In the days leading up to Miami’s third matchup of the season with Southeast Division-rival Orlando, LeBron James stressed that even at barely the midpoint of the season there was high importance for Thursday night’s game.
And James played like it, pouring in 51 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists — including a 23-point first quarter — to lead Miami to a 104-100 victory.
It was a season high for James, whose scoring effort tied for the fifth most points of his career. Dwyane Wade added 15 points and Chris Bosh 13. The victory was the Heat’s fourth straight. The Magic lost for the fourth time in their last six and fell behind 2-1 in the season series with Miami.
“Just playing this team got me going,†said James, who hit his first 11 shots of the night. “We understand that it wasn’t just any regular-season game. There were a lot of things said about us in the offseason that came from this organization. So we just wanted to come in here and play to our abilities and make a statement.â€
