12 December,2009 12:30 PM IST | | AFP
LeBron James had 33 points, seven assists and seven rebounds as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the injury-riddled Portland Trail Blazers 104-99 on Friday.
Anderson Varejao scored a season high 22 points for Cleveland who rebounded from a pair of losses to Houston and Memphis.
In those games, Cleveland committed a total of 41 turnovers. Cleveland had just 16 against Portland.
James also had a brilliant block on a shot by Brandon Roy in the closing seconds.
Varejao also had 10 rebounds and Shaquille O'Neal finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
Cleveland's giant centre O'Neal got poked in the eye during the third quarter by Joel Przybilla as he was making a shot and had to leave the game.
The team said O'Neal had a bruised eye but did not give details of the injury. He was to a Cleveland medial clinic for tests but is expected to join his teammates for a trip to Oklahoma on Saturday.
Varejao and Mo Williams both played with stomach illness. Williams had 10 assists.
Roy scored 23, LaMarcus Aldridge 22 and Andre Miller 20 for Portland, who had just nine players because of injuries.
