complete a three-point play. On Philly's next possession, Webber came right down and made a 20-footer to give the Sixers a seven-point lead. "I thank the guys for being patient," Webber said. With more games like this one, it will be worth the wait. Game notes Cavs coach Paul Silas benched F Drew Gooden and started Robert Traylor. It was Traylor's first start since 1999-2000 with Milwaukee. "I don't have any scoring off the bench," Silas said. "I'm hoping Drew coming off the bench can be my go-to guy." ... Cavs G Eric Snow scored six points in his first game against the Sixers since they traded him last summer. Snow spent 6½ seasons with the 76ers, averaging 9.7 points and 6.6 assists while helping them to the 2001 Eastern Conference championship. ... Iverson was whistled for a technical in the third quarter. He also became the 73rd player in NBA history to score 16,000 career points.

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Michael Jordan is the only player in history to score back to back 50+pts in the playoffs. This is Game 2 where he accomplishes the feat with 55 pts, 6rebs, 3asts and 3 stls (Game 1 with 50pts was put up earlier and Games 3,4 and 5 will be put up in succession). MJ picks up where he left off in Game 1 where he produced 50 pts. Shooting a "modest by MJ standards" 55% with 24-44fgs, MJ attacked from all angles and took the ball to hole with his left hand constantly. With Ron Harper vowing to seek revenge for MJ's 50 in Game 1, he said "That will never happen again". Sure enough, MJ got 55 this time. What stood out aside from the 55 was MJ's knack for being around the most crucial plays. Again, in the clutch, MJ got the last rebound and covered the last play and hit the clutch free throws to go 7-7 from the line and go up by 3 points. The fact that all the big plays had his hand in it made it seem like he was psychic as well as being athletically absurd. The results are history. Look out for Games 3,4 and 5 from The Master next.

Cleveland Cavaliers intro and Lebron James highlights. NBA delonte west zydrunas ilgauskas pavlovic daniel Gibson Lakers Kobe bryant Wade miami heat nuggets denver iverson NBA - Tracy McGrady Houston Rockets vs San Antonio Spurs Tim Duncan Tony Parker Manu Ginobili Yao Ming NBA Tracy McGrady Houston Rockets vs San Antonio Spurs Tim Duncan Tony Parker Manu Ginobili Yao Ming rockets san antonio spurs nba tv top 10 plays dunks 2008 2009 kobe bryant vs lebron james game highlights season playoffs finals lakers celtics all star mvp pierce garnett 2k9 dunk contest 07 08 09 michael beasley dwyane wade miami bulls cavs wizards arenas yao ming tmac artest rockets trade warriors clippers baron davis vince carter kidd suns nash shaq gasol bynum portland olympics team usa basketball fiba

After becoming the only player to score back to back 50+pts in the playoffs in this series, MJ proceeded to set several more records. Here in Game 3, MJ would break Wilt's record for most points and field goals after 3 games. Make no mistake, MJ was off in this game. His jumper was not falling. But, this was when MJ would turn into the most exciting player because you knew he would start attacking the basket and produce acrobatic drives that no one had seen before. And that, he did. With an uncanny ability to slice and hang, MJ left commentator and hall of famer Rick Barry speechless with his athleticism. Personally, this was the type of game I liked best from MJ. When his jumper was off, it was awesome to see him pick it up in other areas of his game. Chicago would go on to lose this game but MJ's 38 points came in memorable fashion. And as part of his record setting 45.2 ppg in a 5 game series, it has its place in history. Look out for Games 4 and 5 next.

Allen Iverson scored 50 points in the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers to become the first rookie to score 40 or more points in 4 consecutive games. Philadelphia's Allen Iverson scored a rookie season-high 44 points in Monday's 128-102 loss to Chicago, then broke his own record with 50 points Saturday in a 125-118 loss to Cleveland. It was Iverson's fourth consecutive game with 40 or more points, breaking an NBA rookie record set by Wilt Chamberlain in the 1959-60 season.

My take, Grades and Game Balls, for the game vs UVa.

The Cleveland Cavaliers Defeated the Detroit Pistons in 6 games to win the Eastern Conference Championship. Bring on the Spurs

Visit http://www.nba.com/video for more highlights. Go inside the Cavaliers practice as they prepared for the upcoming China Games and hear what LeBron James had to say about his team.

Lebron James has finally been given a teammate to support him. Lebron James and Ben Wallace will be the best duo in the NBA. This is the beginning of a new dynasty. They will be the next Bulls and MJ dynasty.

LeBron James continues to make difficult feats look easy. Cleveland's star forward scored 37 points as part of his third triple-double this season in the Cavaliers' 111-108 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Saturday. ``If he continues with this scoring and stats, I would hate to see the numbers at the end,'' Cleveland teammate Damon Jones said. ``They will be off the charts.'' In addition to scoring six points in the final minute to seal the win, James had 12 rebounds and 12 assists for the 13th triple-double of his career in the regular season. ``He's phenomenal,'' Cleveland coach Mike Brown said. ``He makes the triple-double seem effortless. I have to tell myself not to take it for granted.'' James' performance was nearly offset by Chris Bosh, who led Toronto with 41 points to tie his career high. The six-foot-10 forward was unstoppable near the basket, going 13-of-25 from the field and making 15 of 17 free throws. ``There is nothing I don't like about his game,'' Brown said. ``He was incredible.'' In the end, the decision went to the Cavaliers and James, who took his usual low-key approach to his performance. ``It's not really as easy as it may look,'' he said. ``I have to do what is best for the team to win. No matter what plays I have to make, I need to do them.'' The Cavaliers hit nine three-pointers in the second half, including six in the third quarter, which ended with the score tied 81-81. Zydrunas Ilgauskas' layup midway through the fourth quarter put the Cavaliers ahead for good at 88-86. The Cavaliers led 104-100, but Jason Kapono's three-pointer with 57.1 seconds left made it a one-point game. James responded by driving past two defenders to score in the lane for a 106-103 lead with 44 seconds left. Kapono's layup cut the lead to one again before James' fadeaway jumper at the top of the key over Carlos Delfino put Cleveland ahead by three with 16.7 seconds left. ``I practise that every day,'' James said of the key shot. ``I just took what was there.'' After Anthony Parker missed a three-pointer from the corner, Devin Brown's free throw pushed the lead to four. Another three-pointer by Kapono made it a one-point game again, but James sealed the win with two foul shots. Jose Calderon's shot from just inside midcourt hit off the backboard. Bosh left the game briefly after being accidentally hit above the left eye by James, when he was going for a steal late in the third quarter. Bosh, who was bleeding, went to the locker-room for stitches, but returned early in the fourth. ``I'm trying to be aggressive every game,'' Bosh said. ``I just have to keep it rolling.'' Daniel Gibson and Jones, who hit five of nine three-pointers, scored 17 apiece, and Ilgauskas added 16 for Clev