sportsjabber.net

The Los Angeles Lakers picked the wrong time to play their worst basketball of the 2009-10 season. On Christmas Day, even.

LeBron James became the Grinch, and Staples Center turned into Whoville as he scored 26 points en route to a 102-87 victory for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Mo Williams had a breakout game for Cleveland with 28 points to lead the Cavs, who improve to 23-8. Shaquille O’Neal, making his return to Staples Center in Cleveland black and red after winning three rings donning the Laker purple and gold, scored 11 points and Jamario Moon added 13 off the bench.

Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 35 points but shot a dismal 34.3 percent. Ron Artest added 13 points while Pau Gasol scored 11 to pace the Lakers, who drop to 23-5 and a tie with the Boston Celtics for the best record in the National Basketball Association.

The stats turned what looked to be a marquee contest on paper into a one-sided mule-kicking, complete with foam fingers and water bottles hurled onto the hardwood by disgruntled home supporters.

Cleveland shot a blistering 54.3 percent compared to 36.5 for Los Angeles. The Cavaliers shot 38.9 percent from beyond the arc while the Lakers shot just 27.8 percent.

The Cavalier defense went into clampdown mode on Friday. They crashed the boards with 37 defensive rebounds. Los Angeles managed just 28.

The Laker bench shot just 33.3 percent from the field and could only manage 17 points altogether. It was a disappointing outing for Andrew Bynum and Derek Fisher. Bynum managed just four points in 26 minutes of action and Fisher scored seven points.

Los Angeles will make the trip up north to ARCO Arena to face the Sacramento Kings on Saturday. Cleveland’s next match will be on December 27, when they host the Houston Rockets at Quicken Loans Arena.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/314352-cleveland-la-lakers-james-plays-the-grinch-in-102-87-victory