CLEVELAND, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- LeBron James answered the boos of his former hometown fans with 37 points Thursday and Miami blasted Cleveland 118-90.
James made his first trip back to Cleveland since leaving the Cavaliers in free agency this year. That move made him a despised figure in a town that once treated him as a hero and the fans greeted him with a wave of boos and catcalls every time he touched the ball.
Those boos began to diminish, however, when James scored eight points in a 16-0 run late in the first period.
James made 15-of-25 shots from the field, grabbed five rebounds, handed out eight assists and sat out the entire fourth quarter.
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It was the best all-around performance of the year for the Heat, who began the season as favorites to win the NBA title but found themselves in third place in their division heading into Wednesday's game. Miami has captured three in a row, equaling its longest winning streak of the season.
Dwyane Wade added 22 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the Heat, James Jones had 18 points off the bench and Chris Bosh scored 15. Cleveland shot 56 percent from the field and turned the ball over just eight times.
Cleveland, which has dropped two in a row, was led by Daniel Gibson with 21 points. None of the Cleveland starters had more than 11 points.
James appeared to take the constant harassment in good spirits, often smiling and joking with teammates. He hugged Cleveland's Mo Williams after the game and then immediately left the court flanked by security guards.
The teams will meet three more times this season with one of those games scheduled for Cleveland.
