So it's decided that that Cavaliers recent game with the Denver Nuggets didn't happen and/or count. There's no way the Cavaliers would lose to a team missing the NBA league leader in points per game, Carmelo Anthony. Seeing as how that didn't happen, let's move on.

The Portland Trail Blazers are the NBA's most injured team. They're missing top talent players including former Buckeye Greg Oden, yet they still manage to play tough night-in and night-out, led by Brandon Roy. So when the Cavs showed up Sunday night for a game on ESPN, you knew it was gonna be a battle. The Cavaliers came out of the gates quick and owned a 64-49 lead at half, led by the relentless attack of LeBron James. The Blazers did manage to come back and tie the game at 87, but when Jawad Williams and Mo Williams stepped up and made big shots late, the Blazers couldn't hang. This game also showed why Cleveland's big-men are the best combination of size and hustle in the league. The Cavaliers looked impressive, and LeBron was a force to be reckoned with.

LeBron was spectacular in this game. His first-half performance was amazing to watch, as he put in 31 points sparked by his 20 point 1st quarter. If he had wanted to, he could have easily dropped over 60, but since LeBron is the smartest player in the league, he decided to take what the defense gave him and trusted his teammates to hit big shots. Portland Coach Nate McMillan had high praise for James:

"LeBron was just unbelievable the first half. That first quarter, he was pretty much in attack mode. You normally don't make adjustments the first quarter. His 20 points came so fast. He had three possessions where we didn't get in front of him and he was at the rim. Then he hit some threes and, before you know it, he had 20 points. We wanted to double-team, but we couldn't get close to him."

Couldn't agree with you more Nate, you had no answer for The King in the 1st half. Big win for the Cavs. LeBron made the right decision pretty much the entire game. LeBron James is underrated