Cavs beat Hawks, improve to 2-0 in NBA preseason
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - LeBron James had six points, three rebounds and three assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Atlanta Hawks 83-80 in a preseason game Wednesday night.
James played 30 minutes, shooting 3-of-7 from the field. His shots included an airball and a one-handed breakaway dunk that left the sellout crowd at the Asheville Civic Center buzzing.
Zydrunas Ilgauskas led the Cavaliers (2-0) with 19 points and eight rebounds. Darius Miles added 13 points, including a 19-foot jumper with 12.2 seconds left. Lee Nailon missed a tying 3-point attempt at the buzzer for Atlanta.
Juneau-Douglas High School graduate Carlos Boozer started and played 26 minutes for Cleveland. He scored nine points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Obinna Ekezie had 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Hawks, who shot 35 percent in their preseason opener.
James, the top pick in this year's NBA draft, also recorded two steals, missed a 17-footer midway through the first quarter and threw up an airball from 3-point range in the second.
He also was scolded by referee Jim Clark for having his shirt untucked before leaving the game for good with 7:59 left.
The Hawks played without leading returning scorer Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who is still recovering from back surgery.