Cleveland’s LeBron James entered Monday with a 26.6-point average, and after three quarters against Denver the King already had 27 points. This generally is a bad sign for any opponent, except that all the other Cavaliers were deplorable.
James, as he does, dominated. But without any offensive help — no other Cavalier was in double figures at the time — the game was essentially over after three quarters, when Denver led 88-68.
The Nuggets won what they assumed would be a tougher game, 122-100, in front of a camera-clicking crowd Monday night at the Pepsi Center.
There was a constellation of stars. LeBron. Melo. A.I. But Denver reserve J.R. Smith shined, too, scoring 29 points in just 23 minutes, featuring a physics-defying, two-handed backward slam on an alley-oop from Allen Iverson.
Carmelo Anthony finished with 22 and James finished with the 27.
The Cavaliers, exhausted from a win at the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night, floated into Denver like a balloon low on helium. Then, less than five minutes into the game, official Bill Spooner stuck in the pin when he ejected Cavaliers starting guard Larry Hughes.
