GREATNESS
LeBron James scores 51 points, Lakers roll past Heat
Miami — There was a time when LeBron James getting pestered by Lance Stephenson would have worked out wonderfully for the Miami Heat.
Sunday was not one of those times.
The scenario: It was late in the game, the outcome was decided, and Stephenson — James' former rival, now his teammate with the Los Angeles Lakers — challenged him to finish the game off with a 3-pointer.
"I bet you won't go for the 3," Stephenson said.
The Heat probably wish that conversation never took place. James' capped his 51-point night with a 32-foot 3-pointer in the final seconds, pointed at Stephenson to let him know he was wrong, and the Lakers rolled past the Heat 113-97 for their seventh win in their last nine games.
James reached 50 for the 13th time in his career, including Game 1 of last season's NBA Finals.
"It's just playing with greatness," Lakers guard Lonzo Ball said. "Tonight he took the game over."
James shot 19 for 31 from the field, 6 for 8 from 3-point range, became the seventh player to score at least 51 in a game against Miami, and started his two-game reunion tour in sensational fashion. The Lakers' next game is Wednesday night in Cleveland, the only other place besides Miami and L.A. that James has called home as a professional.
"It's always great to be here," said James, who hugged a slew of familiar faces in the arena he used to call home. "We had some not-so-good times, we had more great times, so it's always a respect factor and a love for the people in Miami and especially the people who work here."
And finally, he left Miami a winner again. Since leaving the Heat after the 2014 NBA Finals James was 0-4 against Miami; his teams were 0-7, when including the three Cleveland-Miami games that he sat out for various reasons.
James put on a show.
The Heat threw a shoe.
It was their fourth straight home loss and frustrations boiled over. Josh Richardson got ejected in the fourth quarter after throwing one of his sneakers into the stands, upset about a call that he felt he didn't get moments earlier./