With their big man back, the Cleveland Cavaliers looked much more like one of the NBA's Eastern giants.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored 20 points with 11 rebounds in his first game in exactly one month because of a broken left ankle and LeBron James added 25 points as the Cavaliers remained perfect at home with a 112-95 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.
One night after a frustrating loss at powerful Orlando, the Cavaliers improved to 22-0 on their own floor and tied the franchise record for the most consecutive home wins, set in the 1988-89 season.
Mo Williams added 23 points for Cleveland, now 9-0 after a loss.
Rookie Eric Gordon scored 27 for the Clippers, who stayed close for nearly three quarters before dropping their eighth straight road game as they began a seven-game trip. Los Angeles has lost 18 of 20.
Ilgauskas had hoped to return to the lineup on Thursday against the Magic. But although Ilgauskas traveled with the Cavaliers to Florida expecting to play, Cleveland coach Mike Brown sat his 7-foot-3 center against Orlando All-Star Dwight Howard, explaining that he didn't want to subject Ilgauskas to playing on consecutive nights so soon.
The Cavs managed to go 9-4 while Ilgauskas was sidelined, but their offense wasn't nearly as efficient without one of its better outside shooters and main inside threats.
Ilgauskas's presence alone opened the floor for James and Williams. He also finished 10-of-16 in 28 minutes.
The Clippers, who made eight 3s in the first half, were within 89-83 in the fourth when Williams hit a 3-pointer and the Cavs scored a few easy baskets inside to pull away and finally put away one of the league's weaklings.
James was openly frustrated by what he felt was a lack of favorable calls in Orlando. There are times when James feels the officials allow more contact against him on drives to the basket simply because of his physical prowess and power.
"I definitely think sometimes because of my strength and size, the way I get hit sometimes, they feel like it's not re-routing me," he said before the game, using a league term for knocking a player off his path to the rim. "I never once complained. But sometimes I just feel it's blatant on me and it's not called. ... It's our whole team. We just have to go out and win games. That's how you earn respect in this league."
Truth be told, James frequently protests and he has drawn a few technicals along the way for voicing his displeasure.
He got two calls on drives in the first two minutes and completed a pair of three-point plays as the Cavs jumped to an 18-2 lead and looked to be ready to put the Clippers away quickly.
But Gordon made two 3-pointers, and after James went out with his second foul, the Clippers went on a 17-4 run to pull even at 26 apiece after one.
Notes:@ James still can't believe he'll be the only one representing the Cavaliers in next month's All-Star game. Williams was not voted a reserve by coaches, who chose Orlando's Jameer Nelson and New Jersey's Devin Harris over the Cavs guard. "It's definitely disappointing," James said. "It shows a lack of respect we get from around this league. We're the only team that's high in wins and we only got one All-Star. We can use it as motivation." ... Clippers F-C Zach Randolph, who hasn't played since Dec. 22 with a bruised left knee, is expected to return during the Clippers' trip. ... Cavs reserve G Tarence Kinsey is expected to miss 3-to-5 weeks with a severely sprained ankle sustained Thursday. ... Brown had to be restrained when he was given a technical by referee Bob Delaney in Orlando. Brown joked that he may have been arguing with the wrong guy. Delaney is a former undercover agent who infiltrated the New Jersey mob, and wrote a book about the experience. "He's an ex-cop and knows people in the mob so, no, I wasn't really going after him," Brown said. "I don't mess with that."
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