LeBron, Heat playing in Cleveland tonight

Here’s the Miami Herald reporting on LeBron James heading home for to Akron for Thanksgiving, but with a stop in Cleveland to play the Cavs first:

lebron james

Two days before Thanksgiving, LeBron James sat in his old high school gymnasium in Akron, Ohio, and reminisced. Off to the side, while St. Vincent-St. Mary practiced, James’ sons shot hoops on the same rims that helped turn their father into the best basketball player on the planet.

These Heat road trips to his hometown for games against his old team have been memorable for James ever since he signed with the Heat, and this latest visit to Northeast Ohio will be another emotional exercise in balancing his appreciation for the place that made him and his love for what now defines him.

On Wednesday, James’ Heat plays the Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena and before the game a grassroots movement called “Come Home LeBron” will hold a rally outside the arena. After the game, the Heat is spending the night in the area instead of immediately boarding a plane to Toronto. On Thursday, James is hosting a Thanksgiving feast for the Heat at his home in Akron.

“I am happy that I’m able to do something for the team for Thanksgiving,” James said.

In describing James’ house, Chris Bosh mused that if the Heat’s players had to be away from their families, “it might as well be the biggest house in the world.” Dwyane Wade joked that he would make sure to wear “the right socks” because the house is too fancy for shoes.

Nets avoid fourth-quarter meltdown, finally end five-game skid

The Brooklyn Nets are struggling, and injuries are making things even worse. Any win lately is a big one. Here’s the New York Daily News on results from Tuesday:

jason kidd

They nearly blew it, but the Nets will take a win any way they can get one.

Despite an awful start to the season in which they’ve been without four key players for long stretches, have crumbled in third quarters and been left searching for answers, they entered their first division game of the season Tuesday night somehow only three games behind their opponent, the Atlantic Division-leading Raptors.

Thanks to an effort in which they were better defensively in transition, won the rebounding battle and actually looked competent in the third quarter, the Nets pulled to within two games of first place with a 102-100 win at the Air Canada Centre, averting disaster by holding off a late Raptors run to snap a five-game skid and win for the second time in 10 games.

“Those guys in that locker room found that they had enough,” coach Jason Kidd said after his team nearly blew all of a 15-point lead in the final 5:22. “You’ve got a bunch of guys in there with pride and they knew what they had to do tonight against the division-leading Raptors and got a big win on the road.” …

Andray Blatche carried the offensive load for Brooklyn early, scoring 15 first-half points on 7-for-10 shooting in a variety of ways: easy points in the paint, difficult drives to the hoop and 20-foot jumpers. He finished with a team-high 24 points.

DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points for Toronto (6-8) and Kyle Lowry had 24 points and six assists.

Jermaine O`Neal steps up for Warriors

Here’s the Bay Area News Group via the San Jose Mercury News on veteran big man Jermaine O’Neal stepping up for the Golden State Warriors Tuesday:

Jermaine O'Neal

There is Denzel Washington’s speech in “Remember the Titans” and Gene Hackman’s talk to his squad in “Hoosiers.”

And then there’s the postgame oration Jermaine O’Neal gave Tuesday after his improbable performance to lift the Warriors to a much-needed 102-101 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

“I keep telling these guys that trials and tribulations will build character for a true championship team,” O’Neal said. “It may not look good all the time, but we keep fighting, we keep fighting. It doesn’t matter who’s on the court in a Warriors uniform, we always feel like we have enough. Hopefully these lessons we’re learning early, all the injuries … is teaching us a lesson. I truly believe at the end of the year, we’re going to be rewarded for these lessons that we’ve learned.”

Leave it to the 35-year-old, 18th-year veteran to lift the Warriors when they needed it most. The Warriors were without Andrew Bogut, suspended for a game for his role in the altercation with Portland on Saturday. Swingman Andre Iguodala (strained left hamstring) didn’t make the trip. But O’Neal, a former All-Star turned backup center, pulled off a timely throwback performance.

He finished with 18 points and eight rebounds in his first game back after missing the previous four. He was out with a bruised right knee and strained right groin. O’Neal revealed Tuesday that he also had a sore wrist and a viral infection that left him barely able to speak Sunday.