NBA Game Summary - Atlanta at Cleveland

02.16.2005

Cleveland, OH (Basketball News) - LeBron James scored 28 points and Zydrunas Ilgauskas racked up 18 along with 13 rebounds as Cleveland routed Atlanta, 111-89, at Gund Arena.

Drew Gooden compiled 19 points and 11 boards while Jeff McInnis finished with 11 points and 11 assists as the Cavaliers ended their five-game homestand with their fourth win.

Ilgauskas tied a team-record with 12 offensive rebounds and recorded four blocks as Cleveland posted its 30th triumph of the season.

Antoine Walker registered 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Hawks, who lost their 15th in a row on the road. Josh Childress ended with 14 points and 10 boards in Atlanta’s fourth straight defeat overall.

After James scored right before the first-quarter buzzer to put the Cavaliers up 30-24, the second-year sensation delivered the first five points of a 9-2 Cleveland run to start the second. Eric Snow capped the spurt with an outside jumper which gave the hosts a comfortable 39-26 lead three minutes into the period.

Atlanta countered with an 8-2 flurry and cut its deficit to seven points with seven minutes remaining before intermission following back-to-back buckets by Walker. A tip-in by Childress pulled the Hawks within 51-48 heading into the final minute of the half, but Gooden drained a jump shot with no time left to give the Cavs a 55-50 edge at the break.

Cleveland then scored the first six points of the second half and extended its advantage to 61-50 when McInnis buried a three-pointer just over three minutes in. The Cavaliers would continue to pour it on and went ahead 75-60 with three minutes to go in the third quarter after a 9-2 spurt sparked by James’ fastbreak dunk.

Gooden had five points in a one-minute stretch near the end of the period and put Cleveland up 84-66 on a three-point play with 36 seconds remaining.

A 10-2 flurry beginning with consecutive three-pointers by James gave the Cavs a whopping 101-74 lead with eight minutes left. Atlanta would not get within 20 points thereafter.

Ilgauskas tied Michael Cage’s club record set on April 16, 1996 at Atlanta...Cleveland swept the four-game season series between the clubs and have won seven straight over the Hawks, who have dropped 11 of their last 13 overall...Atlanta dressed just nine players, as guard Tyronn Lue (strained left achilles) and forwards Predrag Drobjnak (ankle sprain) and Kevin Willis (back spasms) all sat out...Gooden recorded his 10th double-double in Cleveland’s last 11 games.

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