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Career high for James as Heat swing into gear

MIAMI — Best player. Best game of his career. LeBron James is clearly not ready to concede his Most Valuable Player award to anyone yet.

LeBron James made 22 of 33 shots from the field, including his first eight three-point attempts. 
PHOTO: USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James made 22 of 33 shots from the field, including his first eight three-point attempts.
PHOTO: USA TODAY Sports

MIAMI — Best player. Best game of his career. LeBron James is clearly not ready to concede his Most Valuable Player award to anyone yet.

Dazzling from inside and out, James put on the best scoring show of his NBA life on Monday (yesterday morning, Singapore time), pouring in 61 points — a career high and franchise record — as the Miami Heat beat the Charlotte Bobcats 124-107.

It was the eighth straight win for the two-time defending champions, who are starting to roll as the playoffs get near. James made 22 of 33 shots from the field, including his first eight three-point attempts.

“The man above has given me some unbelievable abilities to play the game of basketball,” James said. “I just try to take advantage of it every night. I got the trust of my team-mates and my coaching staff to go in there and let it go.”

His career best had been 56 points on March 20, 2005, for Cleveland against Toronto. Glen Rice scored 56 to set the Heat record on April 15, 1995, against Orlando.

James had 24 points at half-time, then added 25 in the third quarter. The record-breaker came with 5:46 left, when James spun through three defenders for a lay-up that fell as he tumbled to the court.

“There was an efficiency to what he was doing,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “The rim looked like an ocean for him ... He was in a great groove, obviously.”

Even the Bobcats were marvelling at James. He was hitting from everywhere, even a pull-up three-pointer from about 9m late in the third quarter. That was the moment, James said, when he knew he was in the midst of a special night.

“I felt pretty good in the first half, but half-time can always kind of derail things and slow things up,” James said. “But I was able to get things going once again in the third quarter and I knew it could be one of those nights.” AP

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