After their 101-99 win over the Cavs on Thursday, Wizards guard DeShawn Stevenson said he thought LeBron James was "overrated."
Stevenson guarded James for most of Thursday's game, including on James' three-point attempt at the buzzer that clanged off the side of the rim. The two players talked trash the entire night. "He's overrated," he told The Washington Post. "And you can say I said that."
James leads the NBA in scoring at 30.9 points per game. It's a curious comment for a journeyman player like Stevenson to make. When asked about the comment after Sunday's game, James said to consider the source.
"With DeShawn Stevenson, it's kind of funny," he said. "It's like Jay-Z saying something bad about (fellow hip-hop artist) Soulja Boy. There's no comparison."
When someone asked for clarification and said he didn't know who Soulja Boy was, James grinned.
"Exactly," he said.
The teams split the season series, 2-2. They aren't scheduled to meet again this season, unless it's in the playoffs. The Wizards currently own the sixth seed and would have to overtake No. 5 Toronto to force another first-round matchup between Washington and the Cavs. The Cavs have eliminated the Wizards in postseason play each of the previous two seasons.
CAVALIERS 98, BOBCATS 91: All-Star forward LeBron James came up with another spectacular overall performance in the Cavs' victory over the stubborn Charlotte Bobcats on Sunday at Quicken Loans Arena.
James finished with 33 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and two blocks, as the Cavs (38-29) rolled to their seventh consecutive win at home. It's the longest home winning streak since the 2005-06 season.
The Cavs put James on Bobcats' guard Jason Richardson with less than a minute to play, and his defense forced Richardson to miss two shots down the stretch.
Richardson had made his first five shots of the fourth quarter before missing his final two. He ended with 33 points.
"We made the switch to LeBron really, really late, almost too late," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "LeBron's length, athleticism and ability to close were the difference in the last couple of shots. He's a tough cover."
The Cavs welcomed back center Zydrunas Ilgauskas. He had missed the previous seven games with an inflamed and strained back. He finished with 16 points, nine rebounds and three blocks.
"The spacing is awesome with 'Z' on the floor," James said. "It's a treat for me to get him back."
His presence also allowed Ben Wallace to attack the boards with a vengeance. He had 15 rebounds, his high with the Cavs, and a key tip dunk with 1:32 remaining.
