LeBron feels love in return to Cleveland

CLEVELAND — LeBron James felt only love at home.

Making his first trip back to Cleveland since leaving for the second time as a free agent, James was welcomed like a hero on Wednesday night and rallied the Lakers to a 109-105 win over the Cavaliers, who played an inspired game against their former teammate, but couldn’t stop him when it mattered most.

James finished with 32 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists. He also scored or assisted on 11 straight points as the Lakers overcame a 99-91 deficit in the fourth quarter.

The Cavs had a chance to tie late, but Kyle Korver missed a wide-open 3-pointer with 17 seconds left and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope made four free throws in the final 15 seconds to seal it for Los Angeles.

From the moment he stepped onto Quicken Loans Arena floor, his home court for 11 seasons, James was treated like a returning champion.

On the night before Thanksgiving, Cleveland said thanks to the Northeast Ohio son, the one who ended the city’s 52-year title drought.

Warriors fall, Diallo injured

In Oakland, Calif., Russell Westbrook recorded his first triple-double of the season as Oklahoma City defeated the Warriors 123-95 in a game in which Thunder rookie Hamidou Diallo was carted off on a stretcher with 7:17 left with an apparent left leg injury but avoided a serious injury according to the team after Xrays and Warriors doctors evaluated him.

Diallo’s left leg was stabilized as he was wheeled away to applause from the Oracle Arena crowd. Diallo was credited for rebounding Jonas Jerebko’s missed layup when they both went down hard.

Westbrook finished with 11 points, 13 assists, 11 rebounds. It was his second game back since missing five with a sprained left ankle.

Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson scored 27 points apiece with Durant grabbing a season-best 14 rebounds for the Warriors, who were again playing without Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.