LeBron James would have had an impressive night even if he'd missed the game-ending shot that gave Cleveland a 140-138 overtime victory over the Wolves. The buzzer-beater capped a night of 37 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists for James, whose team has struggled lately with a 5-5 record in its past 10 games and a shocking loss the previous night to lowly Orlando.
Keep in mind that most people started the season with the assumption there would be yet another rematch between the Cavaliers and Golden State for the NBA title. Well, there are two teams ahead of Cleveland in the Eastern Conference, and you can make a pretty good argument for Houston being as good as the Warriors in the West.
As Chris Fedor wrote after the game for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, regarding LeBron: "His leadership deserves to be questioned sometimes. And he always wants things his way. And yet, for the Cavs it's all worth it."
HOWARD SINKER