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LeBron returns along with Varejao, Hughes, who scores 36
By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sportswriter
Published on Wednesday, Dec 12, 2007
CLEVELAND: Tuesday was throwback night at Quicken Loans Arena.
A gloved LeBron James was out there dunking, an unconscious Larry Hughes was showing a Midas touch, and Anderson Varejao's mane was flapping in the breeze.
The Cavaliers are back . . . and so are their winning ways.
Feeding off the energy of nearly clearing their long inactive list, the Cavs took out some pent-up frustrations on the Indiana Pacers in a 118-105 blowout win. It ended the painful six-game losing streak and fed the Cavs' hope that their mostly sour season will soon be turning around.
Considering the lineups the Cavs had been forced to use over the past few weeks, their talent cup seemed to run over Tuesday — especially when Cavs coach Mike Brown went to his bench.
For the first time in his 366-game career, James asked to come off the bench as he returned from missing five games with a sprained left index finger. The only other time in his life he hasn't started was in the 2004 Olympics. But this was part of a plan.
Brown sent James, Hughes and Varejao into the game together midway through the first quarter. That not only brought the crowd to its feet, but it also might have signaled a turnaround to the Cavs' season. It also swallowed any boos Varejao
might have received after his lengthy holdout and statements about no longer wanting to play for the Cavs.
''I thought it would raise the intensity of the fans, having me, Larry and Andy come in at the same time, and it worked,'' James said. ''I thought by coming in with Andy, it might stop the boos Andy might get; just protecting my teammates.''
That might not be 100 percent accurate; Brown said he didn't discuss with James when he'd put Varejao in the game. Nonetheless, the moment did have some poetic results.
After the three entered, the Cavs tore off a 22-5 run that gave them a huge cushion they never gave up. After the Pacers had cut the lead to a single digit early in the third quarter, the trio came into the game and ripped off a 15-0 run that ended the drama and started the party.
James scored 17 points in just 22 minutes in his return. He wore a complex black glove over his left hand that also protected two fingers. But if there were any questions about whether it hindered him, he answered when he threw down a two-handed dunk off an alley-oop pass from Hughes in the third quarter.
Hughes, though, was the real offensive star. Coming off a 22-point effort in his return from a leg injury Saturday, Hughes might have had his best shooting night in his three years as a Cav.
He made 13-of-17 shots, including 5-of-8 3-pointers, on his way to 36 points, his highest total in more than two years. Playing at his more natural shooting-guard position and coming off the bench seems to be comfortable for Hughes, who was in command on offense all night by mixing up his drives and jumpers.
''Larry Hughes was fantastic,'' Pacers coach Jim O'Brien said. ''I thought there were two LeBron Jameses out there.''
Varejao's activity also made an instant impact. He scored just six points but grabbed nine rebounds in 24 minutes.
In fact, the energy level of all the Cavs seemed to be up. Their activity on defense and aggressiveness on offense seemed to be the best of the season, or at least in weeks. The Cavs shot 55 percent from the field, which was a season high, as was their point total. They also had nine steals and five blocks.
Part of it was they had four days off in the past week, their longest break after a heavy schedule early in the season. But there was no doubt the return of players from injuries and circumstance lifted the team.
The Pacers (10-11), who trailed by as many as 25, got 23 points from Mike Dunleavy and 18 from Jermaine O'Neal.
''We got our guys back now,'' James said. ''It's a different ballgame.''
Brian Windhorst can be reached at bwindhor@thebeaconjournal.com. Read his blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/cavs/.
CLEVELAND: Tuesday was throwback night at Quicken Loans Arena.
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