Cavs can’t spoil LeBron James’ homecoming, falter late in 121-115 loss to Lakers

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Traffic was backed up along the interstate exits. Nearby parking lots filled early and quickly. The downtown streets were vibrant once again.

It all meant one thing: the highly anticipated WinterLand 2023 holiday tree lighting ceremony.

Oh, and LeBron James was back in town.

The Cavs couldn’t spoil LeBron’s homecoming this time, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers, 121-115, on Saturday night. Cleveland has lost two straight games while the Lakers open their four-game road trip with a hard-fought victory.

The beloved James, who celebrated the opening of his museum in Akron early Saturday, received a boisterous ovation during pregame introductions. His return - the Lakers’ only regular-season visit this season - led to a mix of purple and gold and vintage Cavs No. 23 jerseys sprinkled throughout the sellout crowd.

In the building he called home for 11 years, beneath the many banners he helped hang and with former 2016 title teammate Tristan Thompson on the other side, the 38-year-old James opened - and helped close - the festivities.

A classic breakaway and-1 delighted the fans and began a 7-2 early-game Lakers scoring surge. Then James hit back-to-back clutch buckets in the final minutes to hold off the Cavs’ rally.

James finished with 22 points on 8 of 23 from the field and 1 of 9 from 3-point range to go with six rebounds and six assists in 35 minutes.

Even though Cleveland was finally close to full strength, the Lakers scored the first seven points, setting the stage for a high-scoring first half, with the two teams combining for 141 points. The Cavs settled in after the initial flurry, fueled by the re-emergence of star guard Donovan Mitchell, who missed the previous four games because of a strained hamstring. But the home team faltered late, being outscored 28-21 in the decisive fourth quarter.

Third-year forward Evan Mobley missed a critical free throw that would’ve capped a 3-point play and evened the scored with less than two minutes remaining. Then it was James’ turn to deliver, just as he has done so many times in his former palace. Back-to-back buckets - a mid-range floater and a booming two-handed dunk - gave Los Angeles enough breathing room in the final minutes.

Mitchell, the native New Yorker who grew up idolizing James, had a chance to perhaps upstage the homecoming King - for a second straight year. But Mitchell’s potential game-tying jumper with 23 seconds left rattled in and out.

The Cavs never got any closer.

In his first game since mid-November, Mitchell had a team-high 22 points but was just 4 of 18 from the field and 2 of 6 from beyond the arc. Center Jarrett Allen chipped in with 21 points and 14 rebounds.

Undrafted rookie Craig Porter Jr., who scored Cleveland’s first seven points of the fourth quarter - a personal run that ended on Allen’s alley-oop throwdown - finished with 11, his fourth straight game scoring double figures.

Starting point guard Darius Garland did not play in the second half. Garland banged his head on the court in the first half, went to the locker room for further examination and while he was able to return briefly, he wasn’t himself. Garland was diagnosed with a neck strain. He ended the night with six points and three assists in 14 minutes.

Isaac Okoro, who missed nine games in a row with a sore knee, tallied five points in 18 minutes off the bench.

The Lakers were led by Anthony Davis, who poured in a game-high 32 points and added 13 rebounds.

At the 6:25 mark of the first quarter, during the second stoppage, the Cavs played another tribute video for LeBron, honoring him for being the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. Fans rose to their feet and serenaded him with applause while James brought his hands together in the shape of a heart.

It’s still all love. And this year, James and the Lakers made sure to punctuate his lone return with a victory.

Up next

The Cavs will play the second game of a back-to-back on Sunday night, when the Toronto Raptors come to town. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.