LeBron James will welcome his former team to South Beach tonight as the Cleveland Cavaliers play the Miami Heat in a rematch of the squads' Dec. 2 showdown in C-Town.
Heat Vs. Cavaliers: LeBron James Invites Former Team To South Beach For Fun And Domination
The Heat killed the Cavs in that game, running away with a 118-90 win as LeBron popped off for a season-high 38 points in just 30 minutes of play. The game was billed as Cleveland’s great shot at telling King James exactly what it thought of him, and the fans complied, showering the two-time MVP with boos galore.
The nation was eager to see the face-off, as well, with the contest doing better ratings than an NFL game with playoff implications airing at the same time.
The Heat haven't lost since, currently rocking a nine-game winning streak, and every victory has come by at least 10 points. In December, LeBron is averaging 25 points, six rebounds and six assists. But the story has been Dwyane Wade, who has scored 30 or more in three straight games, and at least 20 in every game dating back to the first battle against Cleveland. Wade is now averaging 23 points a game on the season. Chris Bosh's number have also improved since Cavs-Heat I, averaging 17.6 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in eight December games.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers haven’t won since the Heat blasted them, falling all the way to 7-17. Attention on tonight’s rematch will certainly be dampened, not just because of the team’s opposite flight paths, but because so much of Cavs-Heat I was predicated on the novelty of Cleveland’s hate.
For this rematch, we’ll be lucky if the American Airlines Arena is full, let alone loud. The basketball might not be compelling, and without a sideshow, there’s not much beyond Miami’s wild dominance to enjoy.
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